The Third Friday art walk of January 17, 2014, was a good reminder to myself that the downtown Phoenix art scene probably ought to be referred to as the “central Phoenix art scene,” given the many galleries that spider out from Roosevelt Row. For example, there’s Practical Art at Central Avenue and Camelback Road, The … Continue reading The widening circle of Phoenix’s art scene
Featured photo: One of many dazzling sights from “Chihuly in the Garden,” glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly, at the Desert Botanical Garden. Photo by Deborah Ross. I bid farewell to 2013, but not without a backward glance at the rich bounty of art in Phoenix, Scottsdale and the Valley over the last few months. Not … Continue reading Photo highlights from the fall season
In yet another testament to the enormous variety of art to peruse during a Third Friday art walk in downtown Phoenix, I am still processing all that I saw in just three shows: 1. “Chaos Theory” at Legend City Studios, Fifth Avenue and Van Buren: Here’s a doozy of a show for anyone following the … Continue reading Stumbling upon chaos, desolation and human kindness: Phoenix’s Third Friday of 10/18/13
When you think about it, Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix is only a few blocks long. Yet it manages to pack in about a dozen art galleries of various shapes and sizes, joyfully mixing it up as far as artist rosters and points of view. There’s something for everybody. For the Third Friday Art Walk … Continue reading Roosevelt Row: Taking advantage of small spaces
Despite the evening heat, First Friday on Roosevelt Row for August 2, 2013, was as lively as ever, although I would imagine the cafes and bars were doing a brisk business for the thirsty among us. A personal shout out to Songbird Coffee and Tea House for that lovely Italian soda! My time was well … Continue reading Art in the desert in August — why not?
Longtime followers of the Phoenix art scene must have done a little happy dance upon hearing of Annie Lopez’s solo show at the Phoenix Art Museum. Lopez is a fourth-generation Arizonan and has been a steady presence in the Phoenix-area art scene since the early 1980s. Remember MARS Artspace? Lopez showed her inventive photography and … Continue reading Arizona artist profile: Annie Lopez
Here I am, blatantly stealing Justin Germain’s lines from a media statement for June’s First Friday show “Thermal PHX” at the MonOrchid gallery: “The title for this exhibition comes from my memories of learning from my parents, both hang glider pilots, about how to fly using heat bubbles, or ‘thermals’ that rise from the desert … Continue reading Catching a few thermals on Roosevelt Row
An attractive building amid the Mesa Arts Center complex, the MCA Museum usually mounts four to five shows at a time in its relatively small galleries. There have been times I’ve visited when not all the shows appealed to me. Last visit, though, I feel like I hit the jackpot, and I recommend you see … Continue reading 5 reasons to visit Mesa Contemporary Arts
I’m enjoying my ascent up the learning curve as I get to know more about the downtown Phoenix art scene, and much of that enjoyment comes from matching particular galleries with particular people — and recognizing more and more names in our city’s stable of artists. A couple of hours were well spent at the … Continue reading Putting good art together with names in downtown Phoenix
From my vantage point at the information booth at First Street and Roosevelt in downtown Phoenix, I could see that the Saturday, April 13, debut of Feast on the Street — combining community dining, food trucks, a beer garden, a “community salad toss,” gardening displays, live entertainment and kids activities — was an inspired idea. … Continue reading 13 reasons to bring back Feast on the Street in 2014
