Downtown’s First Friday (Oct. 1)

Art walks are more often about people watching and shenanigans and less about the actual art. We’re here to guide you through both. Presenting our very own Field Guide — an evolving guide to art walks around town. From time to time, we’ll introduce some of our favorite spots and…

The Gauntlet

It’s finally October, which means two things: grocery stores will probably start playing Christmas music … and the Valley will finally be taken over by zombies, candy corn and, you guessed it, Haunted Houses. We’re on a mission to scout out the best (and worst) ones and share our experiences…

10 Worst Halloween Costume Ideas

Halloween is a magical time for kids to dress up and gather candy as adults pay homage to their favorite pop icons and get drunk in silly outfits.Before you start brainstorming for this year’s Halloween costume, we recommend you read this list that outlines the pitfalls, dangers and straight-up bad…

100 Creatives Ends Today. Who’s No. 1?

​At the end of May — with Best of Phoenix looming at the other end of the summer — we came up with a wacky idea: Let’s find 100 arty types from around town. We’ll ask them questions, have them share some work. We’ll call it The Creatives, in honor of…

The Durkins’ Modern Manor

You might say that Ryan and Kylie Durkin, co-owners of Phoenix furniture boutique, Modern Manor, are crazy about interior design. “Design is a passion,” both admit. That’s an understatement. Finding cool furnishings is their job (they own the store), their hobby, what they do for fun — in essence, their…

Tailgate Politics with Hector Acuna

In the aftermath of Jan Brewer’s grammar, SB1070 drama and typical Arizona shenanigans, we’ve been spotting a few, um, interesting vanity plates around town. And in response, Hector Acuna, a local designer, art direction consultant, and illustrator gives us his mix-and-match game for political tailgates. Click on the image above,…

Grand Avenue Festival: In Review

Weather-related misery aside (let’s be real, sweating in September’s not unprecedented), we imagined the Grand Avenue Festival would be a pretty stellar way to spend a Saturday afternoon, or evening. And for the most part, we were absolutely right. We set out on Saturday with a mission to check out…

2: April Reyna

2: April Reyna April Reyna says she’s a late bloomer to the comic world, but she has a pretty strong start to becoming a successful female artist within the comic industry. April nabbed a color separating job with Heroic Age Studios out of high school and assisted in the color…

Phoenix Hosts Public Art Academy Webinars for Artists

Pack a sandwich — tomorrow’s lunch plans may get whole lot artsier. The Phoenix Office of Cultural Affairs, Arizona Commission on the Arts and the Herberger Institute School of Art are hosting free webinars (live broadcast seminars) covering the “How To”s of public art. There will be three events total…

One Speed: Go!

Phoenix is a city of drivers, a place where people are accustomed to whizzing by everything in their cars. As such, Phoenicians miss a lot of sights, particularly the “little things” that can make a commute interesting.Luckily, Valley bicycle enthusiast John Romeo Alpha has captured the more leisurely, watchful culture…

3: Colin Chillag

3: Colin Chillag Colin Chillag’s a local painter who says he finds inspiration in snapshots he picks up in thrift stores. His work often leaves much to the imagination (as you’ll see after the jump). He was born in Syracuse, New York, attended grade school and high school in Phoenix…

Call for Coops for the 2010 Tour de Coops

Don’t give me that look. It’s for your own good.​There’s been a lot of talk about chicken coops lately.Since my last post about urban chickens, our little babies have become stinky, young adult chickens. And it’s time they move out of the house and into a coop in the back…

Why Your Head Shop Employee Hates You

In the tradition of our anonymous flight attendant, book buyer, yoga instructor, and house cleaner — a head shop employee shares his stories of dealing with glassy-eyed customers and Why Your Head Shop Employee Hates You, as told to this writer. This head shop employee has worked at an independently-owned…

4: Shawna Franks and Bob Fisher

4: Shawna Franks and Bob Fisher Shawna and Bob are a seriously creative power couple. Shawna’s the artistic director of Space 55 Theatre at Seventh and Pierce streets in Phoenix. Bob directs, acts, and improvises there, and is the occasional host of “Seven Minutes in Heaven.” They’ve been married for…

5. Morgan McNally

5. Morgan McNally Morgan McNally was born and raised in Phoenix. While she moved downtown as a fashion student in 2006, she says she dropped her sewing machine somewhere along the way, found painting, and hasn’t looked back. She’s currently in pursuit of a degree in printmaking, and her work’s…

6. Steven Yazzie

6. Steven Yazzie Steven Yazzie’s a painter, sculptor, videographer and installation artist who uses mixed media. He says his most recent work focuses on the “intersection of personal mythology, cultural histories and the shared contemporary experience in the context of a Western imagination.” Yazzie’s one of the founding members of…

Mixology With Jason Asher of Sanctuary’s Jade Bar

We’re usually a little wary of anything that ends in “-ology” (biology, astrology, scientology…), but mixology? Now that has our name all over it. Especially when Bombay Sapphire and GQ Magazine’s Most Inspired Bartender of 2010 Jason Asher, the mixologist at Sanctuary’s Jade Bar, shows us the ropes.

7: Quincy Ross

7: Quincy Ross Quincy Ross is a self-taught artist, designer, and photographer with a background in music, fashion, graphic design and business. Despite what you may have heard, Ross owns the trademark Mos Def™, which landed in the History of The T-shirt book (2002). He’s managed and promoted musical talent,…

Grand Avenue Festival (Sept. 25)

Art walks and festivals are more often about people watching and shenanigans and less about the actual art. We’re here to guide you through both. Presenting our very own Field Guide — an evolving guide to art walks and festivals around town. From time to time, we’ll introduce some of…

Why Your House Cleaner Hates You

In the tradition of our anonymous flight attendant, book buyer, and yoga instructor — the quintessential house cleaner shares her anecdotes of keeping things organized and Why Your House Cleaner Hates You, as told to this writer.No, we are not revealing her identity, as she respects her employers and their…