A Public Voice on Public Art

One new idea for every day in 2011. We’re talking big, small, local, international, in action and on the drawing board. Here’s today’s — what’s yours? Close to 40 people gathered in a north-Scottsdale conference room last night to talk public art and master planning. The discussion was hosted by…

Dennis Oppenheim, 1938-2011

Dennis Oppenheim , a celebrated sculptural artist died over the weekend at the age of 72.The Washington-born artist is known for his large-scale public art pieces in major cities around the world — one being the Garden of Evidence at the Forensics Lab and District One Police Station at Scottsdale’s…

Does Arizona Have the Most Romantic Main Street? Submit a Photo.

A national group is ditching the greeting-card cheese of Valentine’s Day and is instead tying the “holiday” together with historical preservation. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is currently accepting entries for its “Most Romantic Main Street” photography contest. According to the Washington, D.C.-based non-profit, photographed sites can include “candle-lit…

Gov. Brewer Proposes Additional Budget Cuts for Arizona Arts Programs

Governor Jan Brewer slapped the Arizona arts community last week with additional budget cuts in her proposed budget for 2012/2013.The proposed budget eliminates appropriations to the Arts Commission’s general fund and includes an 8 percent reduction to the Arizona Arts Trust Fund. “The economic crisis in Arizona is having a…

Big City Love by AnnieWHERE

Annemarie, or AnnieWHERE on etsy, is a big fan of the Big City. Her handmade cards combine orange cover stock with map clippings, she writes, “from rental car agencies and various print media, mostly while traveling” — each stamped with “you are HERE.” You can snag a few of the…

Art Intersection Opens in Gilbert this Weekend

This weekend, a building where thousands of little girls practiced pirouettes and jazz hands will transform into a hip new space called Art Intersection.The new gallery is the brainchild of art instructor Carol Panaro-Smith and executive director Alan Fitzgerald. They’ve taken a building in Gilbert that used to house Dance…

Apply to Attend TEDxPHXDC

TEDxPHXDC may look like just a lot of capital letters, but rest assured — it’s a locally based TED, or speaking series event, hosted by the Phoenix design community. This year’s theme, Urban Catalysts, will bring several local design minds to talk urban design and ideas in Phoenix’s urban environment on…

Wacky Creations Wanted for the 2011 Mutant Pinata Show

Time to bust out the paper mâché and wicked sense of humor — Bragg’s Pie Factory in Phoenix just announced the deadline and viewing dates for its 2011 Mutant Pinata show. The pinata show is an annual event and an annual home to outrageous, political, corny, sentimental, and fun creations…

Robrt Pela on Curation and the Phoenix Art Scene

Artist, writer, and New Times’ theater critic Robrt Pela added gallery curator to his list of descriptors when he writes that he “grew tired of complaining about how the downtown art scene just wasn’t giving me enough of what I wanted.” The result is the curatorial work he does at…

The Future of First Friday Street Closures (To Be Continued)

Note: This article’s been updated to reflect accurate gallery openings.More than 70 members from the downtown community and representatives of the Phoenix Police department met Wednesday night at MonOrchid to discuss the future of street closures during First Friday.The short story: Fur flew and the closures are still canceled. The…

For Art’s Sake

Don’t ask me how I came to be a gallery curator. I suppose it happened because I finally grew tired of complaining about how the downtown art scene just wasn’t giving me enough of what I wanted. And about how, not so many years ago, one went, on any given…

Roosevelt Row’s First Friday Street Closure Meeting Tonight

Downtown Phoenix’s First Fridays could look a little different after a public discussion tonight at MonOrchid. The Phoenix Police Department and Roosevelt Row came to an agreement in June to postpone road closures, citing the summer’s heat and lack of sufficient patrolling resources. The heat faded, but Phoestival — the…