| Local Artist Selected to Create 190 ft. Mural in Prominent Downtown Phoenix | https://www.phoenix.gov/newsroom/arts-and-culture/2544 | Arts and Culture | | 10/28/2022 8:00:00 PM | https://www.phoenix.gov/newssite/Lists/NewsArticle/Attachments/2544/Mural_OAC.jpg | | Local Artist Selected to Create 190 ft. Mural in Prominent Downtown Phoenix | <div class="ExternalClass042A981FE86F4315B61413E215EE3EA2"><html>
<p>The City of Phoenix partnered with Downtown Phoenix Inc. and Artlink Inc. to select a local artist to create a 190 feet mural on Adams Street, near the entrance of the Phoenix Convention Center, in downtown Phoenix.</p><p>Over the next few years, Phoenix is hosting major city-wide events, including fan activities for the NFL 2023 Super Bowl LVII, the 2024 NCAA Men's Final Four, and the 2026 NCAA Women's Final Four. Project partners wanted to celebrate Phoenix's festive and diverse culture by incorporating a large-scale mural on the side of the Regency Garage on Adams Street that will welcome residents and visitors downtown. This 190 feet x 10 feet wall is prominently positioned near the entrance of the Phoenix Convention Center and will be completed before the Super Bowl in February 2023.</p><p>A total of 47 artist and artist team submissions were received, and eight artists were selected to advance as finalists. Each finalist was paid an honorarium to create a concept that would highlight the city's diversity, culture, and vitality while engaging the Phoenix residents and visitors in a meaningful way.</p><p>Following a healthy panel discussion, artist Kayla Newnam, an experienced muralist based in Phoenix, was selected for the commission.</p><p>"We are thrilled for this partnership and that arts and culture has been called upon to welcome residents and visitors to Phoenix when attending these major events," said Mitch Menchaca, executive director of the City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture. "Kayla's artwork highlights not just downtown but the beauty all around the city."</p><p>There will be two opportunities for the public to participate in a Community Paint Day to create downtown Phoenix's newest mural. With 190 feet of wall space to cover, the event will be an ideal painting opportunity for people of all ages and skill levels. Bring your family and friends to join Newnam on Saturday, November 5 or Sunday, November 6, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Sign up is limited to a maximum of 50 people each day. RSVP required at <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kaylanewnam.com/">www.kaylanewnam.com</a>.</p><p>Newnam is a Phoenix native and has produced several public art projects in the central Phoenix area, including "Not Another Bird Mural" on Roosevelt St. and "Desert Connection" for Wexford Science + Technology in the 850 PBC building on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus.</p><p><strong>About Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture</strong></p><p>The City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture champions, promotes, and supports the City's arts and culture community to make Phoenix a great place to live, work, and visit. The agency manages an award-winning public art program, grants funds to artists and nonprofit arts organizations; oversees eight cultural facilities, including the Gallery @ City Hall; promotes arts learning for youth; professional development opportunities for arts administrators and individual artists; and participates in national studies and research that make a strong case for the arts and demonstrate their economic, social, practical, and educational benefits. Follow the Office on Facebook at <a target="_blank" href="http://www.facebook.com/phxofficeofartsandculture">www.facebook.com/phxartsculture</a> and Twitter at @phxarts_culture.</p><p><strong>About the Phoenix Convention Center</strong></p><p>The award-winning, GBAC STAR™ accredited, Phoenix Convention Center is one of the largest convention venues in the United States. It boasts nearly one million square feet of rentable meeting and event space. As a department of the City of Phoenix, the Phoenix Convention Center is a vital economic enterprise for the state and local economy. The Phoenix Convention Center & Venues include the Phoenix Convention Center, Symphony Hall Phoenix, Orpheum Theatre Phoenix and nine downtown parking facilities.</p><p><strong>About Downtown Phoenix Inc.</strong></p><p>Formed in 2013, Downtown Phoenix Inc. [DPI] delivers enhanced municipal services to the Downtown Business Core and manages the work plans for Phoenix Community Alliance [PCA] and the Downtown Phoenix Community Development Corporation [CDC]. DPI and its family of service providing non-profit organizations are guided by a mission to facilitate collaboration, cultivate connections, and contribute to both the growth and vitality of our community. To generate progress on issues, work toward sustainable growth and build a stronger, more inclusive city core that generates positive perceptions, memorable experiences and a sense of pride in downtown.</p><p><strong>About Artlink Inc.</strong></p><p><span style="background-color:window;color:windowtext;font-size:10pt;">Artlink keeps the arts integral to our development by connecting artists, businesses and the community. Founded as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization by artists in 1989, the Artlink name is a guiding principle for the organization, as it supports stakeholders of the arts and culture community, amplifying its collective strength. Visit </span><a target="_blank" href="http://www.artlinkphx.org/" style="background-color:window;font-size:10pt;">www.artlinkphx.org</a><span style="background-color:window;color:windowtext;font-size:10pt;"> to sign up for the Artlink newsletter, or connect socially on </span><a target="_blank" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.facebook.com/ArtlinkPhoenix__%3b%21%21LkjWUF49MRd51_ry%21YGOw_Mxm9mbvwYhBbLv7GqoZ_oi_kPSQiZ8kb5qY3nv1nTqL3nEG-rBu3fMTJep9vvnbc1NdNfWb3QNUXbRpAJoZneg$" style="background-color:window;font-size:10pt;">Facebook</a><span style="background-color:window;color:windowtext;font-size:10pt;">, </span><a target="_blank" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/twitter.com/artlink_phoenix__%3b%21%21LkjWUF49MRd51_ry%21YGOw_Mxm9mbvwYhBbLv7GqoZ_oi_kPSQiZ8kb5qY3nv1nTqL3nEG-rBu3fMTJep9vvnbc1NdNfWb3QNUXbRp6J8glfw$" style="background-color:window;font-size:10pt;">Twitter</a><span style="background-color:window;color:windowtext;font-size:10pt;"> and </span><a target="_blank" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.instagram.com/artlink_phoenix/__%3b%21%21LkjWUF49MRd51_ry%21YGOw_Mxm9mbvwYhBbLv7GqoZ_oi_kPSQiZ8kb5qY3nv1nTqL3nEG-rBu3fMTJep9vvnbc1NdNfWb3QNUXbRpT_RVhf0$" style="background-color:window;font-size:10pt;">Instagram</a><span style="background-color:window;color:windowtext;font-size:10pt;">.</span></p>
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| Newest Phoenix Fry’s Food Stores to Feature Original Mural by Artist Kenneth Keene | https://www.phoenix.gov/newsroom/arts-and-culture/2490 | Arts and Culture | | 9/21/2022 7:00:00 AM | https://www.phoenix.gov/newssite/Lists/NewsArticle/Attachments/2490/OAC_Mural_Frys.jpg | | Newest Phoenix Fry’s Food Stores to Feature Original Mural by Artist Kenneth Keene | <div class="ExternalClass8EF48335F610416090779745C33BDD2A"><html>The City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture partnered with Fry’s Food Stores to commission local artist Kenneth Keene, an experienced muralist and former art educator, to create a mural in the new Fry’s Food Stores in north Phoenix. The mural is featured on the wall near the main entrance of the store. Located at 26300 N. Norterra Parkway, the store is scheduled to open on Wednesday, October 5.<br><br>Keene was chosen from among 18 local artists who applied for the $10,000 commission to paint the mural, which is 8’ tall x 24’ wide. “Ken had the ability to capture the landscape in a visually stunning and complex way that will make a huge impact on customers that enter the store” said Bo Wachendorf, Art Project Manager for Fry’s Food Stores. The mural is a celebration of the Sonoran Desert and the natural beauty of the state tree, the Palo Verde.<br><br>“Fry’s has become a leader in bolstering community connections between private development and the arts through mural commissions like this one,” said Carrie Brown, Deputy Director of the Office of Arts and Culture, which helped to coordinate the process Fry’s used to select the artist.<br><br>Kenneth Keene has painted murals around the Valley of the Sun for 35 years. He is a graduate of Arizona State University and former art teacher in Glendale and Peoria, AZ. A professional artist, Keene’s major endeavor has been to create murals that enhance interior spaces while magnifying a specific or unique quality of the location. He enjoys representing the beauty of nature and content that celebrates all life. “I believe that my success as an artist is dependent on the viewer’s ability to take something away that is completely their own,” said Keene.<br><br><br><strong>About Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture</strong><br><br>The Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture was established in 1985 to champion and sustain the City's arts and culture community to make Phoenix a great place to live, work, and visit. The Office is advised by the Phoenix Arts and Culture Commission, made up of a diverse group of citizen volunteers with a particular area of focus on policymaking and financial recommendations for public art and grant investments for the City. For more information on the Office of Arts and Culture, visit <a target="_blank" href="http://www.phoenix.gov/arts">phoenix.gov/arts</a> or call 602-262-4637. Follow the Office on Facebook: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.facebook.com/phxofficeofartsandculture">facebook.com/phxartsculture</a> and Instagram <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/phxartsculture/">@phxartsculture</a>.<br><br><br><strong>About Fry’s Food Stores</strong><br><br>At Fry’s Food Stores, a company of The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are Fresh for Everyone™ and dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit®. Headquartered in Tolleson, we employ more than 20,000 associates and operate 125 Fry’s Food Stores and 97 fuel centers across the state. Fry’s has been serving Arizonans since 1960 and was selected as the 2019 Business of the Year by the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce. As a division of The Kroger Family of Companies, we care about the communities we serve, working to end hunger and eliminate waste across the company through our Zero Hunger | Zero Waste social impact plan. In 2021, we provided nearly 12 million meals to Arizona’s hungry families.<br>
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