| 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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| Phoenix Transforms Retired Well Sites into Public Art Spaces | https://www.phoenix.gov/newsroom/arts-and-culture/2328 | Arts and Culture | | 5/2/2022 7:00:00 AM | https://www.phoenix.gov/newssite/Lists/NewsArticle/Attachments/2328/PHXNewsroom_Neighborhood_Vista050222.jpg | | Phoenix Transforms Retired Well Sites into Public Art Spaces | <div class="ExternalClassD4248C0E27584AC7B987DEC563DE5DFA"><html>
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As part of an ongoing effort to repurpose retired well sites, the City of Phoenix Water Services and Office of Arts + Culture have collaborated to transform a previously inaccessible lot into an engaging sculpture garden at <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/PuxSUAHa8TzCQWgX6" target="_blank">63rd Ave. and Osborn Rd.</a><br></p>The “Neighborhood Vista" project enhances the former Well Site 156, a decommissioned well that provided water to the surrounding neighborhood as far back as the 1940s. With the well site no longer active, the lot housing the well offered little continued benefit to the surrounding community. In 2019, this site was selected as the fourth location to be developed as part of the Community Well Enhancement Program.<br><br>Local artist Jeff Zischke saw the space as an opportunity to create a sculptural garden that tells the story of the past, present, future, and diversity of the community that has grown around, partly because of, the historical well. This space integrates large steel sculptures with indigenous flora, connected by a walking path that provides in of the sculptural elements.<br><br>To further enhance the experience, an <a href="https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/966cc54a73ca4c93a9a653b236aea02f" target="_blank">interactive story map</a> is available, providing historic context for the site, details about the design process, and insights from the artist.<br><br>On Wednesday, May 4, 2022, at 4 p.m., we invite the community to share in the dedication of Neighborhood Vista and to experience the space firsthand.<br><br>
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<a target="_blank" href="/artssite/MediaAssets/WS156InviteEng.png" title=""><img src="/artssite/MediaAssets/WS156InviteEng.png" alt="Neighborhood Vista Dedication Invitation" style="margin:5px;width:500px;height:397px;" /></a>
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