PHX Newsroom Feature Enhancements

Phoenix Arts & Culture Announces Nine Artists Selected for its ¡Sombra! Public Art Project

https://www.phoenix.gov/newsroom/arts-and-culture/3170

Arts and Culture

7/18/2024 9:00:00 PM

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Phoenix Arts & Culture Announces Nine Artists Selected for its ¡Sombra! Public Art Project

<div class="ExternalClass0E7D76A56D014771979D6B5753BA7FF1"><html> <h3>Artists will create shade and cooling installations in public parks as part of City's efforts to address extreme heat </h3>The Phoenix Arts & Culture Department has announced the selection of nine artists for its “¡Sombra!" public art project. Funded by a $1 million Public Art Challenge grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, the artists will create temporary shading and cooling installations in response to Phoenix's extreme urban heat. Throughout the projects, the City of Phoenix Arts & Culture Department and the Office of Heat Response and Mitigation seek to demonstrate scalable solutions and inspire community dialogue about urban heat. Chosen from nearly 80 submissions from across the U.S., the artists were selected by a diverse panel of specialists from the City of Phoenix's Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, the Office of Innovation, the Arts & Culture Department, as well as local and national artists and design professionals. The winning artists were chosen for their public art concepts' use of effective, experimental and innovative materials and processes, creative themes, and community engagement activities. The “¡Sombra!" temporary installations will be unveiled in Spring 2025 at nine public locations identified as those of high need by community partners, including contributors to the Nature Conservancy-led Heat Action Planning Guide for Greater Phoenix. Each artist has been paired with City parks in these neighborhoods to collaborate with residents, the Parks and Recreation Department, the Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, and the Office of Innovation to finalize design concepts. <a target="_blank" href="/artssite/Documents/SombraArtistsBios.pdf">The winning “¡Sombra!" artists</a> (PDF) and their corresponding temporary installation locations are as follows: <blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px;">• Jessica Arias - Sunnyslope Park• Shomit Barua* - Los Olivos Park• Jose Benavides & Joe Ray* - Cielito Park• AZ(Land)* - Steele Indian School Park• Josie Davis & Jenny Boehme - Roesley Park• Kira Dominguez-Hultgren - Maryvale Park• Luke Haynes - Sereno Park• Feng-Feng Yeh* - Eastlake Park • Bobby Zokaites* - Cortez Park</blockquote>*Indicates Arizona based artist “As climate change continues to intensify our summer heat, Phoenix is harnessing and deploying unique and innovative ways to cool our city and make it more comfortable. That's why we are so excited for the support of these nine artists who will turn their beautiful art into shade," said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. “I am looking forward to seeing what these talented artists design for our city parks and to the positive impact their projects will have on Phoenicians!"“We know innovation comes from creative thinkers and collaboration," said Stephanie Dockery, Bloomberg Philanthropies Arts Team . “The Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge brings together mayors, artists, nonprofits, the private sector, and residents to develop innovative solutions that address critical issues facing cities. We believe the impacts of the “¡Sombra!" project will live beyond the scope of these temporary art installations and enhance the quality of life for Phoenix's visitors and residents." The “¡Sombra!" temporary installations will be installed in the Spring of 2025 at each of the selected City parks and will then be relocated to Steele Indian School Park in September of 2025 for a one-day, family-friendly festival featuring activities for children, food and music. “¡Sombra!" will include workshops, educational activities and festive events for artists, civic leaders and residents to discover new, creative ways to adapt to Phoenix' extreme urban heat. To sign up for updates and to learn more about “¡Sombra!" visit <a target="_blank" href="http://sombraphx.org/">sombraphx.org</a>. About Phoenix Arts & Culture DepartmentThe City of Phoenix Arts and Culture Department champions, promotes, and supports the City's arts and culture community and educational and cultural opportunities for all, making Phoenix a great place to live, work, and visit. The department manages an award-winning public art program; grants funds to artists and nonprofit arts organizations; oversees a dozen cultural facilities, including the S'edav Va'aki Museum, the gateway to the cultural history of the Phoenix area; supports programs and events for students to help develop their personal, social, and intellectual skills that are critical to success in life, school, and work; assures that the City complies with all laws and regulations regarding the identification and proper treatment of historic properties, objects, and other archaeological resources; and participates in national studies and research that make a strong case for arts, culture, and youth development to demonstrate their economic, social, practical, and educational benefits. Learn more about the department at <a target="_blank" href="http://www.phoenix.gov/arts">Phoenix.gov/Arts</a>. About the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art ChallengeThe Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge brings together mayors, residents, and artists to develop temporary public art projects that address important civic issues in their communities. In 2022, Bloomberg Philanthropies invited mayors of U.S. cities with 30,000 residents or more to apply for up to $1 million in funding to create temporary public art projects that address important civic issues and demonstrate an ability to generate public-private collaborations, celebrate creativity and urban identity, and strengthen local economies. More than 150 cities from 40 U.S. states applied. Bloomberg Philanthropies selected eight winning cities to develop projects focused on challenges related to climate change, equity, food insecurity, gun violence, homelessness, public health, and revitalization. Since launching in 2014, the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge has spurred more than $100 million in economic benefits for participating cities and action across a range of civic issues. For more information, please visit <a target="_blank" href="http://publicartchallenge.bloomberg.org/">publicartchallenge.bloomberg.org</a>. </html></div>

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Inaugural "Artist to Work" Grant Recipients Headlining Community Showcase at Rio Salado Audubon Center

https://www.phoenix.gov/newsroom/arts-and-culture/2991

Arts and Culture

1/23/2024 7:00:00 AM

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Inaugural "Artist to Work" Grant Recipients Headlining Community Showcase at Rio Salado Audubon Center

<div class="ExternalClass2D6EB18F5D78425B8CCD435C385A5F76"><html> Twenty practicing Phoenix artists were selected as the inaugural recipients of the Artist to Work grant for the 2023 calendar year. Funded by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars and born during a time of significant national and worldwide turmoil, the <a href="/arts/grants-program/artiststowork" target="_blank" style="background-color:window;">Artists to Work program</a> was created to provide opportunities to artists who had lost income due to cancellations, budget cuts, closures, and lack of project support due to the COVID pandemic. At the 2024 Artists to Work Showcase and Reception, the inaugural cohort of artists will share this completed and ongoing work. Additionally, twenty-one new grantees for the 2024 calendar year will be introduced and recognized as they embark on their award year. <a href="/arts/grants-program/artiststowork/grantees" target="_blank" style="background-color:window;">Learn more</a> about both the 2023 and 2024 grantees and their awarded projects. Please join the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture as we celebrate our current and incoming Artist to Work Grant Program recipients. <blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px;"> Artists to Work Showcase and Reception January 25, 2024 | 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center 3131 S Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85040 </blockquote><div style="text-align:center;"><img src="/artssite/MediaAssets/Grants/ArtiststoWork-Showcase.png" alt="" style="color:windowtext;font-size:10pt;margin:10px 0px;width:480px;height:745px;" /> </div> The exhibition will also be accessible to the public during <a href="https://riosalado.audubon.org/visit" target="_blank">regular hours</a> at the Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center </html></div>

https://www.phoenix.gov/arts

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Phoenix’s Nonprofit Arts and Culture Sector Generates $449.9 Million in Economic Impact

https://www.phoenix.gov/newsroom/arts-and-culture/2908

Arts and Culture

11/2/2023 10:30:00 PM

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Phoenix’s Nonprofit Arts and Culture Sector Generates $449.9 Million in Economic Impact

<div class="ExternalClassAAFBA78A884A445C81E021E721AF9EA4"><html> Phoenix's nonprofit arts and culture industry generated $449.9 million in economic activity based on data collected from 2022-2023. In partnership with the national nonprofit <a href="https://www.americansforthearts.org/" target="_blank">Americans for the Arts</a>, the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture has released the findings for the local results of the <a href="https://aep6.americansforthearts.org/" target="_blank">Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6) study</a>. <img src="/artssite/MediaAssets/AEP%20Header%20Image%20(1).png" alt="Phoenix Symphony Education Concert" style="margin:5px 0px;width:425px;height:250px;" /> The economic activity of $449.9 supported 7,686 jobs, provided $323.5 million in personal income to residents, and generated $92.5 million in local, state, and federal government tax revenue. Spending by arts and culture audiences generates valuable commerce for local merchants, a value-add that few other industries can compete with. The Arizona Commission on the Arts announced a statewide report showing that the state's nonprofit arts and culture sector generated a staggering $1.1 billion in economic activity. Phoenix's impact makes up 41% of that total. "In Phoenix, not only is the arts and culture sector deeply embedded in our city's societal fabric, but it is also a key economic driver that creates new jobs and generates important tax revenues," Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said. "We are proud to be an arts city where more than five million residents and visitors annually participate in our nonprofit arts and culture programs. As our city continues to grow, arts and culture are a vital part of our commitment to creating more connected and enriched communities." The results put the role of the arts in Phoenix as an economic driver into perspective. The $59.35 per person per event spent is 35% higher than the $38.46 national average and helps show that arts and culture drive commerce to local businesses. "We are thrilled to see the arts and culture sector support the economy in an impactful way! Phoenix's overall activity is up since AEP5, and that's great given what the field has been through over the past few years," said Mitch Menchaca, director of the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture. "However, what's striking is that our cultural workforce is down by half since our last study, which shows our arts and culture nonprofits are doing a lot with fewer resources." Key figures from the Phoenix AEP6 study include: <ul> <li> Phoenix's nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $266.7 million in event-related spending by its audiences. </li> <li> 30.1% of arts and culture attendees were from outside the county where the activity occurred. They spent an average of $78.42. All vital income for local merchants. </li> <li> 89.6% of respondents agreed that the activity or venue they attended was “a source of neighborhood pride for the community." </li> <li> 87.6% said they would “feel a sense of loss if that activity or venue was no longer available." </li> </ul> By measuring arts and culture's wide-ranging impact, public and private sector leaders can work together to secure funding and arts-friendly policies that shape more vibrant and equitable communities. The Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6) study reveals that America's nonprofit arts and culture sector is a $151.7 billion industry that supports 2.6 million jobs and generates $29.1 billion in government revenue. "Arts and culture organizations have a powerful ability to attract and hold dollars in the community longer. They employ people locally, purchase goods and services from nearby businesses, and produce the authentic cultural experiences that are magnets for visitors, tourists, and new residents," said Nolen V. Bivens, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “When we invest in nonprofit arts and culture, we strengthen our economy and build more livable communities." The Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture is hosting a December 5 media and community event at the Phoenix Theatre Company from 9:30-11:00 a.m. to share in-depth findings with Randy Cohen, vice president of research at Americans for the Arts, as well as local community leaders and participating arts and culture organizations. Learn more about the findings, the event, and the overall project at <a href="https://phoenix.gov/arts/aep" target="_blank">phoenix.gov/arts/aep</a>. The full report, a map of the 373 study regions, and a two-page economic impact summary for each community can be found at <a href="https://aep6.americansforthearts.org/study-findings" target="_blank">AEP6.AmericansForTheArts.org</a>. Americans for the Arts is a leading national nonprofit organization advancing arts and arts education. </html></div>

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ART BEATS Unveiled: New Series of Temporary Art Installations and Performative Experiences come to Burton Barr Central Library.

https://www.phoenix.gov/newsroom/arts-and-culture/2909

Arts and Culture

11/2/2023 10:00:00 PM

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ART BEATS Unveiled: New Series of Temporary Art Installations and Performative Experiences come to Burton Barr Central Library.

<div class="ExternalClass496CB01C0DBD415BA92059AF7F119537"><html> The Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture has commissioned several Arizona artists and artist teams to create performances and installations through its Public Art and Grants & Community Engagement programs for temporary public art projects. In partnership with the Phoenix Public Library, these temporary works will be presented free of charge at the Pulliam Auditorium at the Burton Barr Central Library at 1221 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85004, from October 2023 to April 2024. Many of these pieces were commissioned as part of the IN FLUX program that brought together art, economic development, and property management organizations throughout the greater Phoenix area; however, they have not been publicly shown due to the pandemic.For more information, visit the ART BEATS website: <a href="/arts/artbeats" target="_blank">www.phoenix.gov/arts/artbeats</a> <img style="margin:0px;width:315px;height:315px;" alt="ART BEATS" src="/artssite/MediaAssets/New%20Art%20Beats%20B%26W%20%20Ad%20(3%20×%203%20in).png" /> <h4>Afternoon Concert: Tatiana Crespo </h4> <blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px;"> Sunday, October 22, 2023 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Pulliam Auditorium at the Burton Barr Central Library </blockquote> Join singer and songwriter Tatiana Crespo as she shares some of her favorite songs in both English and Spanish to celebrate and honor those who have passed. With her accordion and guitar, she will also perform some of her original compositions inspired by Halloween, Dia De Los Muertos, love, and loss. It will be an afternoon full of storytelling, laughs and witchy cackles, and heartfelt moments for English and Spanish speakers alike. About the Artist: Tatiana Crespo is a Costa Rican Singer-songwriter and accordion player residing in Phoenix. She blends genres like cumbia, bossa nova, boleros, old-world French Swing and huapangos to create songs that reflect the migrant experience. From the tropics to the deserts, from the forest to the city, her music transcends borders to express the stories that surround her and stories that emerge from deep within her imagination. Listen to her new single Sacrificio De Amor now available on all platforms. Tatiana Crespo es una cantautora y accordionista costarricense viviendo en Phoenix. Tati mezcla géneros como la cumbia, la bossa nova, los boleros, el antiguo Swing francés y huapangos para crear canciones que reflejan la experiencia de Latinx migrante. Desde los trópicos hasta los desiertos, desde el bosque hasta la ciudad, su música trasciende fronteras para expresar las historias que la rodean y las historias que emergen desde lo más profundo de su imaginación. Escucha su nuevo sencillo Sacrificio De Amor en todas las plataformas. Learn more about Tatiana Crespo: @taticrespoarte <a style="background-color:window;font-size:10pt;" href="http://www.taticrespoarte.com/" target="_blank">www.taticrespoarte.com</a> <h4>Convo Station: Community Engagement Performance</h4> With Erin V. Sotak <blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px;"> Saturday, November 4, 2023 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Outside the Main Entrance to the Burton Barr Central Library </blockquote> The Convo Station is a designated spot to engage in conversation with strangers or perhaps with someone you already know but want to get to know better. Look for the Convo Station sign just outside of the main entrance to the Burton Barr Central Library and be at ease to converse. Artist Erin V. Sotak and her convo team will engage with passersby and library visitors by using a set of conversation starter questions to get people chatting. About the Artist: As a storyteller, photographer, and performance artist, Erin enjoys creating opportunities for strangers, friends, communities, and individuals to engage in shared aesthetic experiences. She believes in grand romantic gestures, epic failure, endless absurdity, aesthetic gasps, and always, hopeless optimism. “It is my daily goal to create that hiccup in the mundane, the rupture in the awkward silence, to elevate the ordinary and illuminate the forgotten." “Embedded in narrative, we move through our lives compelled to recount, reveal, reshape, and invent our personal and collective stories. We transform ordinary experience, elevate the everyday, and amplify the mundane. We fabricate narratives to interrupt reality, engage the fantastical and forge connection." Learn more about Erin V. Sotak: <a style="background-color:window;font-size:10pt;" href="http://www.erinvsotak.com/" target="_blank">www.erinvsotak.com</a> <h4>Afternoon Concert: Parade of Barbershop Quartets</h4> Hosted by the Central Arizona Quartet Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society <blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px;"> Sunday, November 12, 2023 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Pulliam Auditorium at the Burton Barr Central Library </blockquote> Join us for a delightful afternoon musical show featuring nearly a dozen quartets. Songs will include numbers from the Roaring Twenties to the Big Band Era and beyond. You will hear hits made popular by artists from Al Jolson to Frank Sinatra, and from Rickey Nelson to Louie Armstrong. Songs will be performed in the rich Barbershop Harmony style. The program also includes the International Seniors Champion, High Priority. About Barbershop Harmony: Barbershop harmony is generally considered to be one of the few uniquely American-born musical styles, alongside jazz, with which it shares origins. The simplest definition of barbershop centers around relatively simple melodies, sung in four-part harmony, without instruments (a cappella). Learn more about the Barbershop Harmony Society: <a style="background-color:window;font-size:10pt;" href="http://www.barbershop.org/" target="_blank">www.barbershop.org</a> <h4>Passageways: A Story Project about Coming of Age</h4> With artists Phil Stoesz and Thameenah “Ty" Muhammad <blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px;"> Sunday, December 10, 2023 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Burton Barr Central Library – First Floor </blockquote> Passageways is an interview-based story project that explores what it means to grow up. We all experience moments that make us grow. There are moments that bring a sense of joy or expansion, then there are moments that bring a sense of pain or responsibility, and sometimes, they happen without us even noticing. This project is meant to capture the stories of such moments, display them, and create a sense of acceptance with the complex, dynamic, and ever-changing experience of what it means to grow up. Visit the library to see some of the stories that have been turned into art, do some artmaking, and share a story of your own. About the artists: Phil Stoesz is a facilitator, educator, and creator who works at the intersection of service and imagination. He is a multidisciplinary artist who has training in theatre direction, science communication, and facilitating community-led projects. He is a certified facilitator of the Critical Response Process. Thameenah “Ty" Muhammad is an Afro-Caribbean artist and activist. Ty is a producing artistic collaborator with Rising Youth Theatre and a co-founder of RE:Frame Youth Arts Center. They are a multidisciplinary artist whose main mediums include acting, dancing, poetry/spoken word, and visual art. Learn more about Passageways: <a style="background-color:window;font-size:10pt;" href="http://www.whistlingmoon.org/" target="_blank">www.whistlingmoon.org</a> <h4>The Story of Our Journey: Multimedia Performance</h4> By Dr. Dylan Findley and Dr. Csaba Jevtic-Somlai and <blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px;"> Sunday, January 14, 2024 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Pulliam Auditorium at the Burton Barr Central Library </blockquote> The Story of Our Journey is a collaboration by clarinetist Csaba Jevtic-Somlai, composer Dylan Findley, and Their Story is Our Story (TSOS), an international refugee advocacy organization. The musical score and accompanying film merge clarinet, fixed media electronics and interviews with refugees detailing their extraordinary journeys from homes lost to new homes in foreign lands. Rather than offer commentary or solutions to the crisis, the music allows the refugees to speak directly and personally to each listener. About the Artists: Dr. Dylan Findley is a music composer and educator who writes music as a sacred act of expressing truths through emotion, intellect, and embodied physicality. As such, he enjoys the interplay between symbolism, perception of musical space and time, and the exploration of interesting sounds. His works have been performed in Colombia, Brazil, Italy, and across the United States. Dr. Csaba Jevtic-Somlai is an avid performer and educator, who has performed professionally in Europe, Asia, and North America since 2001. His initial idea of materializing current issues surrounding the refugee crisis into an art composition has yielded much fruit through collaboration with TSOS. His hope is to, through his artwork, amplify the voices of underrepresented groups of people and advocate for positive change and greater understanding. Learn more about the Story of Our Journey: <a style="background-color:window;font-size:10pt;" href="http://www.tsosrefugees.org/projects/the-story-of-our-journey" target="_blank">www.tsosrefugees.org/projects/the-story-of-our-journey</a> <h4>Afternoon Concert: Camille Sledge</h4> <blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px;"> Sunday, February 11, 2024 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Pulliam Auditorium at the Burton Barr Central Library </blockquote> Join singer and songwriter Camille Sledge as she shares some of her favorite songs for this afternoon concert at the library. "Sledge is a full tour de force on the stage, whipping her body and voice with every inclination in her spirit to the tribal rhythms brought out by the band." -Java Magazine About the Artist: Camille Sledge is a singer, songwriter, lyricists/MC, and runway model. Camille grew up surrounded by music with her mother, Debbie Sledge of the iconic group Sister Sledge with whom Camille occasionally performs. In addition to solo performances and being the lead singer of the renowned group, the Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra, Camille is a founding partner of the School of HipHop PHX (SOHH). SOHH is a nonprofit mentoring and music program which uses hip-hop influence to reach underrepresented intercity youth. Learn more about Camille Sledge: @camillesledge <a style="background-color:window;font-size:10pt;" href="http://www.camillesledge.com/" target="_blank">www.camillesledge.com</a> <h4>Conveyance Into Light: Sculptural Performance</h4> With artist Katharine Leigh Simpson <blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px;"> Sunday, March 10, 2024 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Pulliam Auditorium at the Burton Barr Central Library </blockquote> Conveyance Into Light is a short, visual exploration of the grieving process and the cyclical nature of renewing life energy. This concept is presented through the visual interpretation of a whale, symbolic of an angel descending from the heavens to gather the souls of the deceased and return them to the stars. The souls appear as birds in the artwork(?). The aspect of reassurance in death, through whatever demise meets a soul, results in this calming transition. Theatrical puppetry, combined with film and visual effects, bring this story to life. About the Artists: Katharine Leigh Simpson is a fine arts and installation artist. She creates both two-dimensional and textural works as well as performance pieces to express energy, wave forms, and life's impermanence. Combining organic materials found in nature together with paper and other traditional fine art mediums, Katharine captures this energy and translate it into sculptural expressions. The dualistic qualities of strength and fragility in the materials themselves echo impermanence, while at the same time, allude to their transformative properties. Learn more about Katharine Leigh Simpson: @katharineleighsimpson <a style="background-color:window;font-size:10pt;" href="file:///one/clk/PERM/ART/Public%20Art%20Program/Current%20Projects/IN%20FLUX%209/Art%20Beats%20Series/triceratops-wisteria-aj8k.squarespace.com" target="_blank">triceratops-wisteria-aj8k.squarespace.com</a> <h4>Eternal Home: A Responsive Collaboration Between Art, Dance, and Audience</h4> With artists Nicole L. Olson and Patricia Sannit <blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px;"> Sunday, April 14, 2024 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. The Gallery at the Burton Barr Central Library </blockquote> Artist Patricia Sannit and choreographer and dancer Nicole L. Olson have mutually created a dance and visual art event that expresses the power of community, its resilience strengthened by migration, shared histories, and cooperation. Eternal Home features Olson in an energetic, elegiac, participatory dance, performed amid a sculptural installation created by Sannit. As Olson performs, the art responds, and the audience will be invited to interact within the art/dance setting. About the Artists: Award-winning dancer and choreographer Nicole L. Olson explores the human condition through movement. The artistic director of the dance company NicoleOlson|MovementChaos, she's presented work in alternative spaces across the Valley of the Sun for years, performing solo, with her dancers, and with other local artists and creators. She has also shown work nationally at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and other venues throughout the country. Patricia Sannit is a sculptor and multimedia artist. Her life and work are influenced by her research into the continual movement and migration of people, ideas, and culture. Patricia works mainly with clay and found materials, but with a growing interest in ephemeral works, she has expanded her practice to include video, performance, mixed-media works, and landscape intervention, creating interactive and large-scale artworks that have been exhibited across the globe, including Iceland. Learn more about Nicole L. Olson: @nicoleolsondance Learn more about Patricia Sanni t: @patriciasannitstudio <a style="background-color:window;font-size:10pt;" href="http://www.patriciasannit.com/" target="_blank">www.patriciasannit.com</a> </html></div>

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Phoenix is Selected as One of Eight Cities for Bloomberg Philanthropies' Public Art Challenge

https://www.phoenix.gov/newsroom/arts-and-culture/2895

Arts and Culture

10/19/2023 10:30:00 PM

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Phoenix is Selected as One of Eight Cities for Bloomberg Philanthropies' Public Art Challenge

<div class="ExternalClass490FAF9FBC934E3BAFEA948B0B17A3C8"><html> Bloomberg Philanthropies has selected Phoenix for a $1 million Public Art Challenge grant. This unique grant program supports temporary public art projects that address important local civic issues in cities nationwide. Phoenix's project, ¡Sombra! (Shade) will commission artists to create shading and cooling installations in response to extreme urban heat.These works may include shade and cooling structures that create street-scale microclimates, installations that promote the protective beauty, comfort, and cooling power of hats and parasols, and other participatory arts experiences that provoke dialogue about rising temperatures and sustainable heat-mitigating tactics. The project will conclude with a family-friendly festival that will engage residents with these public art installations and feature activities for children, food, and music to celebrate and empower the community.The City of Phoenix was named a finalist in June and is one of just eight winners from more than 150 project proposals received from cities in 40 U.S. states. The project will be developed over the next two years.Visit <a href="file:///C:/Users/084339/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/NFXY47H6/publicartchallenge.bloomberg.org" target="_blank">publicartchallenge.bloomberg.org</a> to learn more about the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge, and stay tuned for updates as Phoenix's project comes to life.Hero Image: Shadow Play, artist: Meejin Yoon of Höweler + Yoon Architecture/MY Studio, 2015, Roosevelt Street between First and Fourth Streets<h4> </h4> </html></div>

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Phoenix is Selected as One of 17 Finalist for Bloomberg Philanthropies $1 Million Public Art Challenge

https://www.phoenix.gov/newsroom/arts-and-culture/2794

Arts and Culture

6/28/2023 4:00:00 PM

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Phoenix is Selected as One of 17 Finalist for Bloomberg Philanthropies $1 Million Public Art Challenge

<div class="ExternalClass32D5F72F45204F3296B8C62EDE737228"><html> Bloomberg Philanthropies has selected the City of Phoenix as one of 17 finalist cities to receive up to $1 million as part of its Public Art Challenge. This unique grant program supports public art projects that address essential local civic issues in cities nationwide. Phoenix's proposed project, ¡Sombra!, aims to address heat mitigation by creating a family-friendly festival introducing a dialogue about Phoenix's urban heat challenges to a new audience. The festival will engage residents with experiential and educational public art installations and activities for children, food, and music to celebrate the community. ¡Sombra! will foster community dialogue among residents about the city's extreme heat challenges. The project will feature up to 12 artists whose work responds to the urban heat crisis. These works may include shade and cooling structures that create street-scale microclimates; installations that promote the protective beauty, comfort, and cooling power of hats and parasols; and other participatory arts experiences that provoke dialogue about rising temperatures and sustainable heat-mitigating tactics. These installations will debut at the one-day ¡Sombra! Festival but installations will remain on display for a year. Phoenix was selected as a finalist from more than 150 project proposals from cities in 40 U.S. states. This fall, Bloomberg Philanthropies will select up to 10 winning cities to execute their projects over the next two years. Visit <a target="_blank" href="https://publicartchallenge.bloomberg.org/">publicartchallenge.bloomberg.org</a> to learn more about the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge. <img style="margin:0px;width:243px;height:243px;" alt="Bloomberg Finalist" src="/artssite/MediaAssets/PublicArtChallenge.png" /> </html></div>

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Local Artist Selected to Create 190 ft. Mural in Advance of Major Downtown Events

https://www.phoenix.gov/newsroom/arts-and-culture/2544

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10/28/2022 8:00:00 PM

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Local Artist Selected to Create 190 ft. Mural in Advance of Major Downtown Events

<div class="ExternalClassCA443228E46A48B485E5F16853E58482"><html> 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.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.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.Following a healthy panel discussion, artist Kayla Newnam, an experienced muralist based in Phoenix, was selected for the commission."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."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 href="http://www.kaylanewnam.com/" target="_blank">www.kaylanewnam.com</a>.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.About Phoenix Office of Arts and CultureThe 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 href="http://www.facebook.com/phxofficeofartsandculture" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/phxartsculture</a> and Twitter at @phxarts_culture.About the Phoenix Convention CenterThe 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.About Downtown Phoenix Inc.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.About Artlink Inc.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 <a style="background-color:window;font-size:10pt;" href="http://www.artlinkphx.org/" target="_blank">www.artlinkphx.org</a> to sign up for the Artlink newsletter, or connect socially on <a style="background-color:window;font-size:10pt;" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.facebook.com/ArtlinkPhoenix__%3b%21%21LkjWUF49MRd51_ry%21YGOw_Mxm9mbvwYhBbLv7GqoZ_oi_kPSQiZ8kb5qY3nv1nTqL3nEG-rBu3fMTJep9vvnbc1NdNfWb3QNUXbRpAJoZneg$" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a style="background-color:window;font-size:10pt;" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/twitter.com/artlink_phoenix__%3b%21%21LkjWUF49MRd51_ry%21YGOw_Mxm9mbvwYhBbLv7GqoZ_oi_kPSQiZ8kb5qY3nv1nTqL3nEG-rBu3fMTJep9vvnbc1NdNfWb3QNUXbRp6J8glfw$" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a style="background-color:window;font-size:10pt;" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.instagram.com/artlink_phoenix/__%3b%21%21LkjWUF49MRd51_ry%21YGOw_Mxm9mbvwYhBbLv7GqoZ_oi_kPSQiZ8kb5qY3nv1nTqL3nEG-rBu3fMTJep9vvnbc1NdNfWb3QNUXbRpT_RVhf0$" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. </html></div>

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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

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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. 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. “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. 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. About Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture 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>. About Fry’s Food Stores 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. </html></div>

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