Championing the makers, artists, and wanderers in all of us.
The poppy on our patio bloomed over the weekend, so I thought I’d send out this burst of color, in case you could use some extra warmth in your day.
You’ll just have to imagine the chorus of bird songs that go along with it. They’ve really decided to sing their little hearts out these last few days!
Wandering through art spaces opened for Phoenix’s annual Art Detour event, my friend Anne and I stumbled across Steamroller Sunday.
Artists had carved large designs into plywood and covered them in ink. A steamroller rolled over the top, pressing the inked designs onto sheets of canvas.
I started taking video of one artist getting his stamp ready and ended up recording the whole process, because, really, how often do you see art being made with construction equipment?!
You can check it out (condensed to 1 minute) above or on YouTube.
PS While you’re there, feel free to subscribe to Travelcraft Journal’s channel!
This weekend is Phoenix Art Detour 2018 with open galleries, performances, and special events throughout the Downtown Roosevelt Row and Grand Avenue arts districts.
If you’re familiar with Phoenix Fridays, think of Art Detour as a 5-day, super-sized First Friday.
One of the unique spaces where there will be art on display is Olney Gallery, which is inside of Trinity Cathedral at Roosevelt and 1st Ave.
We visited recently and saw a colorful monosilkscreen exhibition by Manny and Janet Burruel.
A longtime artist and curator of the gallery, Manny’s passion for the intricate process of printmaking was so contagious that his wife Janet also caught the bug! They now spend long Saturdays in the studio and take classes together.
Even though Janet has just started printmaking within the past year, she already produces beautiful work in her own distinct style with natural forms evoking the peaceful feeling of watching moonlight stream through tree branches.
While Janet tends to focus on flora, many of Manny’s subjects are fauna. His work currently on display includes vibrant dinosaurs and desert creatures.
The Burruels’ exhibition lasts throughout the month of March. If Manny or Janet is there when you go, say hi. They’re lovely people and happy to chat about their art.
I took some video of our city’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parade this January, and I finally got it together and online.
There was such an atmosphere of joy and community at the event. The people walking (or dancing or riding) down the parade route seemed so glad to be involved, and the crowd cheered everyone on.
No joke, applause broke out when the horse cleanup guy shoveled some manure off the road.
The parade was followed by music and talks about the legacy of Dr. King.
Since we couldn’t work a Naples/Pompeii visit into our Italy trip (another one of those trade-offs) even though I’d always wanted to go, I basically lost my mind when I read there would be an exhibition with artifacts from Pompeii at the Arizona Science Center here in Phoenix. Pompeii was coming to me!
One of the events surrounding the exhibit was a simulation of the historic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius with lava flows projected onto the outside of the building, and smoke, bursts of flame, and “ash” coming from the top.
It was quite the spectacle. But I was honestly more moved by the exhibit inside, by household items that look just as they did when they were in use nearly 2000 years ago and by the tragic fate of people who possessed them.
The exhibition was very well done, putting the items in context with wall-sized photos of the architectural site and video reconstructions of the city.
It is in Phoenix through May, and I believe it will be on tour for awhile. I would definitely recommend seeing Pompeii if it comes to you.