Steamrolled Art

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!

March 17, 2018March 17, 2018

Art Detour: Printmakers Manny and Janet Burruel

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.

– More Olney Gallery Info –

Located inside Trinity Cathedral, 100 W. Roosevelt, Phoenix. Gallery entrance is directly off the front courtyard (facing Roosevelt).
Open to the public Tuesday through Friday, 9am – 4pm, as well as First Friday evenings (6-9pm), and Art Detour weekend.
Light rail stop: Central/Roosevelt
Parking: On First Friday evenings, you can park at Phoenix Art Museum or Arizona Center and take any of the free trolleys or walk (0.6 mi.) During the day, there is street parking or a garage just north of the Cathedral. Disabled parking spaces are on the north and east sides of the Cathedral and in the parking garage.
Trolley: The blue, pink, and orange routes of the free First Friday trolleys all have stops right outside.
Food and other recommendations in our Downtown Phoenix post.

February 26, 2018February 26, 2018

January 2018: Eruption

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.

January 10, 2018May 23, 2023

MLK Day: Where to Volunteer in Phoenix

I was looking to see what kind of service projects were planned in my community for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and I found a bunch at handsonphoenix.org! I’ll share a few you might be interested in below.

You can sign up on the site to volunteer if you’re over 18. Check the individual project for age restrictions and waivers required for younger teens and kids.

If you live outside of the Phoenix area, you can search nationalservice.gov for opportunities in other states.

Sort and Pack at St. Mary’s Food Bank

Jan 13, 8-10am
St. Mary’s Food Bank, Phoenix
Sort, pack, and distribute food for other nonprofits and families in crisis at St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance.

Feel free to bring donations of cereal, canned goods, bottled water, and/or pet food with you to the project.
Due to health codes and safety reasons, a volunteer dress code is in effect. (Closed Toe Shoes, shirts with sleeves, pants, etc.)

Garden Volunteers at the Japanese Friendship Garden

Jan 13, 8-11am
Japanese Friendship Garden, Phoenix
Help with either non-technical duties (like cleaning up trash) or technical garden maintenance (like precise pruning of plants).

Puppy Pals at Animal Care West Valley Shelter

Jan 13, 9-11am
Maricopa County Animal Care Services, West Valley Shelter, Phoenix
Spend time with adoptable pets. Walk dogs or brush and pet cats.

Project Vitamin C with City of Glendale

Jan 13, 9am-12pm
Sahuaro Ranch Park, Glendale
Help pick citrus from the park’s trees to donate to local food banks.

MLK 2018: Trailblazing at South Mountain Park

Jan 14, 10:30am-12:30pm
South Mountain Park, Phoenix
Assist with projects, such as tree trimming, maintenance, graffiti removal, trash pick-up, and painting. Details will be emailed to volunteers after sign up. Ages 18+.

Vets in Need Outdoor Refresh

Jan 15, 8am-12pm
Avondale
Join volunteers in painting the exterior of the home of a Veteran in need. Training, project supplies, light snacks and water will be provided.

MLK Jr. Celebration Parade

Jan 15, 8:30am-12:30pm
Mesa Convention Center (outside) / Downtown Mesa
Help with parade contestant check-in and parade route guidance.

November 4, 2017November 4, 2017

Free Admission to Arizona Museums with the Culture Pass

You can get free passes to over 30 museums and attractions if you have a library card from Maricopa County or Pima County, Arizona.

How to Check Out a Culture Pass

The program is called the Culture Pass, and it works like this:

Visit the Culture Pass kiosk at a participating library.
Pick the pass you’re interested in. There will be cards for all the available passes – it’s first-come, first-served.
Check the pass out with your library card. You will be exchanging the card from the kiosk for a receipt-like slip of paper, which is your actual ticket in.
Go to the museum! Each pass is good for free general admission for two people one time. You have one week to use it before it expires, but you don’t have to return anything to the library.

You may be able to search the library’s catalog online to see ahead of time what’s available.

If you live in Maricopa County, you can get a library card from any of the County’s public libraries. Only ASU students can check out Culture Passes from ASU libraries, although alumni and community members are eligible for cards with limited access to other ASU library resources.

Culture Pass Arts Destinations

Some of the Culture Pass Arts Destinations we’ve enjoyed (with or without a pass):

Arcosanti (Cordes Junction)
AZ Heritage Center at Papago Park
Desert Botanical Garden
Heard Museum
Phoenix Art Museum

Culture Pass Performances

More recently, the program has also expanded to include performances. It works basically the same way. Certain plays, ballets, operas, and symphony concerts will have Culture Passes available a couple weeks ahead of time on a first come, first serve basis.

These include performances from…

Arizona Opera
Ballet Arizona
Great Arizona Puppet Theater
The Phoenix Symphony

…and lots more!

Outside of Maricopa County

The Sedona Public Library also has passes for Northern Arizona destinations, like Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Route 66 Museum in Kingman, and the Sedona Heritage Museum.

Pima County Public Library branches have passes for Tucson destinations like Tohono Chul Park, Tucson Museum of Art, and Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, as well as performances by Arizona Opera, Tucson Symphony, and UA Presents.

I believe there are similar programs at some libraries outside of Arizona. If you know of one, let me know!