In an effort to highlight the contribution of our talented artist community, Artlink is excited to present a summer series of Artist Studio Tours.
On June 9, the series launch will take you on a visit to the working space of a triumvirate of artists that serves as a cornerstone of Historic Grand Avenue, a photographer who has captured over two decades of iconic Arizona images, a nationally renowned puppeteer, and the pottery studio that is the single longest running studio in central Phoenix.
Thank you to our trailhead host Muse Apartments for the rendezvous spot and complimentary parking! It certainly doesn’t hurt that Muse’s resident restaurant Forno 301 is offering free dessert to tour-goers upon our return! Thank you also to tour partner Dunn Transportation and Phoenix Rising Tours. With all of this great synergy toward a robust event, you won’t want to miss out: join this guided tour in air-conditioned comfort and go behind the scenes of an artist’s creative process. Here’s what’s in store for June and the upcoming months:
June Tour
Starting @ Muse Apartments | 1616 N. Central Avenue | Phoenix, Az 85004
Saturday, June 9, 2018 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM (MST)
Abbey Messmer’s underwater photography is often the root of her medium and large-scale oil paintings. Messmer is clearly infatuated with the distortion and vibrancy that emerge when water is the lens through which to see a parallel reality.
Rafael Navarro’s work, both painting and sculpture, is inspired by poetry, music and nature. Navarro often references local landmarks, but feels strong ties to his native Mexico City. With precision and craftsmanship in the forefront, the work leaves the viewer contemplative and mellow.
Retromode Handmade is the passion project of Lisa Jacobs Handler who has run retail spaces focused on local and handmade in downtown Phoenix for over a decade. Her current focus is textiles and jewelry.
A working photographer for 25 years, Szabo’s subjects range from people to architecture to landscape. The work has been praised for its depth, craftsmanship and versatility. She is published in Black & White, Focus, and Sun Magazine. Her work is represented in collections throughout the US. Alligator Juniper, a national literary magazine, awarded Szabo the 2010 National Photography Award and cover. She has received five art commission awards and has had numerous solo shows.
3. Hjalmarson Pottery Art / Halldor Hjalmarson
Located in the Roosevelt Historic Neighborhood, Hjalmarson Pottery is the oldest working studio in central Phoenix. The artist creates functional stoneware vessels along with clay sculpture which often is inspired by our Sonoran Desert.
A puppet-building studio where Gordon builds puppets for the masses. She also works occasionally as a day-player on Sesame Street, as Julia, a character which debuted in 2017. She teaches puppeteering & puppet-building workshops from her studio, as well as at schools, libraries, corporate events, and conventions. Teaching non-puppeteers (or soon-to-be puppeteers) is one of her favorite things, as it allows her to consistently witness the discovery that puppetry is a powerful form of art.
Special offer from the tour’s participating artists: you can apply the cost of your tour ticket as a direct discount on any available artworks with a retail list price of $100 or more. Not only will you recoup the cost of the tour but you will also ride away with a new piece of art that was handed directly to you by the artist who crafted it.
Reserve your spot for June’s Tour – seats are limited!
The second tour in the series, on July 14th, will introduce you to a booming art form for marking momentous occasions, a quasi-fauvist folklorist, a realist painter with a penchant for nostalgia, and an exciting enclave bustling with the hustle of a unique artist collective.
July Tour
Starting @ Grand ArtHaus
Saturday, July 14, 2018 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM (MST)
1. Grand Arthaus / Robert Gentile
Deriving much of his process from his roots in the NY grafitti scene, Gentile uses a variety of mediums— from spray paint and acrylics, to pastels and markers. He works as a mural artist, graphic designer, teacher, and as a Free Arts volunteer mentor. He owns and operates Grand Arthaus, a downtown space that hosts community events, exhibitions, and foremost provides affordable studio space and collective memberships. Their location is home to 1st & 3rd Friday Art Walks and adjacent to the Oasis on Grand artist residences. With spaces for artists and creative professionals, Grand Arthaus is a unique environment that encourages innovation, collaboration, and experimentation in every medium.
Ashwini Bharathula is a self-taught realist painter and currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona. She primarily uses acrylics on canvas or wood panel. Her aim is to create contemplative art that stimulates the viewer’s senses and kindles nostalgia. Inspired by eclectic subjects and scenes from her travels, she expresses herself with bold colors and evocative textures. Her forte is her eye for detail and the ability to use natural light to set the mood of the scene. She hopes that each of her paintings invites the viewers into the scene and makes them reminisce about experiences from their own lives and travels.
Folklore and fairytales often use animals to tell the stories that are passed down. Amanda Adkins uses this concept in her painting practice to share personal stories with her viewer. In parabolic tradition, Adkins’ illustrative vignettes on panel use desert icons as stand-ins for entities, intuitions, emotions and states of being on themes of health and homeopathy, fertility and femininity, and the tense precarity of life.
4. Fushicho Daiko Dojo/Phoenix Taiko Drumming Studio
Fushicho Daiko*Phoenix Drummers perform both traditional and original Taiko songs with power, energy, skill and joy. The combination of sound, movement, instruments and teamwork create a spellbinding art experience. Founded here in 1992, the downtown dojo provides classes & workshops for all ages and skills levels. Tour attendees can play the drums, learning the basic stance and movement required to create the music.
Special offer from the tour’s participating artists: you can apply the cost of your tour ticket as a direct discount on any available artworks with a retail list price of $100 or more. Not only will you recoup the cost of the tour but you will also ride away with a new piece of art that was handed directly to you by the artist who crafted it.
Reserve your spot for July’s Tour – seats are limited!
August Tour & September Tour – SAVE THE DATES!
More details coming soon.
- Saturday, August 11, 2018 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM (MST)
- Saturday, September 8, 2018 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM (MST)
