Voices is a series connecting Phoenix community members through conversations about the importance of arts and culture in our city. Hear from local leaders, thinkers, and changemakers as they explore how the arts create a more vibrant, connected, and creative Phoenix—and why a strong creative community is essential to our future.
RANDY MURRAY
Randy Murray Productions
- writer
- producer
- director
- filmmaker
- art gallery owner
- broadcast preservationist
- activist for the Arizona film community
What feels uniquely “Phoenix” artistically?
First Fridays in Roosevelt Row started as a gritty DIY artistic experiment in an abandoned downtown and has turned into a thriving high-end, yet edgy, art-based experience in a booming and hip metro area. Boy, that feels uniquely Phoenix. First Studio Gallery opened in 2002 and is fortunate to have been part of this phoenix-bird like transformation. And while pushing out many of the artists was tragically stupid, this home grown experiment proves the power, value, and impact art has in our world.
What changes would you like to see in Phoenix—cultural, economic, or civic—that would help arts and culture thrive?
For years I have been focusing my community work on increasing community advocacy for the arts. Arizona needs to recognize the power of art to improve our community, our lives. To create this awakening, we need to organize. Together we can make real change. While I have been supportive of Arizona Citizens for the Arts and more recently Art State Arizona, I donate a ton of time to the Arizona film community. The Arizona Film Coalition is currently asking everyone who would like to see more films made in Arizona to go to arizonafilmcoalition.org and sign up as a supporter.
What does a culturally-thriving Phoenix look like in 20 years?
While we all have the ability to thrive artistically, our youth offer us our greatest investment opportunity to “culturally thrive”. Phoenix can encourage our youth to explore artistic expression as a way of life and as a profession. We need to be creative in how we nurture young artistic professionals and we need to carve out paths of sustainability in our local economy. We don’t want to educate our creative youth just to watch them move elsewhere. If we, as a community, invest in creating a thriving artistic workforce here, we will create an Arizona that fills our souls.
Award winning filmmaker, Randy Murray started his career when he created and sold a weekly rock-n-roll TV show to the ABC affiliate. He produced a nightly series for the NBC affiliate before joining Desert Production Center. In 1991 Randy and his wife Theresa formed RMP to use the power of “story” to “do good in our world”. And they did, producing network television series, specials, feature documentaries, and socially responsible content. In 2001 they bought the historic KPHO building and created First Studio. Randy is President of the Arizona Film Coalition and founding President of the Arizona Production Association.