Page 50 December 2013 Local art connects Phoenix By Jessica Obert The arts gave the heart of the city its soul, Phoenix artist and muralist Hugo Medina said. And, the Phoenix Festival of the Arts, which will return in December for a second year, is about not forgetting the local artist, Medina said. Director of the Phoenix Center for the Arts, Joseph Benesh, said there is a 90 percent internal mandate to include local arts. “The muralists and the artists are what’s making our city grow and prosper to what it’s becoming,” Medina said. “Because without a soul you don’t have a city.” Presented by the Phoenix Center for the Arts and partnered with the Arizona Humanities Council, the Second annual Phoenix Festival of the Arts will be held again downtown in Margaret T. Hance Park, 1202 N. Third St. The free event is set for December 13-15. Not only will there be local entertainment, artists, and food trucks, this year there will be educational opportunities, Benesh said. “On top of some of the standard activities of the Phoenix festival, plus Phoenix’s longest mural, which is happening again … we are also providing educational opportunities in the forms of seminars, workshops and panels in partnership with the humanities council,” he said. “There is going to be an even deeper investment and take-away from the arts and cultures and humanities because of that partnership.” The mural also will be seeing a greater investment. Last year’s panels can still be seen on a cornerstone on a vacant lot at Indian School Road and Central Avenue. This year Home Depot is sponsoring the murals and they will be sold on scene for about $300 each, Benesh said. “The majority of that money goes back to the artists,” Benesh said. “We want to make sure that we are paying back the artists as much as we can.” There will be 120 muralists this year, up from 80 last year, Medina said. The public also is encouraged to participate. “We are creating something that has never been created somewhere else before, to the scale that has never been created before,” Medina said. “Just the natural challenge of what they are creating, and putting that size mural in two days all together is something that is unique and different and then allowing the community to participate in it and be a part of it brings the whole Phoenix together.” “Anybody can come down and pick up a paintbrush, can sit there for a few hours a day and see what it is like to be a muralist,” Benesh pointed out. Continued on page 51 This year Arcadia artist Pam Harrison will participate in the Phoenix Festival of the Arts. Photo from pamharrisonartist.com. REALTOR ® The Joff e Group 3200 E. Camelback Road, Suite 120 Phoenix, AZ 85018 602.502.6600 jen@thejoffegroup.com 5243 E. Calle Redonda Classic Arcadia Charmer CFESPPNT #BUITt/FBSMZTRGUt4QPSU$PVSU 8BMLUP)PQJ&MFNFOUBSZ $BMM+FOGPSEFUBJMTBOEQSJDJOH STEVEN RUST Business Development, Sales & Marketing 4808 North 22nd Street, Suite 100, Phoenix, AZ 85016 602.327.1525 TSVTU!FXUB[DPNtXXXFXUB[DPN UNDERSTANDS LUXURY REAL ESTATE Our exceptional people, products and tools set us apart from the competition. Call Steve today and discover the difference. Weight Loss Workshops Weekend Seminars Group Fitness Classes 8 Keys to Success Planner Lose Weight! Get Healthy! Mention this ad for 20% off weight loss workshops! Begin our simple and successful program and get a jump on that new years resolution! 3040 North 44th Street, Suite 3 Phoenix, AZ 85018 877-686-9066 www.FitInTheMiddle.com
