Scottsdale Arts & Architecture News - summer 2010

07/20/2010

  SCOTTSDALE ARTS & ARCHITECTURE NEWS
QUARTERLY UPDATE - SUMMER 2010
A quarterly tourism industry news update from the Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau
http://www.scottsdalepressroom.com/  

FALL SIZZLES WITH WESTERN, CONTEMPORARY AND WEARABLE ART
As the weather cools down, the events heat up in Scottsdale. Discover the city's roots at the Western ArtWalk on Oct. 14, a free artistic showdown in downtown Scottsdale hosted by the Scottsdale Gallery Association highlighting the city's historic and modern Western influences. If contemporary art is your passion, the ArtFest of Scottsdale will feed your needs with more than 200 local artists. The festival takes place Nov. 20-21 at the Scottsdale Civic Center Plaza and includes an interactive children's location, area to mingle with local authors, international food and live music. The open-air art gallery features sculptures, watercolors, oil paintings, printmaking, furniture, fashion and jewelry.
       The fifth annual Scottsdale Fashion Week kicks off Nov. 4 with the Wearable ArtWalk in the Scottsdale Arts District, where one-of-a-kind pieces of ‘art to wear' clothing and jewelry will be on display. Up-and-coming trendsetters, alongside nationally and internationally renowned names, will show their collections on two catwalks - an 80-foot tented runway and an outdoor catwalk under the Sonoran Desert stars - during dozens of shows at Scottsdale Fashion Square Drive adjacent to the new Barney's New York. Fashion icons like Kevan Hall, Luca Luca, Ted Baker and Lloyd Klein will grace the runway with their vibrant creations. The event runs through Nov. 7 and all shows are complemented by live music and VIP lounges offering a taste of luxury and fashion. For media information, contact Tatum Luoma at tluoma@scottsdalecvb.com or 480-889-2719.

FREE TOUR OFFERS SNEEK PEEKS INTO SCOTTSDALE
Get a glimpse of downtown Scottsdale with one of the area's local experts on the Localmotion Cultural Tour offered by Ultimate Art & Cultural Tours. The free tour starts at 10:30 a.m. on the second Saturday of every month and takes you through some of downtown's most notable spots. Along the way, learn tidbits about the area's history and background while taking in the city's sights. Featured locations include the historic Old Adobe Mission church, arts district, Scottsdale Civic Center Mall, the Southbridge and Scottsdale Waterfront shopping areas and Hotel Valley Ho, Scottsdale's only historically designated hotel. Reservations for the two-hour tour are required. For media information, contact Ace Bailey at ace@ultimatearttours.com or 480-634-6850.

THEATER, MUSIC AND NATURE - SCOTTSDALE'S ARTS SCENE TRIFECTA
The Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts' new season of shows lineup boasts more than 75 performances including dance, jazz, classical and world music as well as theater and satire. Highlights include Lyle Lovett, Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters and bestselling author David Sedaris. Prefer to explore your creative side? The Center has something for you too - its new Arts Connect program, which allows you to connect with the season's artists. Learn the basics of salsa dancing or hone your acting skills with actor Jeffrey Tambor of "Arrested Development" and "The Hangover." For media information, contact Bill Thompson at billt@sccarts.org or 480-874-4626.
       Feed your love of art and nature at the Desert Botanical Garden. The Garden's fall schedule includes favorites such as the Fall Music in the Garden Series Oct. 1 - Nov. 12, which brings live music, food and drinks under the stars. Or, sample one of 60 craft and domestic beers while walking the Garden trails during Biergarten, a one-time event on Sept. 24. Kids can get in on the fun too with a hayride to the Garden's pumpkin patch at the Great Pumpkin Festival, Oct. 21-24. The event features a petting zoo, western entertainment and hay maze. For media information, contact John Sallot at jsallot@dbg.org or 480-481-8101.
       Hear sounds from around the world at the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM). The Museum, which opened in April 2010, showcases cultures from around the globe with more than 12,000 instruments from nearly every country in the world. Celebrating the world's music, MIM hosts concerts in its 299-seat performance hall. The fall season includes Grammy nominated Perla Batalla, the Lakoata Sioux Dance Theatre and children's entertainer Bill Harley. Come early to explore the Museum's collection and be transported to another land with video displays depicting the sounds and sights of the instruments and the people who use them. For media information, contact Alan di Perna at alan.diperna@themim.org or 480-816-8168.

HEARD FEATURES ARRAY OF ARTISTS, NEW EXHIBIT DEBUTS
The Heard Museum welcomes traveling exhibition Preston Singletary: Echoes, Fire, and Shadows Oct. 17. Preston Singletary is a Tlingit artist whose artistic evolution and contribution to the studio glass movement are profound. He has translated the visual vocabulary of patterns, narratives and systems most closely associated with Native woodcarving and painted art into glass. The exhibition, making its only appearance in the Southwest at the Heard, will feature traditional objects and figurative sculptures using a combination of techniques, including glassblowing, sand carving and inlaying.
       During the Museum's Spanish Market Nov. 13 and 14, strolling mariachis, dancers and artwork by Hispanic artists from Arizona and New Mexico will be featured at this festival marketplace, which is the largest of its kind in Arizona. Connect with more than 75 artists as they sell a variety of artwork ranging from under $10 to more than $1,000 including santos, pottery, jewelry, embroidery, paintings, furniture, silver and tinwork. Admission is free.
       At Heard Museum North Scottsdale, playing with dolls is serious fun with the new exhibit debuting Aug. 14, featuring a variety of dolls that provide a glimpse into a culture as well as the minds of the makers. More Than Child's Play: American Indian Dolls reveals the immense differences of Native people from Arctic Canada to northern Mexico through the diversity of dolls on display. Just as with other facets of Native culture, local materials dictate what goes into each doll's construction. For media information, contact Juliet Martin at jmartin@heard.org or 602-251-0232.

HOTEL VALLEY HO CATERS TO AN ARTISTIC CROWD
Hotel Valley Ho makes it easy to take in the arts while vacationing. In partnership with the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA), Valley Ho guests receive free admission to the nearby Museum, through Aug. 31. Don't have time to make it to the Museum? Visit the Valley Ho's lobby, boasting pieces from Phoenix-based artist Sue Chenoweth, whose exhibit is on display at SMoCA through Sept. 19. Chenoweth's exhibit, Spyhopping: Adventures with Sue Chenoweth and the Permanent Collection, draws inspiration from a multitude of areas including a board game dating back to Renaissance Italy and the gray whale practice of spyhopping. Hotel Valley Ho recently began featuring artwork in its lobby, which is changed periodically. For media information, contact Kristin Heggli at kheggli@hotelvalleyho.com or 480-421-7734.

CREATIVE PROGRAMS SHARPEN KIDS' ARTISTIC APPETITE
Kids can unleash their creativity through Scottsdale's fun and inventive art programs. Now through Aug. 6, the Scottsdale Artists' School's Youth Academy offers summer art camps for children to dabble in everything from drawing and painting to sculpture, mixed media and even cartooning. Classes vary in length and are available for children ages 6 to 14. The School also offers weekly classes and workshops throughout the year to continually sharpen children's artistic interest, and in the fall, Saturday workshops will be offered. For media information, contact Wendy Miller at wmiller@scottsdaleartschool.org or 480-990-1422.
       The Phoenix Art Museum celebrates creativity through their PhxArtKids Galley. This interactive gallery is full of hands-on and "brains-on" activities that allow children to experience art in a new fashion. Activities include portrait makeovers and interactive games. Kids and their parents also explore the Museum with a child-size backpack filled with activity cards, puzzles and other creative challenges that correspond to art in the Museum's collection. For media information, contact Mark Patel at mark.patel@phxart.org or 602-257-2112.
       The Native American and Environmental Learning Center at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch features complimentary programs for children and families. A great way to interact and learn about Arizona's history, kids can enjoy activities like learning the reptiles of the Sonoran Desert and Arizona's unique "Birds of Prey." They also can participate in group sing-alongs and watch Native American dancers share the culture and dances of their tribes. For media information, contact Ann Lane at ahlane@hyatt.com or 480-444-1234.