Culture
From the Wire | Union Pacific Steam Engine No. 844 Stops in Phoenix on Centennial Tour
Posted on 11/13/11 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
(From the Wire includes press releases received from reliable sources that help tell the story of the many happenings in Greater Downtown Phoenix. Yep, they are ripped from our inbox.)
Arizona Centennial Welcomes Ceremonial Tour of Union Pacific Steam Locomotive Engine No. 844
Here comes another Arizona Centennial Signature Event. This time, Arizonans can take a celebratory trip back in time when the historic Union Pacific Steam Locomotive Engine No. 844 reprises the Southern Arizona “Sunset Limited” route, and traverses the state through Wed. Nov. 16, in recognition of Arizona’s 100 Years of Statehood.
Phoenix display days are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 13, and Monday, Nov 14, at the Phoenix Rail Yard, 631. S. 7th Street (south of Chase Field/Lincoln St.). This is a FREE opportunity for the public to see the locomotive. For the full tour schedule, visit az100years.org.
“We’re honored to deliver another, very special Centennial Signature Event and see that mammoth engine travel through Southern Arizona, Phoenix and on to Yuma during this momentous year,” said Karen Churchard, executive director, Arizona Centennial Commission & 2012 Foundation.
“The adventures of steam locomotives captivate us even today. They literally blazed the trail westward. And, it’s exciting – for train enthusiasts and all of us — to catch a glimpse of the West as it was more than 100 years ago.”
Indeed, the skilled engineers who operated No. 844 years ago are still required today, and especially so for this ceremonial Arizona Centennial tour, which traditionally fascinates history buffs and attracts new fans as well.
From Phoenix, Steam Engine No. 844 makes its way back to its original route near Casa Grande, and continues west through Gila Bend, Wellton, and finally arrives in Yuma late afternoon, Tues., Nov. 15.
The massive steam engine, a size two-and-a-half times larger than today’s streamlined, computerized locomotives makes a modern-day expedition a challenging task. A team of engineers travels with the historic train that consumes oil, water and needs adjustment every 20 to 30 miles.
To reach fans in the state’s most populated area, the added two-day ceremonial stop in Phoenix means the train will depart from its traditional Southern Arizona route and move northward into what is considered a cul de sac of train tracks that requires extra maneuvering and expertise.
The engineers who guide the locomotive tour are another historical aspect of the expedition since they work for years studying the generational knowledge passed on from railroad workers before them. They apprentice to master the inevitable adjustments and sometimes on-the-spot ingenuity required during travel. Steam Engine No. 844 will travel with a souvenir car, water tanker cars vital for the steam locomotive’s operation, transport cars for the engineers and conductors, and more.
Not since 1977, has a steam locomotive made its way through Southern Arizona as part of a cross-country tour for the U.S. Bi-Centennial. The exultant whistle stops are expected to be greeted by enthusiastic residents and visitors alike this fall, just as cooler temperatures embrace the Southwest region.
The exultant whistle stops are expected to be greeted by enthusiastic residents and visitors alike this fall, just as cooler temperatures embrace the Southwest region.
No. 844, also known as Union Pacific’s “Living Legend,” returned to service in 2005 after one of the most extensive steam locomotive overhauls in the United States since regular steam service ended. The work, which started in 2000, included overhauling the locomotive’s running gear, pumps, piping, valves and springs, along with replacement of its firebox and extensive boiler work. The cab interior also was refurbished. No. 844 was the last steam locomotive built for Union Pacific Railroad and was delivered in 1944. A passenger locomotive, it pulled such widely known trains as the Overland Limited, Los Angeles Limited, Portland Rose and Challenger.
One of the rail cars that travels with No. 844 has a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) transmitter integrated with a map at www.UP.com. Enter the word “Steam” in the search box on the homepage for a shortcut to the map.
For the latest information, including schedule updates on the Union Pacific Steam Locomotive Tour in celebration of Arizona’s Centennial, visit www.AZ100Years.org.
About Arizona Centennial Commission
The Arizona Centennial Commission, through its nonprofit Arizona Centennial 2012 Foundation, is the statewide board charged by Governor Jan Brewer with planning and implementing Arizona’s 100th anniversary of statehood. In collaboration with the Arizona Historical Advisory Commission, more than 209 projects and events are sanctioned and planned-to-date to commemorate Arizona’s Centennial. For information on the Arizona Centennial, visit www.AZ100YEARS.org.
About Union Pacific
Union Pacific Corporation owns one of America’s leading transportation companies. Its principal operating company, Union Pacific Railroad, links 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country. Union Pacific serves many of the fastest-growing U.S. population centers and provides Americans with a fuel-efficient, environmentally responsible and safe mode of freight transportation. Union Pacific’s diversified business mix includes Agricultural Products, Automotive, Chemicals, Energy, Industrial Products and Intermodal. The railroad emphasizes excellent customer service and offers competitive routes from all major West Coast and Gulf Coast ports to eastern gateways. Union Pacific connects with Canada’s rail systems and is the only railroad serving all six major gateways to Mexico, making it North America’s premier rail franchise.
From the Wire | Heard Museum’s 10th Annual Spanish Market
Posted on 11/12/11 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
(From the Wire includes press releases received from reliable sources that help tell the story of the many happenings in Greater Downtown Phoenix. Yep, they are ripped from our inbox.)
Celebrate the tradition and artistry of Hispanic culture at the Heard Museum’s 10th Annual Spanish Market, Arizona’s only Spanish Market on Saturday and Sunday, November 12 & 13, 2011, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Spanish Market is presented by SRP.
Strolling mariachis, dancers and artwork by Hispanic artists from Arizona and New Mexico highlight this festive, casual and friendly annual marketplace, the largest of its kind in Arizona. Chat with more than 65 artists as they sell a range of distinctive and unique artwork. With art in every price range, Spanish Market offers buyers a wide selection of objects from different Hispanic traditions including santos, pottery, embroidery, furniture making, painting, printmaking and silver and tinwork.
The Café at the Heard Museum Phoenix will offer a menu of festive and traditional foods. The Spanish Market marks the end of the month-long CALA biannual festival.
On Saturday, see CALA artists at work during a special demonstration. Mariachis will stroll the grounds on Saturday and Sunday. The Café at the Heard Museum will offer a menu of festive and traditional foods and folklorico dancers will perform in Steele Auditorium.
This year’s signature artists are husband-and-wife team Veronica and Gabriel Sandoval. This talented duo specialize in the ancient art of repousse, a form of embossing that became popular in Spain in the 12th century and made its way to Mexico along with other Spanish influences. After extensively researching the history of this nearly-lost art form, the Sandovals chose to incorporate additional repousse techniques that were common in Eastern European designs.
COST: free with suggested donation; each person donating $10 or more will receive a museum pass.
The public can learn more about the event at heard.org/SpanishMarket or by calling 602.252.8848.
About the Heard
Since 1929, the Heard Museum, a private non-profit organization, has enchanted visitors from around the world with the art, culture and history of American Indians, with an emphasis on tribes of the Southwest. With more than 40,000 fine artworks and cultural artifacts in its permanent collection, 11 long-term and changing exhibit galleries, an education center, an award-winning Shop, boutique bookstore, coffee cantina and a courtyard Café, the Heard Museum is a place of learning, discovery and unforgettable experiences. In addition to its flagship Phoenix location, the Heard Museum also operates a community museum in North Scottsdale.
From the Mag | Dennita Sewell on Giorgio di Sant’Angelo
Posted on 11/11/11 by Corbin Chamberlin » No Comments
(From the Mag brings you excerpts and continued conversations from DPJ Magazine, a bi-monthly print publication distributed throughout Greater Downtown Phoenix and beyond. The Nov/Dec edition hits the streets 11/11/11.)
ART BY DESIGN
Phoenix Art Museum’s fashion design curator Dennita Sewell is one of those responsible for placing the Valley of The Sun in fashion’s spotlight.
Dennita Sewell
Sewell has appeared on Martha Stewart’s television show and, most recently, her newest exhibit has been in Elle magazine and the topic of conversation with Andre Leon Talley via Vogue.com. In the Vogue.com article, Andre talks with Yves Saint Laurent’s Stefano Pilati, expressing his interest in the Giorgio di Sant’Angelo exhibit at Phoenix Art Museum.
The late Giorgio di Sant’Angelo could be considered a keystone designer of the “hippie chic” look, as Sant’Angelo mesmerized with bold prints and ultra-feminine cuts in his designs. The exhibit will explore Giorgio’s work through the early 1970s on. The exhibit opened runs through February 12, 2012. I discussed the exhibit with Dennita.
You comment that di Sant’Angelo’s work was “Hippie anti-fashion style” — how will we see this throughout the collection?
Provided by Phoenix Art Museum
When di Sant’ Angelo started working in the later 1960s, a costumey style trickled up into high fashion that was influenced by the folkloric-style dress that young people and “hippies” favored. The term “rich hippie” was coined to identify the style as it was interpreted by designers such as di Sant’ Angelo, Yves Saint Laurent and others. These were high-end clothes sold in upscale department stores, such as Bonwit Teller and Bergdorf Goodman.
There were great changes in women’s identity and roles in society at that time. These new freedoms manifested in fantasy-based designs evoking, gypsy dress, Native American dress, historical dress, peasant dress and the like.
Di Sant’ Angelo wanted to give women a sense of individuality through his clothes, which evoked the freedom of the cultures they were inspired from. In the exhibition we include works from his earliest collections based on gypsies, natives as they were manifested in the early works, but also how these ideas emerged again in more streamlined and refined versions in later years.
How long have you been working on this exhibit?
I guess you could say since the mid 1990s, when I first learned of his work, but the actual organizing and layout of pieces has taken place over the last few months.
Andre Leon Talley, via Vogue.com, voiced interest in the exhibit. Can we expect Vogue’s contributing editor to pay the museum a visit?
Talley knew di Sant’ Angelo and was a great fan of his work and of Lena Horne, who di Sant’ Angelo dressed. He is graciously lending a coat di Sant’ Angelo made for Lena Horne to the exhibition. He had hoped to be able to speak at the Museum this fall but had a conflict in his schedule. We will have a terrific round of speakers coming in, including Pat Cleveland, who was among the vanguard African American models, and di Sant’ Angelo was among the first to use them in his shows. Also speaking will be the Julia Chapin, the author of Gypsy Style, a very cool book on the rich hippie jet setters of the period.
Phoenix Art Museum | 1625 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85004 | 602-257-1222 | PhxArt.org
Read the rest of the interview with Dennita in the Nov/Dec edition of DPJ Magazine.
Make the Scene | Local, Local, Local
Posted on 11/10/11 by Monica Arevalo » No Comments
The best thing about Greater Downtown Phoenix isn’t just the fantastic food, great energy and friendly people, but the increasing diversity of local businesses that thrive there. Greater Downtown Phoenix increasingly says “local” with its great selection of restaurants, shops, places to go and things to do – and that includes music.
The Certified Local Fall Festival is happening this Saturday at the Duck and Decanter in Uptown, at 16th Street and Camelback.
The show is free and fun for the family and kids. It’s the perfect opportunity to soak up the last of Phoenix’s beautiful weather, check out the booths of local businesses, and drink a cup of coffee outside or beer if that’s your fancy. Beer and wine gardens will be set up.
The festival starts at 10 a.m. and goes until 4 p.m., featuring local solo artists and bands. The lineup includes Zachary James Dodds, Brian DeMarco, Tammy Patrick and the Merkin Wranglers, Terraplane Station, Adam Smith and Loose Cannons Blues Band.
Not a bad way to start off the weekend. 
Saturday night at the Crescent Ballroom, The Love Me Nots are playing for $10. Lead singer Nicole Laurenne is taking charge of the Crescent’s stage with her slick black boots and killer voice. You won’t want to miss her whip her straight hair back and forth as well as dance like there’s no tomorrow.
So you’d be able to support a local restaurant, show, festival, band and venue all in the span of one day.
Don’t you feel better already?
From the Wire | FilmBar Announces New Programming Line-Up
Posted on 11/08/11 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
(From the Wire includes press releases received from reliable sources that help tell the story of the many happenings in Greater Downtown Phoenix. Yep, they are ripped from our inbox.)
Photo by Ryan A. Ruiz
FilmBar, Downtown Phoenix’s premiere indie movie house and lounge, is excited to announce a new film programming line-up which will add consistency and variety for area film buffs and performing art lovers. Utilizing the digital technology network of Emerging Pictures, FilmBar will offer a wider variety of films, as well as live performing art events such as works from London’s Royal Opera House and Russia’s Bolshoi Ballet.
FilmBar owner, Kelly Aubey says, “As a 70 seat, single screen theater, I have struggled to offer the wide variety of films I had envisioned to our diverse customer base, while keeping our ticket pricing affordable. The Emerging Pictures’ technology allows me to do just that, and I’m thrilled to be able to bring the highest quality live performing arts events from all over the world to Downtown Phoenix.”
FilmBar will be available for rentals and special events on Monday evenings, Tuesday nights will feature a different documentary each week – with standup comedy following, Wednesday will feature classic films, Thursday night will be cult-ish film night, and Friday, Saturday and Sunday will showcase new releases. FilmBar will also continue to be available for daytime weekday rental, as well as bringing in a variety of dj’s to the lounge and play host to various late-night events and performances in the theater.
About FilmBar: FilmBar which opened in February 2011, is a 21+ beer/wine lounge with over 30 different craft beers, 15 different wines and a separate, sound-proof room dedicated to screening new, classic, cult and local independent films in a micro-cinema setting, with seventy comfy seats.
About Emerging Pictures: Emerging Pictures is the largest all-digital Specialty Film and Alternate Content theater network in the United States. Emerging has a network of arts institutions, media arts centers and independent art house theaters, tied together through digital technology – enabling them to cost effectively exhibit art films, documentaries, foreign language films, independent cinema and cultural programming.
For more information visit: thefilmbarphx.com and http://www.emergingpictures.com
