downtown phoenix events
Wine Down | Sheraton Gets Social
Posted on 6/06/12 by Chris Morris » No Comments
The Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel is amping up its wine program with the launch of two initiatives aimed at visitors and downtown regulars alike.
The new Sheraton Social Hour takes place from 5 to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday in the Park Lounge Lobby and offers guests a comparative tasting of two wines highly rated by Wine Spectator. For $5 you get two 2-oz. pours of wines of the same varietal (i.e. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc vs. a Sauvignon Blanc from Washington), and the wines available will change weekly.
Additionally, the Sheraton is introducing its Sheraton Selects menu of premium wines by the glass. All wines in the program have been rated 85 or higher by Wine Spectator with at least four coming in at 90 or greater.
The spacious Park Lounge Lobby features plenty of comfortable seating and the bar along the wall has three televisions tuned to a variety of sporting events. District American Kitchen and Wine Bar offers selections such as Schreiner’s Bacon Wrapped Dates, Baked Macaroni and Cheese and their All American Burger in the Lounge, so there’s plenty to attract those hoping to stick around Downtown and avoid the rush hour traffic.
If you go
What: Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel’s new Sheraton Social Hour
Where: 340 N. 3rd St. (3rd St. & Van Buren)
When: Monday-Thursday, 5 to 6 p.m.
Parking: Free parking in Sheraton self-parking garage off of 3rd St. with District American Kitchen and Wine Bar validation.
From the Wire | Warehouse Clearance Sale To Benefit Artlink
Posted on 5/15/12 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
Some news items don’t need translation. That’s why DPJ launched the From the Wire series, so we could serve the destinations here by posting information and announcements – in their own words.
Have anything to donate? Art, furniture, appliances, etc. are welcome. Drop items off on Friday afternoon, May 18th from Noon – 5pm at the parking lot in the rear of the After Hours Building.
Artlink, creator of the wildly popular First Friday’s in downtown Phoenix and Art Detour, one of the longest-running arts events in Arizona, will be the benefactor of a warehouse clearance sale.
The sale will be held on Saturday, May 19th, from 7AM to 12 NOON in the parking lot of the After Hours Building, at 116 W. McDowell Road. The After Hours Building is in the heart of downtown Phoenix, 1 block west of the Phoenix Art Museum and the Central/McDowell Light Rail Stop.
Merchandise comes from a variety of manufacturers and most are never-used overstocks and samples. Items in the sale include gift-wrap, stationery goods, pet products, scrap-booking supplies, t-shirts, greeting cards, holiday decor plus art, furniture, appliances and more. Many prices are discounted nearly 90% from normal retail, with many items marked at just 25 cents.
According to Mike Oleskow, President of Artlink and organizer of the sale, “This is a great opportunity for people to get incredible deals and support the Phoenix Arts community. Proceeds help keep services like the First Friday shuttles running each month. While free for First Friday participants who love using it to explore art and to get around Downtown, the shuttles are Artlink’s biggest expense each month.”
Artlink Phoenix is one of the oldest, all volunteer run, 501-C-3 arts organizations in downtown Phoenix. Its mission is to maintain and enhance regular events, including the monthly First Fridays art walk, the annual Art Detour self-guided tour, an annual Juried Exhibition and an art-related fundraiser.
For more information on Artlink, please visit artlinkphoenix.com.
From the Wire | Designers Wanted for ‘Some Like it Haute’ Fashion Show
Posted on 5/14/12 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
Some news items don’t need translation. That’s why DPJ launched the From the Wire series, so we could serve the destinations here by posting information and announcements – in their own words.
SOME LIKE IT HAUTE!
6th Avenue Gallery issues summer challenge to Arizona fashion designers
Where’s the fashion inspiration when the mercury hits 110+ degrees (in the shade)? Only designers in Arizona’s desert heat can relate to our intense summers, and we want to showcase in Arizona’s hot design talent! 6th Avenue Gallery invites you and other local designers to inspire Arizonans to think beyond flip flops and tank tops with our upcoming “Some Like it Haute” summer show and sale.
We’re issuing a 110-degree challenge to you and other designers to conceptualize, design and create a hot and haute summer look that will be featured in the “Some Like it Haute” show that will debut on First Friday in June, and continue through July.
This is your opportunity to show and sell your wearable summer designs, while also enlightening audiences about the fashion design process. It’s our gallery’s opportunity to showcase and support local designers in the fashion industry.
The gallery reserves a 25% commission on any sales that are procured as a result of the show, so please keep this in mind when pricing your submission. We will be able to process orders for your fashions that evening, and through the duration of the show in June and July.
6th Avenue Gallery is located in downtown Phoenix in a building that also houses two powerhouse public relations agencies, so be assured that this show will be well publicized. For more information, visit our website 6th Avenue Gallery.
See below for guidelines on participating!
Local designers rise to a 110-degree fashion challenge
A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE FOR PARTICIPATING FASHION DESIGNERS IN ARIZONA:
• Contact BJC Public Relations by email (6thAvenueGallery@bjc.com) or phone (602) 277-9530, x-231 to let us know that you want to participate. If you have a resume and photo, please send both in an email. Otherwise we will contact you to get information for inclusion in our marketing and promotional outreach for the show.
• Determine the summer look you will be showcasing, and if possible, capture your creative process along the way. Our show will feature notes, sketches, material samples, photos, and anything else that documents your work from the concept to completion. We request that your design(s) be unique to this show.
• Complete the “Designer Information Form” (request this form when contacting the gallery).
• Deliver your “Some Like it Haute” submission and “Designer Information Form” to:
BJC Public Relations
650 N. 6th Avenue (6th Ave. and McKinley, south of Roosevelt)
Phoenix, Arizona 85003
(602) 277-9530, x231
• TIP #1: if you ship via FedEx – select the 3-day option – it’s cheaper and often arrives in a day. Email or call BJC Public Relations with the TRACKING number of your shipment. Our email is: info@bjc.com
• Submissions are due Friday, May 25.
• Last but not least, please clear your calendar for Friday, June 1 for the First Friday debut of this show. We would like for all participating designers to be here when we debut and celebrate this unique summer art show.
From the Wire | Certified Local Fall Festival to Move Downtown
Posted on 5/10/12 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
Some news items don’t need translation. That’s why DPJ launched the From the Wire series, so we could serve the destinations here by posting information and announcements – in their own words.
Eighth Annual Certified Local Fall Festival Is On The Move!
New Downtown Phoenix location allows more space to showcase local business Phoenix, Arizona
After seven amazing years at the Duck & Decanter’s Camelback location, Local First Arizona’s annual festival of all things local will move to Downtown Phoenix’s Portland Place, a mini-park located on Portland Street between Third and Central Avenues. This beautiful green space will allow the Certified Local Fall Festival to better accommodate the many local businesses who want to be a part of the Festival as well as allow more room for attendees to stroll, shop, eat and be entertained in a unique urban setting. The Festival will be held on Saturday, November 10 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
This transition is a big move for Local First Arizona and is indicative of the rapid growth of the organization. “The Mettlers, who own the Duck and Decanter, are like family to us – they have been with us through thick and thin and they are helping us with this transition because we have just outgrown the space at our old location. They are outstanding event organizers and we are so lucky to still have them with us,” explained Kimber Lanning, Director of Local First. “We fully expect to have the same vibe, but this will allow us to include more food, more retail, more local beers and wines – it will just be the next step for us to grow an already successful event.”
Voted “Best Free Festival” in 2011’s New Times Best Of Phoenix awards, this family-friendly festival has a street fair atmosphere and has drawn upwards of 6,000 attendees in past years. The event is open to the public and will offer a variety of local businesses, restaurants, live music and children’s activities. Previous vendors include a variety of businesses that are unique to Arizona like Bookmans, Practical Art, Zia Records, Frances Boutique, Smeeks Candy Shop, Kidstop Toys, Pink House Boutique, Strawberry Hedgehog, Desert Song Yoga, Noble Beast Pet Boutique, Hubbard Family Swim School, Postino, Spinato’s Pizza, The Parlor, St. Francis, Urban Cookies, America’s Taco Shop, Changing Hands Bookstore, and Green New American Vegetarian. This year’s event will add a food truck court, an expanded beer and wine garden and more fun arts, crafts and games for kids. Live music will be provided by Arizona musicians and the first 500 attendees will receive gift bags. A raffle and silent auction will raise funds for Local First and will include stay-cation packages from around the state, free dinners and tickets to Valley-wide events.
The event historically has been a great place to get a jump start on holiday shopping, while attendees can enjoy some of the Valley’s best restaurants, breweries and wineries. Bring the whole family, there’s something for everyone!
Event Details
What: 8th Annual Certified Local Fall Festival presented by Local First Arizona
When: Saturday, November 10, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Portland Place, on Portland Street between Third and Central Avenues, Downtown Phoenix
Cost: Free to attend. Admittance to Beer & Wine Garden is $10 which includes samples of a wide variety of Arizona beers & wines. Food will be available for $1 or less.
Arizona Theatre Company Serves a Full-Bodied ‘Red’
Posted on 5/10/12 by Bob Diehl » No Comments
The grand color field painter, Mark Rothko, and his first major mural commission, the original Four Seasons Restaurant inside the modernist masterpiece on Park Avenue, the Seagram Building, are the staging for this play. Full scale reproductions of the murals are on stage the entire time. These paintings are powerful. I can, and have, sat with Rothko paintings for a long time.
The 90-minute dialogue between Rothko and his young assistant, Ken are the play. A rich, evocative, muscular play. Grand themes are intelligently and passionately discussed: generational conflict, the meaning of color, the power of non-representational painting to seep into the unconscious, art history debated and lived through in a way that kept me spellbound, and random acts of gratuitous carnage. Art still had revolutionary potential to Rothko’s generation.
A tale well told. It originated in London in 2009, the production captured six Tonys on Broadway in 2010, and different productions were seen Saturday night in four different cities – Berkeley, CA, Hartford, CT, Phoenix, AZ and Dunedin, NZ. Phoenix’s entry is a production of Seattle Repertory Company, a worthy partner.
Two quibbles about it, though. At one point the sound technician forgot to lower the music volume as Rothko (played competently by Denis Arndt in his Phoenix debut) began a soliloquy. Arndt had to repeat his opening line several times before the music came down. Voices are not amplified, and neither actor consistently projects his voice clearly deep into the balcony seating. So if you go, stay in the orchestra.
If you go
You can leverage your investment in “Red’ theater tickets at a number of Valley locations during the production – and “Paint the Town Red!”
Arizona Theatre Company has gathered partners to offer a wide variety of incentives. Two bookstores are raffling off free tickets; District American Kitchen, Coronado Cafe and Gallo Blanco are offering discounts; and several benefits are also available at Phoenix Art Museum and more.
The production runs through May 20. Visit Arizona Theatre Company for details.
