Best Public Art 2010 | Louise Bourgeois' Art Is a Guaranty of Sanity | People & Places | Phoenix
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Louise Bourgeois' Art Is a Guaranty of Sanity

When she died in June at 89, the French-born, American-based Louise Bourgeois left behind a link between the art of the 21st century and belle epoque Paris' cubism, surrealism, and abstract expressionism. She also left Phoenicians with an enormous example of her best work at our downtown Convention Center. Art Is a Guaranty of Sanity is a 90-foot-tall sculpture of a vanity mirror that rises out of the atrium there. Stamped with its own title (the phrase on which Bourgeois based her life and career, she always claimed), the piece is a coy commentary on vanity in art and fashion as well as a gorgeous gift to our city, of which Bourgeois was reportedly very fond.

Best Place to See Photography

Bokeh Gallery

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Bokeh didn't waste any time messing around when it opened in January. First, the gallery, located inside of the monOrchid building, displayed soft-focused, black-and-white awesomeness by John Wagner. The next exhibition featured Bob Carey's large-scale self-portraits of the artist posing in a pink tutu. Wayne Rainey, an accomplished shutterbug himself, opened this photography-only spot to showcase heavy-hitting artists such as Carey, who's a pretty big-deal commercial photographer in NYC. When you're not drooling over the photographic eye candy, you can stroll through monOrchid Gallery itself on First and Third Fridays to check out multiple high-quality exhibits in the beautiful Roosevelt Street space.

Best Gallery to See Artists Both Famous and Amateur Hanging Side by Side

The Trunk Space

A recent First Friday visit to this teeny Grand Avenue gallery/music space made for an exciting and rather shocking surprise: There, among the mail-art and tempura portraits by amateurs, were two giant pieces by renowned local artist Janet DeBerge Lange. Part of a series of metal quilts she's working on, each panel is made from tin boxes, old signage, and enamel-plated containers arranged in bright, whimsical designs. The pair displayed at The Trunk Space looked from a distance as though Grandma had sewn them, but up close, they revealed layers of peeling paint and shiny, hard surfaces. We were wowed to find Lange's stuff on display at a space known for giving newbies a chance to shine, and it made us like this groovy gallery all the more.

Best Revolving Public Art

Seventh Avenue Streetscape Panels

The city spends a bunch of money on a huge piece of public art. What happens next? The masses hate it and complain like crazy about the waste of funds on the hideous eyesore. Before you know it, the image is smeared on bumper stickers, stamps, and T-shirts. Ta-da! It has become a defining symbol of the city. Though this is how the life of public art usually plays out, we really don't have time for all that tomfoolery when it comes to the Seventh Avenue Streetscape Panels. The collaborative piece currently features art by Suzanne Falk, Colton Brock, and Catie Raya, with poetry by Catherine Hammond, Ryan Holden, and Kathleen Winter. The images and text share double-sided, translucent, illuminated panels. This installation stays up until spring 2011, after which the city will replace it with work by a new crop of local artists. So push the fast-forward button and rush through the hate-turning-to-love part; you have only a little while to enjoy this.

Best Rotating Murals

eye lounge

Last November, local promoter Charlie Levy hired Tucson artist Joe Pagac to paint murals advertising upcoming music and culture events on the west wall of eye lounge in downtown Phoenix. Ever since then, we've been making excuses to drive by the gallery. On First Fridays, you'll find Pagac on his ladder painting over last month's mural and creating a new masterpiece. His works aren't always gorgeous, but they're a hell of a lot better-looking than the bland stucco walls and amateur punk-ass tagging that you find elsewhere in Phoenix's urban core. In an ad for RJD2's show at The Rhythm Room, an adorable cartoon Nosferatu was depicted building a sandcastle with the help of his pet bats. The shading was gorgeous and the muted midnight blue and purple tones striking. Pagac's other funky murals have featured indie movie posters and caricatures of the band Sonic Youth. We look forward to seeing Pagac paint a new piece on the building each month, even though they're technically as commercial as a giant McDonald's billboard.

Best Extreme Makeover

Modified Arts

Agree or disagree, it was time for Modified Arts to change. The building's exterior needed some serious TLC, the stage was one amplified band short of collapse, and the sewage smell seeping from the bathroom needed to be kicked to the curb. So when longtime owner Kimber Lanning handed the keys to Adam Murray and Kim Larkin, it was an artsy godsend, mostly because the husband-and-wife team really went to town on the space. In mid-December 2009, with the help of a handful of volunteers, they tore out the stage and green room and hauled mountains of yucky grime to the trash. Then, the two gave the space a new coat of paint, laid down beautiful wood floors, and slapped up a new sign outside. The result: a space that is way gorgeous, and that's not even counting the amazing artwork displayed on the walls during monthly exhibits.

Best New Museum

The Musical Instrument Museum

Aptly billed as the world's first global history museum, the MIM is a rare example of something or someone's living up to its hype and then exceeding expectations. The beautifully open and inviting space opened in April with a collection that includes instruments from literally every nation on the globe — no small feat. That makes for quite a day at this privately funded gem in the desert. We were entranced by the myriad sounds pulsating through our wireless headsets as we spent time with the 300-plus exhibits, and we learned so much more than we had expected. We got a special charge out of the klezmer exhibit (covering music dedicated to preserving the Jewish heritage), and we tripped out on handcrafted instruments from such exotic locales as Nepal, Ghana, and Mali. And, for you foodies, the eats at the MIM are terrific, with global cuisine and local/regional dishes available for a fair price. This museum is a must-visit.

Best Children's Museum

Arizona Museum for Youth

Yes, we know, there's another children's museum in town. And we've been there, and it's cool. But this year, we want to make sure you know about the Valley's original museum for kids, Arizona Museum for Youth. In our estimation, this is what a children's museum should be. There are some play elements, which we think is terrific, but there are also engaging, educational exhibits. Our kids are still talking about the Jim Henson-inspired exhibit AMY brought to town years ago, and they almost jumped out of their skin when they heard about the current show, "Jump to Japan: Discovering Culture Through Popular Art." That exhibit, sponsored by the Minnesota Children's Museum, incorporates interactive displays involving everything Japanese, from kimono to formal tea to comic books, as well as special events including Japanese swordsmanship, calligraphy, and origami demonstrations. Such methods teach kids about another culture in a way they won't soon forget. Now, that's a fine art.

Best Chance to Revitalize Downtown Phoenix

Cityscape

It's almost too good to be true, but there it is, towering over us at Central and Washington. Cityscape is a reality, threatening to energize downtown Phoenix, once and for all. This multi-use destination is making it harder for critics to claim there's still no reason to linger downtown after work, what with its blending of residential, retail, dining, and office space. Its planned open spaces (Cityscape is still being born; Phase Two of its massive complex will be completed in early 2011) aren't what we hoped for, but they will provide a park-like setting for shoppers and students of ASU, whose downtown campus will spill over into Cityscape. Two city blocks in the heart of downtown between First Avenue and First Street, Washington and Jefferson streets, have been given over to this project, which we hope will result in our city's long-awaited critical mass. In the meantime, there's the big, glittering glass tower that's already the home of some prestigious law firms, and the retail section that's bustling with action from the Lucky Strike Bowling Alley and Gold's Gym. We get it: There are haters. But we are ready to give Big City Life a chance. Look for us at Cityscape!

Best Sign of Nightlife in Downtown Phoenix

District Restaurant

We know, we know: It is so not cool to party at a Sheraton. Except, strangely, it is! We're perpetually stunned when we walk into District, the sleek bar at Phoenix's newest downtown hotel, and see that it's packed with revelers. At first, we thought it must merely be conventioneers, dorky out-of-towners with tube socks and nametags. Ha! On one recent Saturday, we stumbled into an eclectic crowd of genuine downtown Phoenix types: black, white, Latino, funky-haired, coolly shod, and artsy. On a recent Tuesday, while sipping our martinis, we saw beautiful people: attractive older men in suits, chic Scottsdale ladies in halter dresses. In downtown Phoenix! At the Sheraton! So get over your prejudices already. The party is happening, whether you're there or not. And as for us, we're popping by so often, we're becoming regulars. At a Sheraton!

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