Pete Petrisko is moving to Tucson. The downtown artist and "jack-of-all-arts in the downtown community" says he wants to live somewhere a little more art-centric -- and who can blame him? He's just one part of the brain-drain that's leaving Downtown Phoenix ovah. Great, fine, cool.
However, a press release reporting his move apparently confused some literalistic clerk at the Arizona Republic, who took "with his passing (to our neighboring art-centric city of Tucson), Deus Ex Machina is proud to host a look back at Petrisko's work" to mean he was dead.
The Rep translated that into: "Browse through the work the artist created before his passing."
Daddy, do you go to Tucson when you die? Only if you're bad, son!
The listing still hasn't been taken down -- you can see it here.
The original artist statement for this event reading made the point Petrisko, who is probably best known for his 1988 exhibit featuring convicted American serial killer John Wayne Gacy, was moving twice. "With the way things are going these days, it's high time we held a memorial celebration for make-believe. Ditto my little corner of that world, because it's going with me," it also.
The show is Saturday, April 17 at 8 p.m. at Deus Ex Machina, 1023 Grand Avenue in
Phoenix. It's free.
Petrisko has posted a blog about his demise called, "Az Republic Reports My Untimely Death," which can be read here.
