If Bob Ross were alive today, he'd be painting happy little trees all over the place in ecstatic fervor for all the arts and culture happenings in Phoenix. To help you see the forest for the trees, here's a recap of the top arts and culture stories of the week.
Hard Goods: Concrete Artisan Brandon Gore to Open Shop in Phoenix
Come late November, you'll need to add a must-see stop to your holiday shopping route. Brandon Gore's been busy crafting concrete furniture pieces and decor in his studio and hauling them around the country for trade shows and clients, but he announced this morning that after Thanksgiving weekend, he'll be setting up shop in Phoenix and opening the doors to Hard Goods at 5215 N. Central Avenue.
The shop, next to Churn and Windsor in Phoenix, will carry Gore's concrete goods as well as sunglasses by Shwood, leather goods from Bison Made, prints from local designer Kelsey Dake, as well as other carefully curated offerings -- including concrete planters, straight razors, and aluminum iPhone cases.
See the full story on Hard Goods' new location.
--Claire Lawton
Best Places to Satisfy Your Inner Science Nerd: Best of Phoenix 2012
We've spent the last year in the laboratory putting Phoenix under the microscope to reveal hundreds of specimens of the best culture, outdoor adventures, shopping, dining, and nightlife the city has to offer. And we're finally ready to publish our results. Nerd alert! Now presenting Scientific Phoenix.
Best Crater You Can't Visit: Roden Crater
You're going to need to pass a killer job application to see Arizona artist James Turrell's longest-running project. Turrell is an internationally acclaimed artist who works with natural and man-made light and environments to create ever-changing installations. His pieces have been featured in museums around the world, and since the '70s, he's been working on his biggest installation -- inside an extinct, 400,000-year-old volcanic crater in northern Arizona. Read the full Best of Phoenix 2012 entry here and download the app.
--New Times Staff
Six Words Laurie Notaro Demands People Stop Using Right Now
Laurie Notaro is an author, crafter, and expert at finding a good cocktail. She grew up in Phoenix, but is currently based in Eugene, Oregon. Each week, she'll be joining us to share a crafting adventure, draw a flowchart, or remember a few of her favorite things about Phoenix. Today, she shares a few of the words she hates.
I understand that language evolves; it adapts to the temperature of the culture and times, and it's a constantly changing entity. But below are six terms that have entered our spoken word like a chigger under the skin of society that refuses to budge.
Now I know if I am patient and wait, they will eventually lose their shine and fade back into obscurity like "gnarly," "rad," and "grody," but what if they don't? What if they are granted permanent residence as in "I was like, ..." or "totally"? See this as a warning call that if we don't do something about these phrases now, they may never leave, like genital herpes and Ryan Seacrest. That's how serious this is!!!
--Laurie Notaro
Nine Thanksgiving Weekend Parties in Metro Phoenix
According to our estimates, the Thanksgiving weekend lasts approximately 112 hours, starting at the exact moment you leave work on Wednesday afternoon until the dreaded moment you report back to the salt mines the following Monday.
Subtract the time it takes for the annual T-Day meal itself (as well as the requisite food coma) and you've still got plenty of time left to kill over the four-day holiday. Instead of wasting away the hours watching football, the Macy's parade, or engaging in the annual fracas known as Black Friday, consider shaking a tailfeather at one of the Thanksgiving weekend parties being put on at many of the Valley's bars and dance clubs, including the nine celebrations we've found.
--Benjamin Leatherman
Five Must-See Movies in November
The way films come and go, in and out of theaters, usually it's easier to miss a movie than catch it. That makes planning ahead a must when it comes to moviegoing in the Valley. That's also why we've handpicked five must-see flicks screening this month to add to the ol' planner. Snag some snacks and scope out our picks.
--Becky Bartkowski
Don't forget to check out Jackalope Ranch's continuing series, 100 Creatives.
