It might seem strange to go on a tour in your own hometown, but that's exactly what board members of IN FLUX had in mind when they started planning the IN FLUX Cycle 3 Multi-City Tour slated to take place on Saturday, June 22.
Kirstin Van Cleef, who founded IN FLUX and continues to manage the program for Scottsdale Public Art, says she hopes the tour of public art installations from Scottsdale to Glendale (and everything in between) will help locals to better see the Valley as a unified whole.
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For the past three years, IN FLUX has been successfully supporting temporary public art projects in vacant spaces. The program started out as a limited invitational for artists to install in Scottsdale's empty storefronts, but since then it has evolved into a Valley-wide initiative that utilizes several kinds of unused space.
IN FLUX is as much about fostering artists as it is about bringing art to the public, Van Cleef says. "A lot of times, these installations end up being stepping-stone projects for the artists or giving them a new way to work."
The Cycle 3 Tour will showcase 13 installations, and most of the artists will be along for the ride to mingle and discuss their work. But that's not the only perk.
Leslie Barton and Micheal Weakley will be serving as tour guides for the day. Barton's a local stand-up comedian and performance artist, and Weakley recently won first place in the Arizona Republic's storytelling series.
If the entertainment isn't enticing enough, the tour also include coffee, lunch, free entry to SMoCA, happy hour specials, and road trip bingo (with prizes from local businesses).
The tour begins at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts and is scheduled to last from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.. Tickets (which include a picnic lunch) are $15 and can be purchased here. (The event has limited space, so reserve your spot ASAP.)
For more information, visit the Facebook event page or the IN FLUX website.
