Gardening tools, an old car and Christmas decorations are commonly housed in a garage, but at the Drive-Thru Gallery, on Roosevelt and Fifth streets, the sunset-painted doors open to reveal an unexpected surprise – whitewashed walls scattered with art.
Tucked away from the main streets, Drive-Thru Gallery creates a unique type of art experience. Contrary to the name, Drive-Thru Gallery owner Andrew Pielage is hoping to keep art-goers parked with collaboration from the downtown community. The gallery opens to a courtyard where desserts are sold and fires blaze. The backyard experience is not common among other Roosevelt Row art galleries.
Pielage recently decided to become a gallery owner after years of freelance photography. He grew up in the back country of Arizona and started taking pictures for fun. He decided five years ago to try photography at a professional level, freelancing for both the Phoenix New Times and Roosevelt Row CDC.
“I can’t draw worth a lick so I figured photography is my best form of art,” Pielage said.
Pielage’s first photography exhibit, entitled “Roadside Gas Station Series,” was the first to be featured in his new gallery. His art exhibit featured old gas stations. He said they provoked an adventurous side that he noticed when he was driving back from Paria Canyon in northeastern Arizona.
“I always kind of had a fascination with road trips,” he said. “I was driving up to Paria Canyon to do a hike. It was during the day and I noticed this is a really cool gas station. I happened to be driving back and saw it and night and said, ‘Wow!’”
Pielages said one of his goals for Drive-Thru Gallery is to collaborate with the community.
On January’s Third Friday art show, Pielage teamed up with Phoenix New Times to create an exhibit entitled “Manifestos,” combining mottos from different Valley voices with illustrations from local designers. The organizer for the exhibit, Claire Lawton, said the gallery provided a great space for her to collaborate with her favorite artists.
“Basically, this is my wish list of artists that I would like to work with,” she said. “It was a nice excuse to track people down and get people to work together, and I got to play matchmaker to the authors and designers.”
KJZZ radio reporter Jude Joffe-Block said she appreciated the intimate experience that was generated at the gallery.
“The exhibit was a really great idea and the space is a nice intimate setting for it because it is about manifestos and people’s personal ideas,” Joffe-Block said.
Pielage collaborated with Qcumberz, an antique shop on Seventh and Campbell avenues, accessorizing his gallery with related items to create a theme. The items are for sale, but Ron Lloyd, owner of Qcumberz, said he is more concerned with the exposure.
“We have 7,500 square feet of different items so it can benefit both (Pielage and me),” he said.
Dessert catering company Sweets on the Streets and neighboring art gallery 1Spot have also teamed up with Pielage.
Michelle Ponce, one of the owners of 1Spot, said she is excited about the collaboration between the galleries.
“We end up feeding off of each other. We get to cross-reference each other and be able to have multiple kinds of people coming by and seeing the show,” Ponce said.
Sweets on the Streets co-owner Andrew Hare said he was satisfied with the partnership. The business sells “make-your-own” S’mores, hot chocolate, coffee and cupcakes at Drive-Thru Gallery for the First and Third Friday art walks.
“We had a great time. The turn out was terrific, the clientele was terrific, I wouldn’t change anything,” he said.
Pielage said he is looking into collaborating with other businesses and artists as well. He said he is interested in having the Tour de Phoenix bike through the gallery in the future, striving to construct a new experience for the community.
“I like to do something a little bit different because this gallery has so much personality to it,” he said. “I am trying to create not just imagery but an experience.”
Contact the reporter at aimackli@asu.edu
