Courtesy photos provided by galleries.
By Domenico Nicosia and Maxfield Barker
It’s the last day of the first workweek of the month and all of you lovers of the arts know what that means: It’s First Friday. For the last 25 years the good people at Artlink Phoenix have transformed downtown Phoenix into the nation’s largest monthly art walk. Featuring local, national, international, amateur, professional and student artists, First Friday has something for everyone.
Willo North Gallery: Thomas Road and Seventh Avenue
This month, Willo North will host the Arizona Artists Guild annual Visual Arts Scholarship Exhibition. The AAG Scholarship is an annual statewide competition that started in 1993. It has awarded more than $80,000 to fine arts students in Arizona. This year’s recipients includes ASU MFA students Tristyn Bustamante, Jacon Fischer, Sarah Rowland, and Pima Community College student Yoni Pozner.
Oasis on Grand: Grand Avenue and Roosevelt Street
Taylor Steffan Scott, one of the fantastic artists featured in last month’s Art Detour, will be featured this month as well at Oasis. Scott works with fine art photography, painting, drawing and 3D photography on wood. Oasis is one of the lesser-known galleries in the district but is definitely worth your visit. The gallery is a part of an apartment complex that caters to “artists and creative types,” Mike Oleskow, president of Artlink, said.
Deus Ex Machina: Grand Avenue between Fillmore and Taylor streets
One of the most unique galleries in the district, Deus Ex Machina’s exhibits never fail to amaze. This month’s theme: Love and Darkness, “Two realms for endless exploration. Love as reaching out, darkness as going in — or vice versa.” The gallery will feature Michele Bledsoe, Richard Bledsoe, Jeff Falk, Steve Gompf, Dain Quentin Gore, Annie Lopez and Heather Smith-Gearns and their discoveries.
First Studio: First Avenue and Fillmore Street
Jennifer Ignaszewski, a long-time friend of Artlink and the Phoenix art scene will be having her last show in the Valley this First Friday. She is the artist who designed the poster for Art Detour and will be selling her works at the gallery. “First studio will be filled with iggyart paintings and artwork from the last seven-plus years,” Oleskow said. It will feature little things, and big stuff, too, lots of birds, cityscapes, pretty girls, cowboys, airplanes, robots and other things Jenny likes to paint. Help fuel her journey, he said.
Tilt: 10th Avenue and Fillmore Street
Tilt, one of the best places to see photography during First Friday, will feature the works of Thomas Barker this month. Tilt is truly one of a kind. Owned by two sisters, the gallery features photography exclusively. Barker’s exhibit, Recycle, which focuses on imagery whose value can only be fully realized through the perception of the viewer, according to Tilt’s website.
Contact the reporters at domenico.nicosia@asu.edu and maxfield.barker@asu.edu
