In honor of its 24th anniversary, downtown Phoenix’s art community is hosting Art Detour 24, a free, self-guided art walk, this Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
Art Detour is organized by Artlink Phoenix, a nonprofit organization that also promotes First Fridays.
Visitors will have the opportunity to see galleries, take tours, visit artists’ studios that are usually closed and learn about public art, said Mike Oleskow, president of Artlink.
“Art Detour is really about taking a detour off the beaten path,” Oleskow said. “The studios are not the typical places you go to since a lot of them aren’t generally open every day.”
The Arizona Center will host Art Detour’s First Stop, which includes live music, improv theater and free parking, said Oleskow.
Shuttles will be offered on a continuous loop to take visitors from the Arizona Center to Roosevelt Row, then to Grand Avenue and back.
Various guided walking and biking tours will be offered during the afternoon, including the History Echoes Tour hosted by historian Marshall Shore. It focuses on the places where the Phoenix art scene started in the 1980s, Oleskow said.
Oleskow anticipates Art Detour to be bigger and better this year because the number of participants has doubled since last year.
Beatrice Moore, owner of galleries Bragg’s Pie Factory and Kooky Krafts, is one of the founders of Artlink and Art Detour. Moore has seen the event’s changes and fluctuations over the past 24 years but notes that Art Detour has always emphasized the studios.
Moore is excited about the work on Grand Avenue, including Oasis on Grand Apartment Community, a remodeled 1960s motel from where artists can live and work. Moore’s gallery will also show work this weekend with Bragg’s Pie Factory displaying 120 mutant piñatas.
The events this weekend will appeal to multiple audiences, as the environment will be family-friendly, Oleskow said.
“Everyone can participate. Whether you’re an artist or checking out the art, it’s just a great time,” he said.
Another component of the event will be Kids Detour, featuring various studios and galleries such as Practical Art and Firehouse offering art and activities for children. The Phoenix Art Museum will have a special “Play with Your Food” presentation on Saturday, as well.
Artist Pete Deise, who has been involved in the downtown arts community since its early days, will feature some of his work at the Art Detour. His sculpture work made of powder-coated steel will be displayed in a “pop-up” gallery, a temporary gallery space, called SUgAR at 1020 Grand Avenue.
Deise said the size and scope of the audience for the event varies from each year, but there are usually more arts patrons in attendance.
“I like to see people that are interested in seeing art the most and not just being entertained,” Deise said.
Contact the reporter at carolina.m.lopez@asu.edu
