(Photos by Sierra LaDuke/DD)
The Unexpected Art Gallery, a unique mixed-use exhibition space, will soon open in a historic Grand Avenue building on Polk Street.
The gallery will occupy 7,200 square feet of the building, previously occupied by the Miller Store Fixture.
Unexpected plans to open its doors to the public on Friday with a “pre-opening yard sale” that will continue through the weekend.
Owner Ben Smith and his staff have included various features within the gallery, including a “TechShop” makerspace, a game room, a “U Studio” with photo and video editing commons, a “Back Alley” outdoor community gathering place, a VIP loft and an art library.
The gallery also contains more than 550 framed print pieces and more than 10,000 art prints representing various styles, periods and mediums.
All of the artwork and materials displayed in the gallery will be available for purchase.
The upstairs VIP loft will be a space for artists to host their own shows, exhibitions, or art sales to display and sell their artwork. The TechShop and U Studio will give artists access to various multimedia and digital production tools. The Back Alley outdoor space will include scenic murals, a photo booth, food trucks and other vendors.
Smith said the gallery’s location represents an ideal opportunity to bridge the gap between two of downtown’s most present art scenes.
“You have Roosevelt Row with all of the great galleries, you have Grand Avenue with all of the unique galleries,” Smith said. “We’re kind of right in between so we kind of bridge that gap.”
Unexpected expects to be involved with the community through local youth outreach programs and artists.
The gallery will work with the Rag Collection, a nonprofit organization that empowers youth to find their voice through the arts. The two will team up with artists to create multiple murals along the outside of the gallery’s building and the rest of Grand Avenue.
“We really hope that we can bring a wide range of opportunities,” Smith said.
Lucretia Torva, a local downtown artist and owner of Torva Fine Art, will conduct Unexpected’s first Art Appreciation class on Nov. 14. Torva said she is supportive of Smith’s image for the gallery as a multi-use space.
“After seeing what Unexpected gallery is like, it would make sense that he would want to host some different activities surrounding the idea of art,” Torva said.
Torva said her vision for the Art Appreciation classes is to make them informative experiences that will enhance the conversation about art for both the general public and the artists themselves.
“I have been wanting to encourage more knowledge and understanding about how to look at art and talk about art,” Torva said.
Matthew Earl Jones, the current owner of the Earl Jones Institute for Film and Television, will also have a presence at the gallery. The institute will host a variety of fundamental film and lighting seminars, workshops and events.
The institute is also the gallery’s first tenant and they plan to use their space to advocate for diversity in film, lighting and digital media. Jones said the goal for the institute’s seminars is to reach a broader crowd in Phoenix.
“While they will be open to all, we do have outreach to women and minorities because our goal is to create some diversity in the film industry,” Jones said.
Jones sees the gallery’s multimedia and digital accommodations as vital in adjusting to present and future film needs.
“As the film industry has changed with the whole digital revolution, a lot of the skill sets that people of my generation have quite frankly are no longer valid,” Jones said.
The gallery will also be participating in the Grand Avenue Festival this weekend, which will take place on Saturday, Nov. 14, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Unexpected will host the WEARizona: Under the Big Top fashion show that night from 8-10 p.m.
Unexpected will join First Fridays starting in December, when they will host an exhibition from the ASU sculpture club and open their gates to food trucks, jewelers, furniture makers and other vendors.
The opening yard sale will take place on Friday from 6-10 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Contact the reporter at brianna.bradley@asu.edu.
