Scottsdale Public Art developed the temporary public art project, IN FLUX, in 2010 in the midst of the downturned economy. With the idea of revitalizing vacant spaces, IN FLUX sought out local artists to create temporary works for vacant storefronts.
After a successful first year in Scottsdale, the City of Tempe partnered with Scottsdale Public Art for the program’s second year. In its third year, IN FLUX has expanded to seven valley cities including Phoenix, Mesa, Goodyear, Glendale and Chandler.
Roosevelt Row Community Development Corporation answered the call for an IN FLUX project in Phoenix, deciding to take on one installation at a vacant lot in its arts district.
The lot, located at Fourth and Roosevelt streets, currently houses temporary installments and activities, including the start of a shipping container village, an arts market and concerts.
The cities picked artists for each project together, but each city is responsible for funding the projects separately.
Phoenix’s installation has a budget of $4,000 and will be funded by the “Our Town” grant received in July by Roosevelt Row CDC, the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture and Arizona State University Art Museum, program manager Meghan Olesen said.
The Our Town grant of $100,000 was awarded to the three organizations by the National Endowment for the Arts.
According to the program’s website, IN FLUX aims to present the Valley “as one community — not a collection of disparate cities and scenes — in an effort to offer new perspective on the connections between community organizations, local businesses, artists, and audiences.”
Where it Began
In 2010, Scottsdale Public Art held its first IN FLUX cycle featuring six artists’ installations in downtown Scottsdale.
The organization reached out to the City of Tempe to partner for the second cycle, said Kirstin Van Cleef, program manager.
This year IN FLUX expanded to seven cities.
“We didn’t want to expand too big too quickly so we kept it to the Valley,” Van Cleef said.
Currently 15 projects are underway. Each city is housing between one and three installations. The art will remain displayed for up to ten months unless the locations are purchased.
When Van Cleef put out the call to the Valley’s public art administrators, downtown Phoenix’s nonprofit arts community organization, Roosevelt Row CDC, answered.
IN FLUX correlated with the organization’s Adaptive Reuse of Temporary Space program, said Olesen.
This program leases multiple vacant lots in the Roosevelt Row neighborhood. The lots are used for venues and temporary projects in order to attract development and involve the surrounding community.
City of Phoenix Public Art Program director Edward Lebow said the project is “a great opportunity to activate spaces that are underutilized.”
He said interesting cities have public art and people who are interested in having beautiful and unique neighborhoods.
Since the 1980s when the city developed a public art program, Phoenix has incorporated more than 150 public art pieces, Lebow said.
These projects range from large works, such as the hanging net sculpture “Her Secret is Patience” at Civic Space Park, to artistically-designed bridges and small decorations at light rail stations.
Unlike city-funded public art pieces, IN FLUX installations are not as large in size and do not have large budgets.
These installations can be edgier or possess temporary messages, said Betsy Fahlman, ASU art professor.
“You want some pieces that last,” she said. “(Temporary pieces are) a good use of money for short term projects.”
The Process
This year’s cycle of IN FLUX brought in applications from about 80 artists.
Submissions were only open to Arizona artists.
Applicants were required to send five images of previous work, a resume and statement about why they and their work would be a good fit for the IN FLUX projects, the release said.
Van Cleef said the process was adjusted this year to include former IN FLUX artists.
IN FLUX provides an opportunity for up and coming artists to get exposure.
Fahlman said it’s very hard to start with a huge piece of public art when trying to get into the public art scene.
Large pieces can have multi-million dollar budgets. IN FLUX ranges in the thousands, Fahlman said.
The IN FLUX projects are an incubator for “Arizona artists to get their feet wet and get their start in public art,” she said.
Roosevelt Row CDC, in charge of picking the Phoenix artist, is deciding between two artists and will announce their decision Monday, Olesen said.
She said they hope to have the installation completed by the end of January.
The Greater Significance
IN FLUX can educate a community about public art and beautifying vacant areas. Yet, in Phoenix, the installation will reside in an area already vibrant with art, local business owner Aaron Johnson said.
“It’s a good win-win for local artists and property owners,” Van Cleef said.
Theoretically the installations would lower vacancies, curb vandalism and help generate more traffic to surrounding businesses, Van Cleef said.
Johnson, owner of Lawn Gnome Publishing located just a couple blocks from the installation site, said the art piece will increase traffic to a well-traveled area.
Roosevelt Row houses many galleries and hosts First Fridays and Third Fridays Art Walks.
Johnson said the project is fitting to the neighborhood, which is comprised of many galleries and independent businesses. Having a local artist create the installation is important because they have a better idea of what the community needs, he said.
Adrian Fontes, co-owner of Bodega 420, located adjacent to the future IN FLUX site, said the art piece may make people who are nearby more aware of what is around them.
“It would give our regular customers something else to appreciate nearby,” he said. “Everyone loves art — that’s what the neighborhood is about.”
Contact the reporter at mpado@asu.edu@asu.edu
