events 2009

December 2009
"Things Unspoken" by Jennifer Gross had our walls popping with color through the month of December.  As one of our most popular ceramic artists, Jennifer expressed her imagination and inner self with beautiful bugs, masks, and faces.  Pictured is The Juggler's Pause (12" x 18") one of the featured works, with his amusing little expression, sitting contentedly in his own ceramic box, cute little hands wrapped around the bottom edge.

Sunday, November 15, 2009
We all enjoyed Sunday afternoon with a glass of wine watching expert woodturner Paul Porter turn his magic! Paul's beautiful bowls and rolling pins are legendary at Practical Art, each one made from locally felled trees. Paul's work is from naturally fallen trees that may have been in your neighborhood - he saves them from the landfill and turns them into true beauty!

November 2009
"Objects & Obsessions: Observations of a Painter" by Betsy Heffron was on our walls from November 1-30, 2009. Betsy Heffron's new series explored the deeper meaning behind the common objects that surround us: chairs, doors, windows. Heffron has studied art throughout the United States and has shown her work throughout the United States and Europe. Object & Obsessions gives a glimpse into the view of a painter and her relationship with the world.

Friday October 16, 2009 
"make your own clock" workshop!
Our friends watched and enjoyed some refreshments) as our craftsman Chris Altman turned an album cover and a plate into a clock!   Fun times were had by all!

Friday, October 30th
Matt Minjares on Banjo, Lindsay Cates on Upright Bass, and Carolyn Camp on Fiddle
Pick and Holler plays Appalachian old-time mountain music. It's the American traditional music that inspired Bluegrass. It's old- fashioned, high energy, foot-stomping square dance-style music with a few songs and lonesome mountain tunes thrown in.

 October 2009
"The Magic of Mixed Media: Reusing Old Materials"
by Pat Scheurich
Pat works in "anything I come across," old or new, that has meaning to a piece. The media she works with is literally unlimited; she is known to use acrylics, metal leaf, found objects, leaves, feathers, pencil and charcoal. She uses recycled wood panels for supports and ephemera from the endless activities in which people participate: tickets, labels, and advertisements. Her work brings together of objects, memories, colors and light. Through her work, Pat celebrates her impressions of the visual world while re-using materials that have a history for her.

Friday, September 25, 2009
 Metalsmith April Bower demonstrated her skill with metal-forming techiques using her array of personally crafted tools and chucks. Adventurous participants were able to give some embossed copper bands a few whacks of a polished hammer while learning how the metal stretches in the shaping process. 

  
September 2009
"Thoughts," by local painter elly gale was on view in September, 2009.  The stunning diversity of elly's brushwork on canvas was appreciated by all.  elly gale is an observer of the small detail. Inviting the viewer to contemplate the quiet inner workings of a mind, autonomous of the physical task at hand, elly draws you to her characters' introspection through gestures as small as a tilt of the face. elly gale has worked as a designer for Fox Entertainment, Miramax, and Disney, and is the current artist in residence at Louis XV Fine Jewelry. This was the artist's first solo show.

Friday August 14, 2009
Popular Practical Art artisan Shari Collins-Chobanian entertained us all with her highly participatory paper marbling demonstration! Many of our friends learned this extraordinary technique with regular acrylic paints and specially prepared stock paper, handmade paper, or reclaimed paper while enjoying snacks and refreshments. At the end of the evening, everyone went home with their own masterpiece. (And several were heard talking about taking up the technique themselves!)

August 1 - 31, 2009.  
"AVIARY" by Layla Luna
An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds. Unlike cages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly. August's show at Practical Art by local painter and mixed media artist Layla Luna explored the relationship between environment and subject, by her careful studies of birds in various environments. Layla studies the relationship between an untamed subject and a highly domesticated setting.  We enjoyed viewing nine original paintings and more than 30 sketches from Layla's "30 Sketches Project," capturing a wild variety of wonderful birds.

July 24, 2009, 7pm. 
Our wonderful knife craftsman Lee Zierten offerred a FREE workshop at Practical Art.  Customers brought their kitchen knives, and learned how to expertly sharpen them. Lee helped us identify a quality blade and we learned how to make our treasured kitchen utensils last a lifetime.

June 26, 2009
Lampworking Demo by artisan Andrea Zampella
  Andrea crafted her beautiful handles for servingware from hot molten glass in front of a captivated audience on Friday night. We all had the opportunity to see, up-close, the amazing (and sometimes dangerous!) craft of lampworking with liquid glass. Thanks, Andrea!

                                                     June 1-30th, 2009
James Flanagan: Water, Water, Everywhere
Although Jim's paintings are fun, colorful and contemporary in styling, he had his FIRST solo gallery show at Practical Art at age 73!  Jim received his art education at Pratt Institute and the School of Visual Arts in New York City, and came to Arizona to teach in the Department of Fine Arts at ASU.   Jim began painting later in life, but he was quickly accepted into important juried shows, and his work today is included in private collections throughout the United States and in Great Britain. 

During the Weekend of May 15, 16 & 17th, 2009 --  We couldn't believe it and either could you!  Practical Art celebrated its ONE YEAR BIRTHDAY!  We had a fabulous, fun, and funky first anniversary party! We served up plenty of Urban Cookies, gave away Practical Art T-shirts and gift cards, enjoyed live music by local musicians The Blue Whalers, as well as our own Carolyn Camp and Aaron on fiddle and banjo, all while hanging out with the multi-talented Arizona artisans who've crafted all of our fine wares! Much fun was had on Friday May 15th, from 7 - 9 pm, Saturday May 16th from 11am to 6pm, and Sunday May 17th from 12noon to 5 pm!

From May 1- 31, 2009
Pam Harrison: "World Peace Project"
From May 1- 31, 2009 we enjoyed Pam Harrison's works in ceramic, encaustic on panel, paper and fabric as she explored peace throughout the world and throughout history.  We supported the non-profit Nonviolent Peaceforce during May in conjunction with this show, and raised over $500 for the cause, thanks to Pam's wonderful porcelain peace tokens, which were a huge hit!  Nonviolent Peaceforce members apply peaceful strategies to protect human rights, deter violence, and help local peacemakers to carry out their work.   See the Phoenix New Times review of Pam Harrison's "World Peace Project" by clicking here!

April 24, 2009
Annette Weaver-- Ceramicist
Practical Art hosted a ceramics surface treatment demonstration by local artist Annette Weaver where she demonstrated the slip painting, relief carving, staining, and lifting techniques that she's been perfecting since 2000.  We had a lively discussion with an inquisitive audience about the ins-and-outs of ceramics from the initial form through the complete firing! 

APRIL 1-30, 2009
The 43rd Annual NCECA Convention was held at the Downtown Phoenix Convention Center April 8-11, 2009. Practical Art was honored to host over 30 fabulous local and well-regarded out of state American ceramic artists during April with an exhibition of the work of graduates from the University of North Texas College of Visual Arts and Design. This exhibition reunited MFA and BFA graduates from the 1970's and 1980's along with UNT professors for an exciting show of ceramic work ranging from functional and vessel forms to figurative sculpture to photographic compositions of ceramics.  The exhibition was a reunion of old friends and a celebration of their successful careers as professional artists and art educators.  

March 20, 2009
We had fun with a glass cutting demonstration by Ray DelMuro.   Lots of people brought in their empty wine bottles (rinsed out, label removed) and turned them into great votives, pencil cups, or vases.  Ray DelMuro saves thousands of wine bottles from the recycling bin - or trash bin - by hand crafting them into wonderful glassware, votives and vases, now available at Practical Art!   We have a regular inventory of Ray's 12 oz or 16 oz sets of four glasses, and many different size and shapes of vases! 

March 1-31, 2009
Jason Hill - "Icons of Phoenix"
Pictured: Westward Ho by Jason Hill 
View Jason Hill's new hand-printed silkscreens of ten iconic architectural landmarks in Phoenix, including Rosson House, Westward Ho, Bikini Lounge and Phoenix Towers. Come meet Jason Hill and view our beautiful city in a new way through his eyes.  Jason is a prolific and accomplished graphic artist who is often cited as someone through whom we can see Phoenix's "cool" side, through his art. A recent article in Phoenix New Times begins: "In Jason Hill's Phoenix, the sun never sets."  Jason Hill was just named one of the "33 Hippest People, Places & Things" in the Valley in Phoenix Magazine's "Cool" issue for 2009! Read the most recent Phoenix New Times review of Jason's Icons of Phoenix show At Practical Art here.

February 27, 2009
Matt Monaco - Woodturner
Practical Art hosted Matt Monaco in a woodturning exhibition displaying his skills and artistry in making beautiful wood boxes and bowls.  The chips were flying and people were amazed as Matt revealed the inner grain and beauty of the wood as he turned it into a useful vessel. 

February 1-28 2009
Lisa Olson "two settings"
Lisa Olson works as a professional photographer with digital cameras.  "two settings" is her view of Scotland through the lens of a wonderfully low-tech Holga film camera.  With only two settings: "sunny" or "cloudy," the composition, lighting, and framing are left to the photographer to create art.  Lisa Olson hand printed each photograph in a darkroom, in limited editions.

January 1-31, 2009

Christine Cassano - "Subsidized Rhythms"
Christine Cassano's newest work reflects the cyclicality observed in the natural processes of our world, as it is inhabited and altered by people.  The work in this show "Subsidized Rhythms” plays out Cassano's depiction of the cycles of the natural process, through her intuitive and beautiful assemblage of found man-made objects embedded in eco-friendly cast concrete, colored with natural pigments, and then finished with soy-based coatings.

                                        January 23, 2009
Joyce White - Wire Sculpture
Wire sculpture and jewelry artist Joyce White conducted a demonstration of the technique she uses to "knit" gold and silver wire to produce beautiful woven wire necklace chains.  Her process is adapted from "Viking Knitting" - a craft technique developed hundreds of years ago that actually pre-dates knitting with fibers!  Multi-talented Joyce White also makes amazing fused glass pendants, which she then meticulously wire-wraps with gold or silver, to finish off her stunning, award-winning sculptural jewelry.