Artlink

I went to April’s First Friday this year not knowing what to expect. Downtown was so much more crowded than I imagined it would be. I had no idea where to park since I wasn’t sure what I even wanted to do other than eat at the food trucks which are located between 3^rd and 5^th street on Roosevelt. I ended up parking in the Phoenix Public Market lot. I got there around 8pm and luckily found a spot. Walking the streets (no, I’m not a hooker) was a bit overwhelming. There was a mix of people on the streets, but I will say that I felt like I stood out like a sore thumb. I guess I’m on the preppy side. Popular trends were skinny jeans, cloves and bohemian folk. We basically just walked where there was crowds because there was something to see everywhere. There is so much going on with street performers, art/​jewelry sellers, art galleries, that I don’t feel like I even came close to fully experiencing First Friday. I was happy that I got to try some food truck goodies (bacon ice cream from Sweet Republic; banana rumballs, stuffed jalapenos, bombay fries w cucumber dipping sauce from Sunshine & Spice; portabella tacos from Carte Blanc). I’m looking forward to checking out First Friday again. so four stars since it reeled me in! I now know to expect there to be a lot of people and some rowdiness, but lots of cops patrolling and monitoring the crowds.

This review is attributable to the First Friday Event that took place on April 1^st 2011.
Sorry folks, First Fridays is not for me. I went last week hoping to discover an exciting new aspect of the Valley’s cultural ascendance but I left feeling totally bummed. The whole scene felt like a sort of bizarro reverse Scottsdale Fashion Square counterculture. Like day vs night, conformists vs non-​conformists, capitalists vs social anarchists. I felt like I was engulfed by people trying so hard not to fit in that they somehow managed to become clones of themselves. And you know what sucks about the whole thing… I’ll bet there are dozens of extremely talented young artists whose work is completely overwhelmed by sheer sensual overload of this spectacle. A perfect example would be this fantastically talented young girl singing and playing guitar. She couldn’t be more than 16 years old. Great voice. About 35 feet away there was loud punk rock band jamming away completely drowning out our fresh faced heroine. Or, was it the opposite? Maybe I was the one who was wrong and it was my youthful singer whose little amplifier managed to get in the way of an even more talented band, maybe Phoenix’s version of Social Distortion or the Misfits? Either way, I was totally disoriented… and bummed.
I felt the same way about the conventional art on display. I made a concerted effort to find unique works, possibly a piece that really resonated with me that I would want to see on a wall in my home. Instead 90% of what I saw there reminded me of the doodles and art class projects that my friends and I used to create when our lives were devoted to playing Dungeons and Dragons and watching Hellraiser marathons on VHS.
On a side note, is it just me or do young people who devote their lives to blood, gore, pain and suffering annoy anyone else? If these kids think life sucks now I can’t wait to see them after they end up with hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loans only to realize that their newfound reality will be years and years of toiling away in the friendly confines of a 6 square foot gray cubicle. And compared to many third word citizens this new reality would be considered paradise. It’s that lack of perspective that I have a hard time accepting. But we all go through our phases and I wish them the best of luck.
Trust me, I feel horrible that I have to write a negative review. I know there is some really great stuff out there. I just couldn’t find it. It didn’t take me long to simply give up and start drinking. Fortunately we found a cool little place to drown our sorrows called «Lost Leaf» which turned out to be one of the highlights of my evening.
The only way I would go back is if someone convinces me that they can show me all the hidden gems at First Friday buried amongst the dark alleys and dusty, vacant lots. If that happens I would be glad to revise my review and formally apologize for not having the patience to discover these cultural treasures on my own.
And before you rip me apart for not having the ability to see the true beauty of this event please understand that I have read Chomsky, Zinn, Hitchens etc… I spent much of my youth hobnobbing with homeless buskers at The Pearl Street Mall in Boulder. I studied Marx and Engels in college and I have spent entire days soaking it all in at the Pompidou and Musee d’Orsay. And to top it off, I hand wrote «Nader» on my presidential ballot once, and might do it again someday. So spare me the tired accusations of xenophobia and intolerance. BTW… Go Buffs!

What a great concept! A few artist friends have been trying to lure me into checking out First Friday around Roosevelt for years now. «You will love it!», they exclaimed.
It didn’t exactly grab me as a place to take a baby to… whole bunch of crazy partying artists for an excuse… just kidding. I finally went along with my hubby and 5 year old son about 5 months ago for the first time and have gone to several since then. We absolutely loved it! We parked around Tammie Coe’s Bakery (that’s how we came to visit this joint so often) and order some coffee and dessert while we walked around.
Artlink definitely revived what was once a seedy part of downtown into something so unique to Phoenicians. Old and dilapidated bungalows were transformed into jewelry, pottery, and sculpture enclaves. Headlining local bands performing in front yards… so cool! It’s brilliant to take a small apartment complex in a state of disrepair into single room artist galleries. My son was mesmerized by a couple of beautiful women with their flame throwing act while a bonfire ablazed behind them. That’s the only time he stood still.
I told my artist friends how much I enjoy First Fridays. They told me «It’s not the same as it used to be. It’s so crowded now when it was once just a whole bunch of artists getting together.»
I’m glad I waited…

Wow, did they ever fix First Fridays. I had almost given up due to the distances, the crowds, getting pushed off the sidewalk by goth kids with glowsticks and cloves. Now it’s so much better!
I mean you still get to say «look at that effin hipster» every five seconds, but now you are doing it from a nice, safe and blocked off Roosevelt. Everything is accessible, no more scary walks down by vacant lots to get to the next grouping.
I got see Imperial Storm Troopers (I bet they were sweating up a storm!) 2 of the 4 Ghostbusters, the Sisters of Mercy and a guy in a pink fuzzy suit (possibly a teletubby?) who gave me a totally free hug!
Took the light rail down, had a nice dinner, walked off part of the pasta, checked out some art and had a great time people watching. The decision to consolidate the First Fridays area was a stellar one, and I will be back for sure now — I just may wait until it cools off again.

A fun, outrageous evening to be had with your fellow Phoenicians. A little snacking, some political view points, shared, some art to be seen, some art to be watched and numerous artists and musicians to be enjoyed. How did Phoenix ever get this fun?

Artlink saved First Fridays.
I used to hit First Fridays every once in a while because I liked it, but couldn’t deal with all of the random junk people were selling along Roosevelt. Now, not only do I love First Fridays, but I’ve been a vendor at each one since June and will continue to be.
They have created a great environment for the crowd and cleaned up the vending so it’s actually fun to cruise through. It’s the most culture you’ll find in the Valley in one night and there’s something different each month. It’s a great excuse to explore a part of the city that’s really coming around and support local businesses at the same time.
Next time you go to First Fridays, stop by the Durtbagz booth and say «hi»!
If you haven’t been to any of the local bars around First Fridays, you’re really missing out.
Thanks Artlink!

Oh Artlink! Thanks so much for keeping First Fridays Alive! And for putting together Art Detour every year!
I am excited to see how much better it will be now with the dis-​banding of the flea market atmosphere that had taken over!
I double the Hooray for Artlink!

* Flamethrowers
* Stare-​down contests
* Cyclist activists sporting pink undies
* DJ spinning in a treehouse
* Cool beer and wine bars
* Oh yes, and art. Real, organic art made by our local neighbors.
It’s not in New York, not in Chicago — it’s all in our downtown Phoenix.
I like to credit Artlink with single-​handedly improving the vibrancy of Downtown Phoenix with its First Friday Artwalk. It’s one of my favorite pasttimes about living in Phoenix and is a true testament to the cultural destination our area has become.
I read somewhere that it’s the largest artwalk in the country now and is growing each month. I make it a habit to go every month. It’s something everyone (art-​lover or not) should experience.

Let me put it this way. I love First Fridays. And this month I brought my 63-​year old mom (a newcomer to Phoenix) to the event, and SHE loved it.
My original plan was to quickly show her First Friday, figuring that the summer night heat and gangs of teenage hippies roaming around would cause her to want to leave after a brief glimpse. I then planned on meeting up with friends at The Roosevelt after dropping her off. Instead, she (herself a watercolor artist) was captivated by some of the interesting art we found in various galleries on Grand Ave, followed by Red Dog on 3^rd Street and the street displays. Then, as I watched the time creep up to ten p.m., she became mesmerized by a punk rock band playing on the corner of 4^th and Roosevelt. «So Mom, you want to go home yet?» I asked at one point. «No way. I love this music! What is this band called?» I thought I was in the Twilight Zone. And that was before some guy asked her as she walked by whether she liked Tupac.
Eventually she got her fill of hippy art and punk rock and I joined my friends at the way-​too-​packed Roosevelt. The point is that First Friday is the kind of place you can even bring your mom to.

Hooray for Artlink! If it wasn’t for them, there wouldn’t be a First Friday event every month. I think it really adds a little somethin’ somethin’ to our state to have a great event like this where artists of every genre gather together to display and sell their work.
The cool thing about First Friday is that not only do you get to check out artwork and other handmade items, but you can also drink while doing so. In addition to this, there are a ton of cool little restaurants in historic homes, including Fate, which is right in the middle of it all.
There are usually quite a few different musicians playing throughout the neighborhoods too. Check it out!

I don’t know much about Artlink except what I’ve read. But I experienced First Friday last week, and had a great time. I was only in one area (Roosevelt street, and some of the side streets surrounding), but thought some of the work was great. To be honest, the best thing was that I discovered some really cool restaurants and bars in the neighborhood. You would never know them because they are in actual homes. The bars primarily served beer and wine, but had lots of artwork, and were a bit swanky… I like it!

I guess this is the place to comment on First Fridays. I went to it tonight and it was a blast. It was really nice to see lots of kids and families out experiencing art of various types. It’s really an impressive array of work. The quality varies, but there’s something for everyone I would guess. I only hit about 25 spots in one neighborhood around Roosevelt/​1^st — 7^th/​the other random side streets around the area.
Loved the use of the housing as studios and the welcoming atmosphere. There were a ton of cops around too for some reason.

Most everyone knows about First Friday events downtown, but less folks are familiar with the group that puts them on — Artlink. This group started small, and has done amazing things for the Arts community in Phoenix.
Though First Fridays have become absolutely huge now, and it hardly feels the same — I actually love hanging with the crowds once a year for Art Detour.
Once a year more galleries open, and lots of businesses will display art instead of just Friday night it’s Friday, that Saturday and Sunday! I’ve brought new people with me every year and no one is ever disappointed. Some folks like to drive from one spot to the next and that definitely has it’s advantages! It’s also fun to take the shuttle around. You can have some fun conversations, find out the skinny on a particular gallery, or get hot spot info from the bus drivers. And while both First Friday and Art Link are definitely All-​age events, there are generally several after parties for the over 21 crowd sponsored by individual locations.
Art link has some great volunteer opportunities too, and it can be a great way for someone new to town to get to know people while learning all about the downtown art scene.