Who’s Going to Get the Goodies Globally? – RSVP Required

05/06/2013 By Leave a Comment

headshotRSVP Here!

Join us for a lunchtime conversation at the intersection of geology, sustainability, and art—in the midst of the exhibition, Cu29: Mining for You.

Ongoing demands for mineral resources in the U.S., coupled with exploding economies in India and China, are straining energy and mineral resources in unprecedented and unnerving ways. Colorado’s former state geologist Vince Matthews will offer a chilling presentation about our dwindling mineral resources.

After the presentation, Phoenix artist Matthew Moore and ASU geologist Steve Semken will join Matthews in a free-wheeling discussion. Moore will showcase the Cu29 exhibition, a collaboration with London artist Clare Patey, ASU faculty, and students. The exhibition centers on the endangered elements in the periodic table, specifically copper, a mineral at the core of Arizona’s history, economy, environment, and cultural life.

Co-sponsored by the ASU Art Museum. Limited free parking available at the Ceramics Research Center on the northeast corner of Mill Avenue and 10th Street.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
12:00 – 1:30 p.m.
ASU Art Museum
Mill Avenue and 10th Street
Arizona State University, Tempe campus
(lunch will be provided)

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A conversation with Superflex at Combine Studios

04/10/2013 By Leave a Comment
Superflex, “Guaraná Power Corner” (2006), installation shot at the ASU Art Museum. Photo by Julio César Morales.

Superflex, “Guaraná Power Corner” (2006), installation shot at the ASU Art Museum. Photo by Julio César Morales.

TONIGHT at 7 p.m.

Please join us at the ASU Art Museum International Artist Residency Facility at Combine Studios in downtown Phoenix on Wednesday, April 10 at 7 p.m. for an artist talk by Danish artist group Superflex. The group is featured in the current exhibition Turn Off The Sun: Selections from la Colección Jumex at the ASU Art Museum. They will be discussing their history and practice as well as plans for future projects with the Museum dealing with desert issues.

http://www.superflex.net/

The Danish artist group Superflex, founded by Jakob Fenger, Rasmus Nielsen and Bjørnstjerne Christiansen, centers their work around the discourse of “ethical capitalism” and development policy. The group describes their projects as “tools” — models or proposals that can be used and modified. In their 1996 project “Supergas,” Superflex worked with European and African engineers and a sustainable agriculture organization in Tanzania to develop and market to African farmers an affordable bio gas generator that turns human and animal waste into fuel. The bio gas plant produces enough fuel for a family of 8-10 members to cook food and  run one gas lamp for an evening.

In “Guaraná Power Corner” (2006), bottles of the soft drink Guaraná Power are stacked in a corner with a mirrored base and walls. In 2003, Superflex collaborated with local farmers from Maués in the Brazilian Amazon who cultivate the caffeine-rich berries of the guaraná plant. Multinational corporations have had a destructive effect on the market for guaraná, driving the prices for the raw seeds down by 80 percent, while raising the price for their own retail products made from the fruit. Superflex worked with the farmers to copy the formula of the corporate soda, and then to create their own drink called Guaraná Power. Produced directly by the farmers, Guaraná Power is sold in bars and cafés in Denmark, directly competing with the corporate version of the drink.

Superflex has exhibited in galleries around the world and been included in international art festivals such as the 42nd Kunsthalle Basel, Switzerland; the 6th Gwangju Biennial, Korea; and the 50th Venice Biennial, Italy.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS EVENT TAKES PLACE OFF CAMPUS, AT THE COMBINE STUDIOS FACILITY. The address is 821 North Third Street, Phoenix.

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Join Us For a Talk With Visiting Artist Eduardo Sarabia at the ASU Art Museum

03/22/2013 By Leave a Comment

Eduardo Sarabia, “A Thin Line Between Love and Hate” (2005), installation detail at the ASU Art Museum Ceramics Research Center. Photo by Julio César Morales.

Saturday, March 23, 2013 at 2 p.m.

Join us at the ASU Art Museum for a talk by visiting artist Eduardo Sarabia, whose work is part of the exhibition Turn off the Sun: Selections from la Colección Jumex.

Born in Los Angeles in 1976, Eduardo Sarabia obtained a BFA from Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, and now lives and works in Los Angeles, Guadalajara and Berlin.

Sarabia is known for creating fake evidence for semi-fictional events, using performance, drawing, painting, ceramics, photographs and sculpture to document events and ideas. His Latino heritage is an influence in his work, with its cultural symbols appearing throughout. Recently, Sarabia has taken part in numerous international group shows including I Love New York, I-20 Gallery, New York, 2001; the 51st Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy, 2005; Musee des Beaux-Arts, Lille, France, 2006 and the Whitney Biennial, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, 2008. Recent solo exhibitions include Santa Monica Museum of Art, Santa Monica, Calif., 2002; Museo Raúl Anguiano, Guadalajara, Mexico, 2008; LA Louver, Los Angeles, 2008. Upcoming exhibitions include the Denver Contemporary Art Museum in 2013.

More information: http://asuevents.asu.edu/guest-artist-eduardo-sarabia

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Spring Season Opening Reception at the ASU Art Museum

02/06/2013 By Leave a Comment

 

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Join us at the Museum on Feb. 8 for our Season Opening Reception!

 

This free event celebrates the opening of Cu29: Mining for You, a new exhibition by Matthew Moore (Phoenix) and Clare Patey (London), and Traces of Japanese Life: Selections from the Melikian Collection — plus, at the Ceramics Research Center, Born of Fire: The Pottery of Margaret Tafoya and Re: Generation: Featuring a survey of ceramics by Margaret Tafoya’s descendants. Author Charles King will be on hand during the reception, signing his book “Born of Fire: The Life and Pottery of Margaret Tafoya.” We’ll have food, drink, a brass band, and more!

 

From 5:30-8:30 p.m., artist Holly Hanessian will invite guests to participate in her project Touch in Real Time, which will be exhibited in the fall of 2013 at the Society for Contemporary Craft downtown One Mellon Gallery space in Pittsburgh.

 

This is also your last chance to see Miguel Palma’s exhibition, Trajectory, before it closes Feb. 9. Palma will be on hand for the reception, showing new video work.

Members preview begins at 5:30 p.m., and the general public is welcome from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

 

ASU Art Museum
Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts
ASU Art Museum
Location: ASU Art Museum
Campus: Tempe
Cost: Free

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For holiday shopping (and discounts) visit the ASU Art Museum

12/06/2012 By Leave a Comment

Necklace and box by Phoenix artist Mimi Jardine. Ceramic tea pots by Tempe artist Tom Budzak. Photo by Sean Deckert.

“It’s the thought that counts,” goes the old saying. But it never hurts if the gift is nice, too.

This holiday season, the ASU Art Museum Store, in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, is the place in Tempe to find gifts that are thoughtful, beautiful and socially conscious.

When you shop at the museum store, you’re shopping local. According to Local First Arizona, of which the museum is a member, when shoppers choose to spend their money locally, 73 percent remains in the local economy, compared to just 43 percent from non-local stores.

And from Dec. 4 to Dec. 22, just in time for Christmas and Hanukkah, the museum store is offering 20 percent off all its merchandise. Museum members receive a whopping 30 percent discount.

Over the past year, the store has moved in a new direction, focusing on local artists and works by ASU alumni and faculty.

ASU School of Art alumna and faculty member Ann Morton is the creative force behind Street Gems, eco-friendly contemporary jewelry made from discarded items such as plastic bottles, bags and caution tape. This wearable art is made by homeless artisans affiliated with Lodestar Day Resource Center in Phoenix. The social initiative gives the jewelry makers the opportunity to learn a new skill and work as a team, helping them feel a sense of pride and connection to the community.

Jewelers Wendy Grace and Mimi Jardine are both Phoenicians, each with a distinctive style. Wendy Grace, who was trained as a sculptor, makes simple, elegant necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings using silver, gold and precious gems; her fans include celebrities like Meredith Vieira and Rachael Ray. And Mimi Jardine constructs one-of-a-kind necklaces that incorporate vintage beads, found objects and elements from her own jewelry collection, including baubles that belonged to her grandmother, each with its own hand-made box.

The store also carries ceramic pieces by highly acclaimed ASU School of Art faculty like Susan Beiner, Sam Chung and Kurt Weiser, as well as works from artists around the world, hand-made greeting cards, imaginative and challenging toys for children, Oaxacan wood carvings and other unusual items, all eligible for the holiday sale discount.

ASU Art Museum store hours are 11 a.m.-8 p.m.,Tuesday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Wednesday-Saturday. Closed Sundays and Mondays.

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Learn to Land Big Sales at Chamber Procurement Workshop

04/09/2012 By Leave a Comment

Everybody wants the big contract, but learning how to secure it can be a daunting task. The Tempe Chamber of Commerce, always looking for new ways to help our members grow and succeed, is offering the “Doing Business With” Series to teach attendees how to work with some of the largest institutions in the state.

During this event, attendees will learn how to provide services and products to the State of Arizona; the City of Tempe; Arizona State University; and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Learn how the bid and RFP processes work, how you can be included in them, who to talk to, best practices for securing contracts and more. The half-day workshop is broken into four 45-minute sessions, each featuring a representative from the purchasing or contracting departments of each institution. Presentations will include Q&A and practical advice and procedures for getting more business for your company.

The “Doing Business With” Series will take place April 18, 8 a.m. to noon, at the Four Points by Sheraton Tempe, 1333 S. Rural Rd., in the conference room adjacent to the Tempe Chamber of Commerce.

The cost of the program is $20 for members and $30 for the general public. Interested guests may learn more or RSVP at www.tempechamber.org or (480) 967-7891.

8:00 – Registration and Breakfast
8:10 – Welcome by Tempe Chamber and Four Points by Sheraton
8:15 – 9:00 – City of Tempe -  Michael Green, Procurement Administrator for the City of Tempe
9:15 – 10:00 – State of Arizona – Ms. Susan Bayer, Strategic Contract Manager for the State of Arizona
10:15 – 11:00 – Sky Harbor International Airport – Valerie Churchwell, Community Outreach Manager
11:15 – 12:00 – ASU – John Riley, Executive Director of Purchasing for ASU

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The Tempe Tourism Office: A Resource For Visitors and Locals

01/02/2012 By Leave a Comment

Tempe is a small city, just 40.2 square miles, but carries the spirit of a lively metropolis with beautiful weather, growing families, brilliant students, small businesses, unique restaurants, mountainous skylines and a successful university, making it the perfect, sunny climate to reside or visit.

The city stands out with attributes like Arizona State University, Tempe Town Lake and the Mill Avenue District, and enjoys sharing its turf with multiple large-scale events that residents and visitors enjoy throughout the year.

Tempe is known for hosting numerous large events like the Insight Bowl, the Ironman Arizona Triathlon and the P.F. Changs Rock “n” Roll Marathon and Half Marathon, all of which bring large crowds to Tempe.

The job of the Tempe Tourism Office is to promote Tempe, helping to encourage travel to our city.

“Tourism: (n.) travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. Tourism is important and in some cases vital for many countries. It brings in large amounts of income in payment for goods and services.” -Wikipedia

The tourism office also serves as the destination expert of where to stay, eat, and go while in town.

Recently, when I interviewed the President and CEO of the Tempe Tourism Office, Stephanie Nowack, I noticed the large display of colorful brochures that lined the lobby wall near the entrance. There was information on shopping, restaurants, museums, national parks and attractions, locally and throughout the state of Arizona. [Stop by their office on 51 W. Third St. Suite 105, across from the light rail station for free brochures.]

A large part of the Tempe Tourism Office’s job is to form relationships in the community by linking the travelers’ needs to what Tempe has to offer.

“The value of the tourism office is facilitating connections for those people who want to come to town, whether it’s leisure or business, and make that link with the businesses in town,” Nowack said. “We’re trying to drive revenue to the businesses, to the hotels, to the restaurants, and provide information about the attractions that Tempe has to offer, like Sea Life [at Arizona Mills Mall] is a great location that we promote.”

The Tempe Tourism Office establishes connections with people such as meeting and event planners, tourists and travel agents and also organizations like ASU academic and sports partners.

The tourism office advertises with social media, PR campaigns, travel writers, AAA programs and commercials to reach specific demographics. Tourism can play a role in the success of our local businesses, hotels and restaurants, during slow times of the year.

“One of the greatest opportunities and the greatest challenges of our job is really to differentiate Tempe, to figure out what is it that makes Tempe different from any other city. Because when we are talking to meeting planner, or a possible traveler, I need to describe what is it about Tempe that will make them decide to come here. Tempe Town Lake is for sure a deciding factor, as well as ASU, Gammage and the Mill Avenue District.”

Tempe draws visitors from all 50 states and even many other countries making Tempe unlike any other city in Arizona.

“We get both business visitors, people who are coming for conferences and business trips, as well as leisure travelers. Our percentage is definitely higher for the leisure traveler,” Nowack said. “According to recent research, the main reasons that people come to Tempe are visiting friends and family, coming for special events and activities, and ASU.”

Being near the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport also makes Tempe an easy option for travelers. Research tells Nowack that our guests mostly come from California, Texas and Colorado. The top countries for our travelers are Canada and Mexico.

Once you arrive, public transportation is easy to use and is available by cab, bus or light rail. Or rent a bicycle for a day or two at The Bicycle Cellar.

The Ironman Arizona Triathlon is a great example of the process the city takes to approve an event because the race was already established and wanted to add the Tempe location to the schedule.

“I got a phone call one day from the president of Ironman North America. He said we are aware of Tempe and think you have a great city. We’re looking to expand our marathon series into the Southwest and we would like to talk to you about bringing it to Tempe,” Nowack said.

The special events manager from the city, along with Nowack, conducted extensive research and then traveled to Madison, Wis., to experience how an Ironman race was handled. Because of the Ironman’s flawless execution and the guarantee for large crowds, they decided to bring the event to Tempe.

“We could see it first hand. What was really involved with the operations? What were the logistics? What would be required for us to put on an event like that? It was a very thoughtful, methodical process, which has really turned out to be one of our greatest events ever.”

Over 3,000 people participated in the Ironman Arizona Triathlon that was held on Nov. 19, 2011, at Tempe Town Lake with the highest number of participants from California, Texas and Colorado.

For that one event, which is a one-day event, the economic impact is between $4 million and $5 million in revenue, Nowack said. It’s a great visitor to attract because they are from a high demographic.

The Ironman Arizona will return to Tempe next November, but the P. F. Changs Rock “n” Roll Marathon and Half Marathon are the next large events to gather in Tempe. The race expands to parts of Phoenix and Scottsdale, as well. This race is a qualifier for other marathons, which should bring in large numbers of people from outside of the state to compete in Tempe.

P. F. Changs Rock “n” Roll Marathon and Half Marathon

When: Jan. 15, 2012 at 7:30 a.m.

  • Half Marathon – Starts from Downtown Tempe on Mill Avenue & Third Street
  • Marathon- Starts from Downtown Phoenix at CityScape
  • Finish Line: Packard Drive between ASU’s Sun Devil and Sun Angel stadiums

 Tempe Tourism Office links:

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