Art Detour: Printmakers Manny and Janet Burruel

This weekend is Phoenix Art Detour 2018 with open galleries, performances, and special events throughout the Downtown Roosevelt Row and Grand Avenue arts districts.

If you’re familiar with Phoenix Fridays, think of Art Detour as a 5-day, super-sized First Friday.

One of the unique spaces where there will be art on display is Olney Gallery, which is inside of Trinity Cathedral at Roosevelt and 1st Ave.

We visited recently and saw a colorful monosilkscreen exhibition by Manny and Janet Burruel.

A longtime artist and curator of the gallery, Manny’s passion for the intricate process of printmaking was so contagious that his wife Janet also caught the bug! They now spend long Saturdays in the studio and take classes together.

Even though Janet has just started printmaking within the past year, she already produces beautiful work in her own distinct style with natural forms evoking the peaceful feeling of watching moonlight stream through tree branches.

While Janet tends to focus on flora, many of Manny’s subjects are fauna. His work currently on display includes vibrant dinosaurs and desert creatures.

The Burruels’ exhibition lasts throughout the month of March. If Manny or Janet is there when you go, say hi. They’re lovely people and happy to chat about their art.

– More Olney Gallery Info –

Located inside Trinity Cathedral, 100 W. Roosevelt, Phoenix. Gallery entrance is directly off the front courtyard (facing Roosevelt).
Open to the public Tuesday through Friday, 9am – 4pm, as well as First Friday evenings (6-9pm), and Art Detour weekend.
Light rail stop: Central/Roosevelt
Parking: On First Friday evenings, you can park at Phoenix Art Museum or Arizona Center and take any of the free trolleys or walk (0.6 mi.) During the day, there is street parking or a garage just north of the Cathedral. Disabled parking spaces are on the north and east sides of the Cathedral and in the parking garage.
Trolley: The blue, pink, and orange routes of the free First Friday trolleys all have stops right outside.
Food and other recommendations in our Downtown Phoenix post.

June 5, 2017June 10, 2022

Chalk Robots

There was a chalk drawing of a robot on the ground. No explanation. Just an arrow.

So, of course, we followed it – and the next one and the next one – down the steps behind Pike Place Market in Seattle.

We tried to guess where they were leading. A street art project? A robot maker? Nowhere? The den of our new robot overlords?

One lead us to turn the corner, and then, “Is that it? Is it a baby store?!!”

Nope. A larger robot drawing pointed inside a store with a chalkboard sign that answered my question: “{Ugly Baby & La Ru} Handmade local art for grown-ups and practically nothing for actual babies.”

It was a gift shop owned by two artists – Rosalie Gale (of Ugly baby) and Lauren Rudeck (a.k.a. “La Ru”), who was there in the store that day.

She creates illustrations of animals and robots, and seemed delighted to hear her chalk drawings had lead us in. The store was full of craft kits, cards, and mini works of art, and I wanted to buy everything.

The entire store wouldn’t fit in my suitcase, but I did take home a really great sloth coffee mug.

June 2022 UPDATE: In 2018, La Ru moved to her own space, now called Robot vs Sloth. It’s still in Pike Place Market but not so hidden away! You can see it right on the corner of Pine and 1st Ave.

robot vs sloth via google maps — Google maps view of Robot vs Sloth’s current spot (left side of the image) at Pike Place Market.

In fact, I must’ve been practically standing in front of the shop’s future home when I took the photo below.

And, yep, I still love my sloth mug. I’m drinking coffee from it now!

May 8, 2017February 5, 2020

Vacancy

Phillip read an article an old hotel that had been sitting abandoned for years with plans to tear it down when the city decided instead to preserve it.

He wanted to go find the Edwards Hotel on his day off, so we drove to the Peoria address in the article. It wasn’t hard to find.

Even from outside the chain link fence, it was interesting to guess what had been there originally and what had been added later.

Then we took a stroll around Old Town Peoria, where there’s currently not much going on, but they have a revitalization program in the works.

In the meantime, they have ornate, agriculturally-themed bus stops, a handful of historic buildings (including a church that was turning 100 the week we were there), and a nice little community center with paintings and quilts on display. It was all a cozy contrast to the hollowed-out hotel.

February 6, 2017February 12, 2019

Share your #LocalArtLoves!

What art do you love in your part of the world?

Between now and Valentine’s Day (February 14th), I’ll be sharing some of my local faves, and I hope you’ll do the same! Keep an eye out for art in galleries, coffee shops, libraries, and even outside.

Post photos of the local art you love and/or your own work with #LocalArtLoves.

Art is so important. Let’s celebrate what people are creating in our communities!

I’m looking forward to seeing art from your town, and I’ll share a sampling of your Local Art Loves here too.

PS If you blog about it, feel free to add a link when you comment here.

February 25, 2016February 24, 2016

Linen Lux Paris: Lampshades over the City of Light

Have you seen the photos of colorful lampshades hanging above Paris streets?

Here’s one…

This was the first one I saw, and it was posted by Fat Tire Paris, a tour company I follow on Twitter, with the caption “The lamps (officially) came back out today! You can find them on Rue de Furstemburg.”

I was intrigued. What were these lamps? An art installation? Some kind of elaborate sidewalk sale?

I did some investigating and found out the oversized laterns are meant to show the beauty and versatility of European linen.

Paris Déco Off

They are displayed annually in January during the 5 days of the Paris Déco Off. As I understand it, the Paris Déco Off is when home decor companies open up their Paris showrooms to debut new collections. It’s open to the public, and interior designers from around the world come for that and the tradeshow held at the same time.

There are free shuttles to take you to the different Paris Déco Off neighborhoods. (They’re Volkswagens, because it’s Europe.) Some of the showrooms have receptions with food and champagne. (Because it’s France.)

Linen Lux

The lamps hang over 8 of the streets where there are Paris Déco Off showrooms, including the aforementioned Rue de Furstemburg. The whole display is called Linen Lux, and it’s put on by Masters of Linen, a certification for material traceable from flax to fabric as being produced in Europe.

This year it included 140 lamps representing 85 different producers.

Rue de Furstemburg

While I was trying to figure out the deal with the lamps, I learned about the Rue de Furstemburg. It’s also spelled as the more German “Furstenberg,” because it was named after 17th-century abbot William Egon of Fürstenberg, who built the street and restored its abbey, St-Germain-des-Prés.

The abbey later was home to artist Eugène Delacroix and is now a museum of his work.

Less notably, in the middle of the rue is the Place de Furstemburg, which, depending on who you ask, is either the smallest square in Paris or just an overachieving roundabout.

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Photo credits:

1. Fat Tire Paris

2.-3. European Linen and Hemp

4. Flickr user Max Sat (CCL)

5. Flickr user Hervé (CCL)

6. European Linen and Hemp