Keeping Culture and the Arts Alive, Phoenix Style!

This past weekend I had the pleasure of accompanying my good friend Angelica aka RoseWax to the Heard Museum for the annual Artes Vivas Mercado de las Artes at the Heard Museum in Phoenix. The featured artist was Martin Moreno who had some amazing pieces that were painted, sketched, mosaics and etched. He was so friendly and full of knowledge. He was so willing to tell the story of the pieces on display and what went into their creation. He is a true inspiration and stands for community development, education and culture. I had the pleasure of speaking with him in depth about his art and the processes that he uses to create his amazing work. I also had the pleasure of meeting Veronica Verdugo-Lomeli. She is an amazing artist who recently had a gallery showing at the local Xico Gallery for her Growing Up Phoenix show. Her work is breathtaking and fills me with emotion and inspiration. Her work showcases the culture of Arizona as well and truly is a positive influence for our community. After speaking with the artists throughout the market, I meandered my way through the rest of the open air market. There was a fantastic performance by Samba dancers, they really had the crowd on their feet and shaking their tale feathers! We were treated to 2 different Mariachi performances by Mariachi Pasion and Mariachi Fuego de Phoenix. There was a wonderful Open Mic performance by Phonetic Spit which truly inspired the writer within myself. Rose Wax Vinyl Club and Siek held down the music with fantastic choices in between wonderful performances but the other entertainers at the event. The final set was done by local group Phoenix Afro Beat Orchestra. There were also activities for kids and adults, face painting and whistle making by artist Beto Perez (he even had to help me, my whistle making skills were amateur) and screen printing by Xico Gallery.
I am honored to be a part of this great city and all of the culture and diversity which is celebrated everyday. All you have to do is look around you and you will find numerous free events for the whole family that will celebrate diversity, the arts, music and community. Take a look on the web and see what you can find! You can look up the Heard Museum for other events coming soon. Thanks for reading!