PTO

Yay, I’m off work today! I had to deliver my photos to Art for Health this morning so I decided to take the whole day off. Tony is off, too, so after we took the photos in, we went to Fair Trade Cafe and here I am blogging away from there while he is on his laptop. Of course, we had some of their good food along with the coffee.

Tonight my friend Cindy and I are going out to dinner to celebrate her birthday, which was last week. Yesterday was my mother’s birthday and tomorrow is my friend Michelle’s birthday. One more day of work tomorrow and then it’s the weekend, as well as First Friday!

Here’s Ebony, one of the many outdoor kitties, asleep in his kitty treehouse in the oleanders. If I were a cat, this would be the perfect place to spend a spring afternoon.

Hope you’re having a relaxing fun day or have one coming up very soon!

Candace

Art for Health 2009

This coming Friday is First Friday at the downtown Phoenix galleries. It’s also the 6th annual Art for Health fundraiser benefitting the Arizona State University Nurse-Managed Health Centers and it is held at Grace Lutheran Church, which houses one of the clinics. I have 2 photos in this juried show (that’s the limit), which is also sponsored by ASU’s Herberger Institute of Design and the Arts (from which I got my degree although it had a different name then). Last year was the first year I participated and I was happy that both of my pieces sold. Hopefully, the same will happen this year because, basically, if your work doesn’t sell, there are no proceeds going to the clinics.

Here’s my 2 pieces for this year, both of which I have shown on my blog before (Grackle and Bridge).

So, if you’re in Phoenix, come on over to Grace this Friday night (3rd Street and Portland) and buy some art to help fund these clinics that serve the uninsured. Or at least, come to First Friday before the weather gets too unbearable…this may be the last pleasant month for awhile. There are a lot of good galleries down on Roosevelt Row and the surrounding area, all within walking distance of this church.

Candace

A Garden Party

Well, we went to a garden party last night, which I mentioned in Thursday’s post. It was the Downtown Chamber Series‘ 10th Anniversary Celebration. The event was sold-out. Twelve musicians spent all day cooking and baking for 70 guests as a fundraiser for the series and then played for our listening pleasure, too. The food and wine were great, the desserts were awesome, the music was wonderful, as always, and the setting was beautiful. It took place in the lovely garden at the Alwun House. The Phoenix New Times recently stated that, “Alwun House arguably sired the entire downtown arts district.” The Alwun House has been around since 1971 but the big downtown arts district has only existed for the last few years. I finally got to meet Kim Moody, the Founder and Director of Alwun House, after hearing about him for many years.

I know, flash photography, ick.

Mark Dix, Founder and Director of the Downtown Chamber Series, plays viola for the Phoenix Symphony. He works very hard planning, organizing, and working at all the (6) chamber concerts throughout the year.

The Alwun House garden is pretty yet slightly bizarre.

Thanks, Mark, and everyone, it was fun!

Candace

‘Tis the Season…

for buds, blooms, blossoms, berries…

It’s also the season for fundraisers. Tomorrow night we are going to the Downtown Chamber Series‘ 10th Anniversary Celebration. Musicians who play in the series, mostly Phoenix Symphony players, will not only be performing but will be cooking for the guests. The urban garden party will be held at the Alwun House, one of the original downtown Phoenix galleries. This is the first time they have done anything like this so it should be fun and we are looking forward to it. It’s a great organization that promotes art and music in downtown gallery settings.

Next weekend I’ll be participating in another fundraiser, Art for Health 2009. I was in this fundraiser last year and enjoyed it so I am happy to be able to participate again. I’ll be mentioning it in a future blog over the next few days.

After a little bit of a hot spell, with temps above 100 degrees, it’s cooling down to normal temperatures again. Tonight is beautiful so I took a few shots in the yard and the weekend is supposed to be even nicer.

Candace

Earth Day Postscript

To continue with yesterday’s post, Deborah gave me permission to post the rest of the photos I had taken of her Earth Day zine. I want to learn how to do this sort of intricate folding. I keep meaning to but then I just take pictures instead…it seems to require more patience than I can summon.