Over the years, I have visited the ASU Downtown Phoenix Campus and Civic Space Park on a regular…read morebasis. While there have been different people, different roles, and even different buildings, one consistency has been the "Her Secret is Patience" sculpture in the park. In fact, almost 13 years ago, I even did a photo shoot under the sculpture. The sculpture is in the Civic Space Park, where there is a nice, grassy area, some tables, and chairs right next to the US Post Office and ASU Student Center. I have seen groups of students and even community members holding events in the park either in front of the Student Center entrance at the tables and chairs (gatherings by students or staff), on the grassy lawn area (community members playing soccer, frisbee, or having a picnic), or even on the south side of the walkway (though the lighting wasn't very good in the evening in that area). "Her Secret Is Patience" is a public art sculpture commission designed by artist Janet Echelman for the City of Phoenix. The sculpture consists of painted, galvanized steel, polyester twine netting, and colored lights. It is 145 feet tall and suspended as an aerial sculpture. It is monumental yet soft, fixed in place but constantly in motion. It dances gently in the air, choreographed by the flux of desert winds. During the day, the sculpture hovers high above heads, treetops, and buildings. The sculpture creates what the artist calls "shadow drawings," which she says are inspired by Phoenix's cloud shadows that captivated her from the first site visit. At night, the illumination changes color gradually through the seasons. The goal in selecting the colors is to provide residents some small climate relief through color, adding cool hues in summer, and warm tones in winter. The lighting design also changes what portion of the sculpture is illuminated, leaving parts obscured in mystery, much like the phases of the moon. I've heard students and staff at ASU discussing how the artist was supposedly inspired by monsoon cloud formations and the shadows they cast, in addition to forms found in desert flora. Now that I work only a short walk away from the sculpture, I see it almost every day at work!

This is one of the most eye-catching pieces of public art that I have had the pleasure of seeing…read more It is located in the Civic Space Park and is the work of artist Janet Echelman who made the piece in 2009. Echelman got the name of the piece from a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson. It is constructed of painted, galvanized steel, polyester twine netting, and an assortment of ground mounted colored lights that give the nets its color. The piece is not cheap though and costed $2.5 million. The massive piece starts at 38 feet off the ground and extends to 100 feet in the air. To give it more perspective, the piece's largest ring is about 100 feet wide. The piece is intended to resemble a cumulus clouds. However, I see a tornado or jelly fish when I looked at it. It was given the title of Best Public Art by the Phoenix New Times. The wonderful mix of blue, orange and purple just draws you in like a moth to a flame. It is cool to visit during the day, but is amazing at night. The color of the piece changes constantly with the seasons throughout the year. The piece is not without its critics. Many people question the cost of the piece and whether that money could have been used elsewhere. Additionally, the piece's nets and lighting has to be replaced every five years, which makes this piece a gift that keeps on costing. It is unknown how much this periodic maintenance costs the city. This piece has metered street parking located within a reasonable walking distance, as well as commercial parking lots. There is also a train stop right in front of the piece, if you are plan on taking public transportation to get there. I really like this piece. It is a marvel, but I too am a critic of the price tag and reassuring maintenance fee. This piece can rally become the face of the city and one of its iconic images. It is very picturesque and Instagramable. Anyway, as with most public art that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 10 minutes. So, you may want to consider making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip. You can start with Civic Space park, where the piece is located.

This alley is very busy, as far as art goes, and has a lot going on. It is almost overwhelming…read more Murals runs the full length of the alley and is very vibrant and colorful. It spans between 1st and 2nd Streets and Adams and Washington Streets. A large portion of the alley pays tribute to Latino icons. This was a herculean effort led by the Arizona Latino Arts and Cultural Center (ALAC), with help from the Downtown Phoenix Partnership, Phoenix Convention Center, and Latinos Now. When they say that it takes a village, that it an understatement when it comes to this area. The alley features work from many local artist including Jose Andres Giron, Roman P. Reyes, Carlos Rivas, Ramon Aguirre, Edgar Fernandez, Elizabeth Toledo, Alfred Bilducia, Noreen Ayonayon, Tavo Barrios, Angel Diaz, Karlito Espinosa, Ivan Garcia, Luis Munoz, Edgar Munoz, Raul Rodriquez, Rey Lugo and Catyana Falsetti. This alley really grabs you and draws you in. The mural is on the backside of a parking garage and faces the back of some local business and has a good view of their dumpsters. Some notable images that I saw in the alley were the Virgin Mary, a rose, a portrait of U.S. Army Private First Class Silvestre Santana Herrera, who was presented the Medal of Honor during World War II, there arew a bunch of flowers, R2D2, Lalo Guerrero, American guitarist, singer and farm labor activist, a phoenix, a horse head, Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals, in Uniform and Carlos Santana, That is just a fraction of the images of art in the alley. It is something that you just have to see. You will notice the different styles of murals that make up the collection and also different skill levels of the artist. Most of the work is pretty good, but some of them are notable better than others. There is metered street parking and commercial parking garages within a reasonable walking distance from the alley if you want to park, get out and take a closer look. This is definitely not a destination stop, so I would highly recommend combining this with other stops or making this part of a larger itinerary.

Whenever I visit the ASU Downtown Campus, I always find myself walking through the Civic Space…read morePark. This is a park with a lot of potential as there is a nice grassy area, some tables and chairs next to the US Post Office and ASU Student Center, a beautiful sculpture, and other places to hold an event and escape from the heat. At the same time, the Civic Space Park in recent years has been overrun with the homeless who find their own spaces on the east side of the park and sometimes elsewhere in the park. This has led to some safety concerns from ASU students and their families as many students have to walk across the park to get from the Sun Devil Fitness Complex or the Fusion on First upper-division residence hall across to the rest of the ASU Downtown Campus. There have also been a number of altercations over the last few years between multiple homeless and occasionally between a homeless person and a student. I have seen groups of students and even community members holding events in the park either in front of the Student Center entrance at the tables and chairs (gatherings by students or staff), on the grassy lawn area (community members playing soccer, frisbee, or having a picnic), or even on the south side of the walkway (though the lighting wasn't very good in the evening in that area). Again, it may be a challenge if some of the homeless community members try to engage at these events with the students, staff, and/or community members. Another challenge we learned is that it isn't the role of ASU Police or Phoenix Police to monitor the park. Rather there are park rangers who are responsible for doing so, which adds some complications as the rest of the ASU campus is supported by ASU Police and on occasion, by Phoenix Police. If you look at other reviews of Civic Space Park, it is difficult to find one that doesn't highlight the famous sculpture known as "Her Secret is Patience." In fact, I recall doing a photo shoot about 12 years ago under the sculpture at Civic Space Park. This sculpture is a public art sculpture commission that was designed for the city of Phoenix. The sculpture consists of painted, galvanized steel, polyester twine netting, and colored lights. Again, the space has a lot of potential though due to safety reasons, there is some work to be done to really prepare this park to meet its full potential.

Nice park to just hang out at. Lots of grassy area for kids or animals to run through…read more We just sat there for a while soaking up the sun and people watching. At night the tornado looking thing lights up.

Was in the area from out of town and I wanted to see this beautiful house in person. I wasn't able…read moreto go inside but the outside is so pretty Love all the details. It's truly breathtaking

I grew up in an old victorian house and thought it would be fun to bring my dad here for a tour…read morewhen he was in town visiting. We ended up being the only ones on the tour which was nice. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and funny. The entire house has been restored to represent how the original owners would have it set up as closely as possible. The inside details are gorgeous and intricate. Our tour ended up being more like 45 minutes because it was just us and we didn't ask questions. It was a great way to spend a little bit of time before our next activity.

Beautiful grounds! I…read morewent in June in the early morning and it got hot fast. It's a small park so very doable for a quick in and out of your area short on time or want to avoid the heat. It cost about $15 for an adult ticket. No food or drinks are allowed on the grounds. I thought I could walk around with my morning coffee it had to quickly drink it before entering the park.

Honestly, this place is absolutely gorgeous,I will fully admit that. The setup, lights, and overall…read moreaesthetic are really beautiful and definitely make for pretty pictures. But personally, I just don't see it being worth the price of $14 a person. One of the biggest things for me was that the actual area itself felt a lot smaller than I expected. On top of that, there were SO many people packed in that it was hard to even stop for a second and actually enjoy the ambiance without constantly being surrounded by crowds or trying to move around people. It kind of took away from the experience because instead of feeling immersive or relaxing, it mostly just felt overcrowded. What also made it hard for me to justify the price is that you can literally see the entire thing through the fence from the park next to it. Honestly, if I ever wanted to see it again, I'd probably just go sit at the park, save my money, and actually have more room to enjoy the view comfortably without feeling packed in shoulder to shoulder with everyone else. Overall, it's definitely very pretty and visually impressive, but for me personally, the experience didn't match the cost enough to make me want to return.

This is some pretty neat street art to find in the middle of Phoenix. You can actually see some of…read morethe murals from the street when driving by. Very colorful and a retro vibe. A great place to take pictures. 5/5 stars.

The artist who created these murals has amazing talent! She did them several years ago and…read morerefreshed them a few years later. It really speaks to her talent though that even the taggers who seem to mark every wall in the area pretty much leave these alone for the most part. It's really nice to see such amazing art in the middle of downtown Phoenix. If you're a David Bowie fan this is certainly worth checking out.

With public art, the effort -- if not the outcome -- is almost always appreciated. But in this…read morecase, they really hit a home run! George Rhoads is one of my favorite artists. And "Based on Balls" is one of my favorite sculptures. This is an audiokinetic sculpture. Like much of his work (which can be found in public buildings, science museums, hospitals and airports around the world -- from Rishon LeZion to LAX), "Based on Balls" is a complex sequence of tracks and contraptions. In the middle, a conveyor belt continuously brings balls to the top and gently releases them onto the track. What happens next is easy to enjoy but hard to describe. It's not enough to say that the balls simply roll down the tracks. As they go, they push pinwheels, change direction, and trigger mallets to hit everything from wood-blocks to gongs. The result is an awe-inspiring symphony of sound and stimulation. Listen, I'm trying to describe this thing and I'm failing miserably. Why not just take a look at the thing yourself?! I put a couple videos of "Based on Balls" on youtube to help you do just that. Take a look, review it, visit it, and -- most of all -- voice your support. Governments and businesses will only provide us with things like this if they know that they're appreciated. Click on the following links for videos of "Based on Balls", one by me and one by fellow-yelper Matt R: http://youtube.com/watch?v=40qWtKwEOI8 http://youtube.com/watch?v=-SE-Jld6uKA Enjoy!

We finally made it to the Phoenix Art Museum! It was a very hot day and we wanted to go out and…read moreabout somewhere where it was indoors and cool! This was the ticket! Plus I wanted to see the Italian Florentine Baroque, The Haukohl Collection. The parking was easy and ample. We were early so the parking lot was almost empty. Upon entering, I noticed they offered discounts for veterans for $20.00. I saved $10.00! They informed us that a couple of exhibits were closed for renovations. That didn't bother me since I was mainly here for the Florentine exhibit, which is where we started our self guided tour. The exhibits features more than 30 rare 17th and 18th century paintings and sculptures showcasing Florence's artistic legacy under the Medici Grand Dukes. The exhibits were beautiful. Each told their own story. Each painting were characterized by bold symbolism, vivid colors, and dramatic contrast of light and shadow. I read each plaque next to each painting. I highly recommend viewing this exhibit in person as this is the largest holding of Florentine Baroque art outside of Italy. Of course we toured the remaining exhibits that were open. It was $20.00 x 2 well spent. I love museums and I'd wish I would visit them more. Summer is the perfect time to visit them as it keeps you out of the summer heat!

Update: new visit / new rating change…read more I recently visited on Friday June 5 evening on their free[smart] First Friday to view the Colorwear exhibition. Upon my viewing, a plus-size punk poseur wearing all-black of a docent named "Teri" approached me and touched my hand that was holding my govt phone as I was videoing; it had on a green ring that let me know the recorder was on and looked like she was saying something about it*. I was hearing-impaired and hinted to her to write it down to be sure. She said she was sorry but refused/was too lazy to write it down, so I had to 'guess'. I went to the manager (Asian) and told him that "Teri" touched my hand uninvited. He embarrassingly apologized and handed me 2 free passes in the future. That's it. After that weekend, I contacted the museum via VP and got a "Kay" who took down my report. She contacted me back and left a message stating that "Teri" did nothing wrong because she didn't smack or use force. I contacted "Kay" back and reiterated that "Teri" had no right to touch me in any way or form and that it's called an assault because it was an uninvited touch. You're only permitted to touch a stranger if you had a question or wanted to compliment someone, NOT to dominate! I also tried to add that it's a violation of the ADA to refuse any assistance to visitors with disabilities. "Kay" was clueless and refused to let me continue the ADA part and even admitted that she never spoke to "Teri" but just referred the incident to the director assuming that the director talked with "Teri". She also interrupted me as I explained the violation of that touch. Unprofessional. I contacted the director "Rita" who stated she had no idea of such incidence happening associated with "Teri". She said that Teri is a volunteer and that there's nothing she could do about a "Teri". B.S. Both workers and volunteers are required by law to obey the same ADA! She also rushed me to end the conversation because she had to leave minutes ago or else her boss would bug her to go home already = unprofessional. Right (eye rolling). *I was at the museum on an assignment and had to re-film the part that "Teri" interrupted. The thing I figured was there was an African-American docent (very professional) who accompanied me by taking a photo of me by the display, something led from there that I was not aware of. Why didn't "Teri" approached HIM and ask. Why me?? A docent's job is to engage with visitors, not boss or follow around(!) They even get grumpy when visitors asked them to help take pictures of them standing by the displays. I am receiving more and more reviews of how abusive some docents are towards visitors with disabilities and also visitors with young children. Past & present. I was going to think that maybe some of those visitors did something wrong. I will be reporting this to the proper agencies that handle this type of misconduct by a business. People in Arizona often display pure hatred towards disabilities, calling it an 'inconvenience'. Shame on you, Phoenix Art Museum. If you are in the same class and must go to this museum, be sure to bring a bodyguard with you and don't be alone- ever. I suspect that "Teri" felt comfortable approaching me because I was (seemingly) a lone visitor. Good luck.

This is a nice vibrant mural that is the work of Hugo Medina and Darrin Armijo-Wardle. It was…read morepainted in May 2017 and measures 70 feet high and 50 feet wide. You will find the mural on the side of the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel overlooking a narrow alleyway. The colorful mural has a two-fold meaning. The Adams hotel, which is the predecessor of the Renaissance, burned down in 1910. You can see the image of the Adams hotel in the mural You will also see the image of a woman. That woman is rumored to be Malinda "Malindy" Curtis, (hence the mural's title). Curtis was a local favorite reportedly the madam of a nearby brothel and lived quite a colorful life (hence the mural's colors). I like the color usage in the mural the rainbow hair and accent is awesome. The detail of the hotel is also very good. I really like it. The image of Curtis looks very powerful and determined. I am not sure how I fell about the artwork though. There is metered street parking and commercial parking garages within a reasonable walking distance if you want to get out and take a closer look.. Anyway, as with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

I have worked at the Arizona State University Downtown Phoenix Campus off and on over the years,…read moreand over this past year, I have gotten involved with Downtown Phoenix Inc. (DPI) by attending their monthly stakeholder meetings and attending events that either they have put on for the community or other community events that they have supported and/or marketed. In fact, ASU has hosted wellness events, student welcome events, and career fairs, and it is always great to see DPI engaged in our events, too. DPI is a community-building organization that delivers enhanced municipal services to the Downtown business core, marketing and event production to Greater Downtown, and manages the work plans for Phoenix Community Alliance and the Downtown Phoenix Community Development Corporation. DPI and its affiliate organizations are committed to making Phoenix a vibrant urban destination and one of the nation's great cities. In fact their mission is "to facilitate collaboration, cultivate connections, and contribute to both the growth and vitality of our community. To generate progress on issues, work toward sustainable growth and build a stronger, more inclusive city core that generates positive perceptions, memorable experiences and a sense of pride in Downtown." Their vision is to "deliver a vibrant and healthy Downtown that makes the experience of our community enriching and engaging to residents, visitors and businesses, and helps strengthen the reputation and heart of our city in a sustainable way." DPI also staffs the DTPHX Ambassador program with the mission " to make a person's experience in Downtown Phoenix safe, enjoyable, and memorable." They are around 365 days a year and wear orange shirts that say "ASK ME" on the back. Complimentary hospitality services provided in the Downtown Core include walking escorts, car battery jumps, umbrella escorts, restaurant information, personalized tours, and entertainment info. Visit the DPI website (https://dtphx.org) and sign up to become an Insider to receive updates from the people who know DTPHX best. Also on the website, learn about upcoming events, things to do, information about living in Phoenix, information about doing business in Phoenix, and general information about DPI. There is also news and media about Phoenix on the website. Some of the traditional events include the Wellness Fair, Urban Wine Walk, StoryWalk, Lotería, DTPHX Hallows' Eve, PJs in the Park, and Winter Wanderland just to name a few. I look forward to continuing my relationship with DPI and seeing what else is on the horizon in Downtown Phoenix.

The downtown area can be quite hectic at times, especially when there are events, concerts, or…read moregames going on. Expect to pay for parking unless it's the weekend, and definitely pay close attention to the signage--there are a lot of one-way streets, no-parking zones, and no turns on red. During major events, parking garages can charge up to $40. Some people do opt out to use rideshare services and or the train as well to avoid all of the traffic and expensive parking especially on days when they have events and or concerts and or people do get dropped off and catch a ride share. The area is home to the basketball and baseball stadiums, along with plenty of restaurants, shops, and entertainment options. You can easily use Google or Yelp to search for places that fit what you're looking for, as there's a wide variety to choose from. Many spots are within walking distance, and strolling around at night is especially enjoyable--it's beautiful with all the lights, music, and lively atmosphere.