Java.May.2016

MEDIA CIRCUS
By Robert Sentinery
BUZZ
One of the fringe benefits of my work involves attending various events
designed to captivate the attention of the media. This could include
anything from the sneak preview of a new restaurant, to the opening
night of a theatrical run. Any given month might bring a culinary festival
or two, a meet-and-greet cocktail party for a new development or even
a hard-hat tour of a construction project (like the FOUND:RE Phoenix art
hotel, scheduled to open in June). These events are usually catered with
interesting, exotic food, wine and spirits, which highlight the talents of
various chefs and mixologists.
Of course, all of this fanfare and hospitality happens for a reason—to
titillate those with the power of the pen (or more fittingly, keyboard) and
inspire them to spread the word. One thing that has changed over the years
is the mix of people who run in these media circles. What was once the
reserve of the coveted television and print crowd has now opened to the
entire blogosphere of Instagram gurus, food junkies and socialites who
write, making it a much livelier, circus-like mix.
This month we celebrate the circus, with the help of the uber-talented Jen
Deveroux. She has assembled a cast of sideshow-style artistes, from stiltwalkers
and pole dancers to contortionists and pyro-performers—and they
all happen to be sexy ladies who know how to put on a show. Jenna Duncan
interviewed all six and photographer Larry Alan captured moments, as these
“Circus Girls” (p. 12) took over the popular Cobra Arcade Bar.
Without a doubt, one of the most influential establishments to open in the
Valley in the last 10 years was Le Grande Orange (LGO) Grocery. Not only
was it a prototype for the kind of hyper-local community-based restaurant/
retail that we have grown to know and love, but it was years ahead of
its time and has been often imitated since. Writer Rhett Baruch had the
opportunity to sit down with LGO founder Bob Lynn and his wife, the
talented artist Sara Abbott, in their newly acquired Al Beadle home. The
gorgeous mid-century surroundings inspired a conversation (see p. 8) about
how the two first met, yoga, fine art, design and the various restaurants
under the LGO umbrella (including the newish high-profile seafood
establishment Buck & Rider).
Finally, artist Jacob Meders uses the power of print to communicate his
message about Native American identity. With an MFA in printmaking from
ASU, Meders now operates his Warbird Press out of The Hive in central
Phoenix. His recent installation for PhICA, entitled “Too Many Capitalists,
Not Enough Indians,” curated by Nic Wiesinger, utilizes multiples of the
same image—the passive and prideful Indian—to bring home the message
about stereotypes and race (see “Jacob Meders: Warbird Press,” p. 34).