Java.FEB.2017

physical benefits of walking are well known, it’s walking’s link to creativity that
fascinates her and that she would like to facilitate.
“There is empirical evidence that walking connects with creativity, which makes
sense, as walking to think can be how ideas and philosophies grow,” Ellsworth
said. It is a sensory experience that is open to everyone, and it doesn’t have to be
goal-driven. It can even be an opportunity to let the senses roam free while not
being tethered to the electronic devices that have everyone in their grip.
Previous walks have included a guided adventure along Indian School Road that
provided information about the history of the surrounding land. A crepuscular
walk found the attendees learning how to listen for critters. Desire Lines: Women
Walking as Making led the walkers to artist Jody Pinto’s Papago Park City
Boundary Project and formed a component of the 25th International Sculpture
Conference: New Frontiers in Sculpture. The event’s conversation included sharing
about women artists who have used walking as means to create poetic, political
and environmental works. There’s even a dog walking series that lets participants
bring four-legged friends. These walks are led by Angela’s partner, writer Tania
Katan, and Felix, her undeniably adorable French bulldog. Participants walk in a
pack, and the walk is followed by time at a dog park, where the dogs can play and
the humans can chat.
As with any museum, raising awareness and funds is part of the programming. In
March, MoW is embarking on their biggest project yet, theWALK, which will help
accomplish both of those aims. Ellsworth hopes that raising awareness will not
only bring in new walkers but also help to continue inspiring relationships with
potent organizations, such as Native American Connections and the Phoenix Indian
School Legacy Project. Both of these organizations will receive partial proceeds
from the event. Funds will also help bring in international artists to lead walks
and to develop further programming. For Ellsworth, it’s important to engage with
other groups and organizations and to have the Museum of Walking showcase
the results of the contemporary arts practices created and shared with these
collaborators.
TheWALK takes place on March 18, the same weekend as Artlink’s annual Art
Detour event, and unlike a lot of traditional fundraising events, attendees are
not going to sit back and hear about the organization’s activities. This inaugural
fundraiser is a walk that takes place at the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration
Area. The former landfill in downtown Phoenix is now a home for all kinds of
native creatures, including beavers, owls and other birds, along with some lush
vegetation—lots of great points of focus. Ellsworth likes the idea of exposing the
habitat to new viewers. “It is a beautiful place people often pass on their way to
the mountains to hike, not even realizing it’s there,” she said.
The three-mile walk is expected to take around 90 minutes, and the goal is to get
1,000 people to walk together. The $25 ticket price makes it a rather affordable
way to really immerse yourself in this intriguing scenery, connecting with the
land and with other walkers. Walkers will move in groups of 20, called “waves,”
along with a guide. Participants are welcome to form their own groups. Ellsworth
explains, “People will get to move through a public space in a mindful way, with
stopping points to look and listen to the landscape. There will also be surprise
sound components to add more layers to the event.” And don’t worry—for those
who love a good fundraiser, you will go home with a tote bag. There are also
10 JAVA
MAGAZINE