Java.NOV.2017-web

URBANITY
By Robert Sentinery
BUZZ
There is no question that Phoenix is experiencing a growth cycle and the
urban landscape is changing rapidly. What’s different about this particular
period is that, instead of the usual push to the outer boundaries of suburban
purgatory, we have seen so much investment in the central core. “Infill” is a
buzzword that rolls easily off the tongue of many a developer, planner and
politician. That is all quite nice, but the problem is, instead of just filling in
the checkerboard of dirt lots that abound in central Phoenix, so much history
has been torn down to make it cheap and easy for out-of-town developers
to build generic money-making machines (namely, expensive high-density
rental apartments and condos).
Enter Chuckie Duff, a renegade developer who has helped save a number of
smaller urban buildings in our burgeoning city center. Chuckie seems to carefully
curate his tenants and then invests loads of money into creative rehabs
of buildings that would likely be torn down otherwise. The result, in a single
word, is “character,” that elusive trait that makes a place interesting and
worth exploring. We are all familiar with the businesses Chuckie has championed:
Gallo Blanco Café, Sutra Yoga, Cobra Arcade Bar, Rebel Lounge,
Gracie’s Tax Bar, Antique Sugar, PALABRA hair studio, and many more. Yes,
Chuckie was born with privilege, but it’s what he’s done with his resources
that makes him an important contributor (see “Who Is Chuckie Duff?,” p. 8).
As we gear up for a new light rail extension that will send trains down Central
Ave., across the river, and into the heart of South Phoenix, one can’t help
but wonder how this economically depressed area on the doorstep of downtown
will be affected. For decades South Phoenix has functioned as a sort of
barrio of its own, with a unique sense of place and identity. Stakeholders in
the area, including Sagrado Galleria, have made sure that South Phoenix artists
will be represented in public art along the light rail. There is a persistent
hope that the character of the place will remain and improve with added
resources. The fear is that it will be lost to accommodate generic commuter
housing along the rail line (see “Crossing the River: The Light Rail Expansion,
Sagrado and the Changing South Side,” p. 34).
Finally, it’s not easy to say goodbye to a friend and community member
who has decided to move on. Ashley Macias is relocating to Mexico City to
pursue art career opportunities. Macias is known not only for her unique biomorphic
surrealist paintings that open doorways to the imagination but as
one of the core Phoenix artists who was there at the beginning and literally
grew up in the scene, sharing her life and work as an ultimate expression
of community. Good luck, Ashley. We will miss you, but I’m sure we haven’t
seen the last of you (see “Farewell Ashley Macias: The Artist Relocates to
Mexico City,” p. 12).
WE PUT THE ART
IN MARTINI
Artist Christian Candamil puts a twist on a piece
by Janis Leonard and fashion designer Galina Mihaleva
THURSDAY DATE NIGHT
Join us for a perfect night out and
take advantage of SMoCA Free Thursdays
with free admission to the museum
all day (12 --- 9pm)
We cook till half past midnight every night of the year
480.994.5576 • www.az88.com