Java-Sept-Pages-2018

Bentley Gallery is bustling with activity on a hot summer night. A group of artists has
congregated in the back of the space. A trio at one end includes Randy Slack,
Christine Cassano and Marilyn Szabo. The rest of the circle is made up of other
notable Phoenix artists: William LeGoullon, Liliana Gomez, Patricia Sannit, Pete Deise.
But the scene is not another art opening; rather, it’s an Artlink Artist Council meeting.
They’ve all come here tonight to voice their opinions on various topics. The back and forth is
lively, sometimes serious, with bits of levity. Leading the conversation is Catrina Kahler.
Presiding over such robust artistic personalities might seem daunting, but for Kahler, it’s just
another day on the job.
Kahler has always been a woman of action. Her commitment to downtown Phoenix can be seen in
the results of her hard work. She’s made it her mission to let everyone know just what she sees as
Phoenix’s best self. Whether as a resident, through an online magazine or running an active arts
organization, she’s worked tirelessly to bring attention to what she loves.
Kahler was born in Tucson and has lived in the Phoenix metro area since 1989. Both her parents
hailed from the Chicago area and moved to Arizona in the early ’60s. Her father was a salesman
who owned his own business. “We moved around a lot, going where the business took us,” Kahler
said. “I got a taste of discovery from that experience, learning about a new place by exploring and
observing.” She has lived in the Southwest her entire life, although family trips to Chicago made an
impression on her. “I remember visiting when I was young. I felt the energy of that city and never
forgot it. My mom loved Chicago and the city life, so no doubt I got my passion for cities from her.”
Kahler went to high school in Albuquerque and
then made the move to Phoenix to attend ASU.
She worked her way through college and lived
with her sister to keep expenses down. She
majored in English but wasn’t particularly fond
of academics and found lectures not to be the
most stimulating environment.
Kahler’s brother-in-law was an event producer
and promoter, and he needed part-time help.
With no experience in the field, Kahler saw
this as an opportunity and jumped right in. “I
wanted to learn by actively doing something,”
she said. “I started by answering phones, and
soon I was producing a parade, running in-game
promotions for spring training games, doing PR
and working in all levels of event production.
That was my education. I worked hard and I
learned a ton. It was a fantastic experience, and
perfect for someone like me who wanted to dive
into a project and learn as I go.”
Although Kahler was already a long-time
Arizona resident, she wasn’t truly acquainted
with downtown Phoenix. Her work had taken
her all over the Valley, but one fortuitous
drive down Roosevelt Street finally captured
her attention. She recalls, “When I first
encountered that historic neighborhood (the
area along Roosevelt Street from Central
Avenue to 7th Avenue), the mix of history,
architecture and engaged residents was unlike
anything I had encountered in my previous
fourteen years of living in the Valley. It attracted
me from the start.”
Kahler has made it her mission to help the
whole Valley – and beyond – become aware
of the area’s unique qualities. She started
by buying the historic Coe House. Now a
multi-use space featuring offices, the house
has periodically served as a gallery. Kahler
also acquired Downtown Phoenix Journal, an
online magazine focused on the area. She has
diligently built both entities into what they
are now.
Through Downtown Phoenix Journal, Kahler
began a partnership with Artlink to produce the
map for Art Detour, the annual event started
decades earlier by artists with studios in the
Warehouse District. The artists worked together
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