Women Who Rock!

Some Shots From The Recent MIM Exhibit

I've been meaning to see the "Women Who Rock!" exhibit at Phoenix' musical instrument museum for months. So this week when the MIM's e-mail alerting me that it would end Sunday April 20th I made sure to go see it.

The exhibition is on loan from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland Ohio. Compact, yet very complete beginning with its roots in Jazz, Country and R&B.

As you enter there are displays featuring the roots of rock with people like Mother Maybelle Carter, Billie Holliday, Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey.

It then profiles the early days of Brenda Lee and Ruth Brown.

The early 1960's explode with "Girl Groups" like the Supremes and Shangri-la's.

The late 1960's arrive in the haze of the counterculture and usher in the Disco Era of the 1970's.

Next up, the Punk and Post Punk era and on to Madonna, Janet Jackson and the Pop Explosion.

The exhibit concludes with Ladies First and the New Millennium.  

I found the gowns and performance clothes to be the most compelling items. All of the artifacts were behind glass and a number of gowns had such intense reflections of the fluorescent lighting in the gallery that I could not photograph them. Here are the photos I was able to capture. 

Mama Cass Elliott

Janis Joplin

Loretta Lynn

Madonna

Cyndi Lauper

Lady  Gaga

(The Meat Dress)

Melissa Etheridge

Donna Summer

Cher

Joan Jett

Deborah Harry

Sheila E

Patti Smith

The exhibition from Brenda Lee and Heart all the way to Queen Latifah and Lady Gaga was an instant trip down memory lane. It confirmed that I need to make a trip to Cleveland!

To learn more about the MIM simply click here.

Roadboy's Travels © 2014

Sunnyslope Artwalk Spring 2014

Pretty Darned Great!

Like swallows to Capistrano, one special Saturday each April and October dozens of local artists return to the top of Central for Sunnyslope's Artwalk. 

A twice a year tradition since 2008, the festival features paintings, photographers, jewelers, metalsmiths, milliners, fine woodworking (those amazing handmade kaleidoscopes), chemists and all sorts of musicians. 

Artwalk begins just north of the Canal at Ruth Street in the courtyard of the big yellow architectural studio and extends all the way up to Dunlap.

Everything from Practical Art to Sorbet

Artwalk begin promptly at 5 PM and just as promptly starts shutting down at 9:00 PM. Hours that  make it perfect for families. The sidewalks fill with bicycles, folks of all ages, strollers and pups of every kind on the leash. And, when the sun sets the temps are always just perfect for strolling.

This spring a new section was established for food trucks (including Stacey's BBQ)! 

The whole event is sponsored by the best neighbor anyone could have John C. Lincoln Hospital. 

This year the event was brightened with the re-opening and new home of Karl's European Bakery (and his daughter Christine's artisan chocolate) and the grand opening of Paquime Street Foods of Mexico. Of course our old standby's Corbins Bar and Grill, Timo's (wood fired pizza and winebar ), El Pollo Loco, Via De Los Santos, Salvadorino and (of course) Grinder's Coffee Roasters! 

At Sunnyslope Center

It is sort of a First Friday done family style without any attitude at all. So, If you haven't visited "The Slope" in awhile, this is the perfect time to do it!

Roadboy's Travels © 2014

PS: Christina - My best to you! Your many years of hard work nurturing ArtWalk left us a great legacy!