“What will drive Greater Downtown Phoenix forward?” is a question that guides Phoenix Community Alliance (PCA) and our advocacy.

And every November, our Creative City Symposium is a moment where this discussion enters public view.

PCA’s Creative City Symposium typically has updates from Mitch Menchaca, the City of Phoenix Office of Arts & Culture’s Executive Director, pictured Thursday, November 16, 2023, at the FOUND:RE Hotel. (Photo: Taylor Costello)

Since 2017, PCA’s Arts, Culture, and Public Life (ACPL) Committee has curated panels among our arts & culture Members focused on the topics omnipresent within the community. These conversations anticipate future growth as Downtown continues to evolve.

For Arts and Humanities Month in October, we’re presenting a preview of these ongoing discussions among ACPL Committee Members. You can expect these topics to come up at our upcoming symposium, which will take place at its signature location inside the FOUND:RE Hotel, where art and commerce mingle.

We hope to see you on Wednesday, November 20, from 4 pm to 6 pm.

Art in Private Development:

Wexford Science and Technology has embraced the community element of their 850 PBC footprint in the Roosevelt Arts District, which integrates a mural by Kayla Newnam into the design. (Photos: Taylor Costello)

Summary: The intersection of the arts and culture community and the private sector, encouraging the former, has always been a driver of any vibrant community. This collaboration manifests as Art in Private Development, art projects spearheaded by private businesses to integrate storytelling into their building design.

For Wexford Science + Technology’s 850 PBC in the Roosevelt Arts District, varied art in both public and private spaces enhances the overall perception and experience of individuals who visit Phoenix and consider why they want to stay or return.

Kyle Jardine, Vice President and Market Executive at Wexford, who heads the Art in Private Development subcommittee within ACPL, is one of a handful of Members on different Committees working with the City of Phoenix’s Planning and Development Department to calcify these changes into Downtown Code, the first time that art has been explicitly codified.

As these discussions evolve, which dovetails with other Committees, revisions to language can eventually encourage art integration in other private development projects at a citywide level.

Key Quote: “Wexford’s collaborations with local artists and events have brought us into the community and brought the community into 850 PBC. We have become part of the neighborhood and have enjoyed and shared the commissioned art by the amazingly talented artists here in Phoenix. We often receive compliments about our building and regular photo shoots and event requests. The art is a big part of that attention and appreciation,” said Kyle Jardine, Vice President and Market Executive at Wexford Science + Technology.

The 30th Anniversary of First Fridays: 

In three decades, First Fridays has set the tone for a revitalized Downtown Phoenix. (Photos: Alex Gould/Jill Richards)

Summary: To Catrina Kahler, President & CEO of Artlink, the revitalization of Downtown Phoenix is also the story of First Friday, which celebrates its 30th Anniversary this year.

All of the mainstays that arrived afterward to further enrich Downtown, from the ASU Downtown Campus and Valley Metro light rail to the blossoming historic neighborhoods, were first nurtured by the explosion of activity that brought a population back to the core. Moreover, the local art and culture scene has evolved to more than a single day each month, and the sweat equity by stakeholders in surrounding areas, including Historic Grand Avenue and Warehouse District, further redefines Phoenix as a ‘Creative City.’

Artlink will promote this history in the months ahead and invite the community to contribute their own event memories. As these stories are told, an interactive online map for guests replaces the standard printed First Friday guide. Kahler hopes this history reintroduces First Fridays to people.

Key Quote: “First Fridays has been a strong and steady drumbeat that projects this community’s creativity for 30 years. It is a continual reminder that the arts and artists built the downtown community provide the return of investment to so many critical investments that got us to where we are today,” said Catrina Kahler, President & CEO of Artlink.

A Guest’s Experience in DTPHX: 

Led by Shawn King, the goal of PCA’s Arts, Culture & Public Life Committee guest experience working group is to promote existing resources for guests to explore Downtown beyond the scope of the desired event they traveled to visit in the first place. (Photos: Jill Richards/Taylor Costello)

Summary: There is no shortage of things to do while visiting Downtown. However, a common thread told to stakeholders who operate art and cultural institutions was an unawareness of existing resources, such as Downtown Phoenix’s (DPI) weekly What’s Happening guide, to enhance their experience.

A working group of stakeholders, which includes Heritage Square Foundation and The Phoenix Symphony, was recently formed for best practices to curate the best Downtown guest experience for visitors, such as sharing information about activities, navigation, and parking options.

The group’s next steps are to connect with an already robust network of stakeholders to spread awareness about available resources. For visitors leaving a show, it’s equipping them with marketing materials, including Artlink’s Artinerary and other relevant DPI dining guides, late-night eats, and public art maps.

The element of parking binds all shared experiences for guests, whether it’s knowing locations, costs, availability, and egress. Something as simple as ACE Parking helping craft landing pages for our patrons to find parking on the Phoenix Symphony or the Herberger Theater’s websites bridges the gaps.

In effect, the group’s goal is to promote all that Downtown has to offer beyond the scope of the desired event they traveled to visit in the first place.

Key Quote: “A common theme we found was our guests seemed to be siloed in their DTPHX experience or expectations. They buy a ticket for a show and would like someone to tell them where to park, where they can eat, what to do after the show, or at least have that information easily accessible,” said Shawn King, Director of Productions at The Phoenix Symphony.

When the Symposium first began, it was an offspring of PCA’s ArtWORKS initiative, in which Members championed the arts through integration into their businesses.

Although these conversations have evolved, they will always be forward-thinking conversations about how the essential facets of living in an urban core, from education to transportation, can interact in a healthy, balanced environment.

In the seven years since these conversations started, examples of topics included APS’ Welcome to Roosevelt Row installation, the evolution of Margaret T. Hance Park, how the culinary arts shape the community, and countless other examples.

More than that, these conversations act as a blueprint for future stakeholders who want to put these ideas into practice to further shape Downtown into a creative city. Plan accordingly.