April 19 , 2005

Features

“Faded Glory” was one of several pieces by Chris Parrish on display at Holgas Gallery during First Friday in downtown Phoenix.

Jessica Wulkotte, member of “Soul Tribe,” dances with fire as part of the First Friday festivities in downtown Phoenix.

Rebecca Straughmatt Mesa Legend

Michelle Goats
Mesa Legend


Local artists, musicians, performers, and collectors, gathered in the streets and galleries of downtown Phoenix to take part in “First Friday.”
The art walk is held the first Friday of every month beginning at sundown and is located from approximately 3rd Avenue to 5th Street on Roosevelt.
Artwork varying from paintings, both black-and-white and color photography, arts and crafts, music, and metal art, spanned Roosevelt Street.
Homes rented by artists serve as walk through galleries, vacant lots take on storefronts and already established galleries show artwork created by hundreds of artists.
Holgas Gallery, located at 821 N. 3rd Street, provides visitors and collectors with artwork contributed by live-in residents.
Chris Parrish, resident at Holgas, displayed his ongoing series tilted, “Cowboys and Indians.”
Visually, the series concentrates on the plight of the American Indian to survive against the forces of the American military.
Parrish incorporated a unique technique as he penciled in the actual battle locations on a map, which serves as the background of several of his paintings.
Parrish said that the series was inspired by a show at Holgas titled “Duality” in which artists had to paint something that was a personal duality.
“I chose cowboys and Indians because I have a cowboy side to me and an Indian side to me from my family background, because my grandfather was full cowboy and my grandmother is full Choctaw Indian.”
According to Parrish, being a resident at Holgas definitely has its advantages.
“Living at Holgas is quite an experience in the fact that you live around other artists that constantly help you to evolve your artwork and inspire you to try new things.”
In addition to the inspiration gained by living at Holgas, Parrish added that “My inspiration is the fact that I can make something that many people can relate to in different ways.”
Holgas gallery is open to the public, and on First Friday residents who live in the old hotel open their front doors to allow people to walk through and view other works that were not on display in the downstairs gallery.
For valley artists, First Friday has become a very important tool to successfully showing their artwork, not only on a local level, but nationally.
“I think it’s important to take part in First Friday because it’s an art scene that is just waiting to explode and really start gaining national attention for the scene, as well as for the artists,” said Parrish.
According to Parrish, interest in Phoenix’s First Friday is increasing nationwide.
“Phoenix’s First Friday scene is starting to become known nationwide because of the quality work that is produced each month instead of months-in-between shows like other places.”
First Friday gives valley residents a weekend art extravaganza filled with enough free entertainment to satisfy any viewer’s tastes.

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