A pair of funky sculptural spiders sit in the front yard of Alwun House as they prepare to celebrate not just Halloween, but the 50th anniversary of the quirky art institution that helped insist the burgeoning cultural scene in downtown Phoenix To call life. The bright orange, two-story house on the corner of 12th and Roosevelt Streets is just a few blocks east of Roosevelt Row, in a neighborhood where founder Kim Moody and his partner Dana Johnson have seen the city grow and develop over the years. Moody remembers driving past the derelict bungalow that became Alwun House in 1971. At the time, gangs were rife in the historic Garfield neighborhood, which has undergone significant revitalization since Volunteer. “Its impact is multifaceted and second to none,” says US Representative Greg Stanton, who served as Phoenix Mayor from 2012 to 2018. “Similar Stories I Support Local Community Journalism Support the independent voice of Phoenix and help that the future of New Times remains free. Click to enlarge DJ at a recent Monster’s Ball. Michelle Sasonov As it turns out, Alwun House is the oldest gallery in downtown, and this time of the year they have a wonderfully twisted exhibition called “Monsters Menagerie” Artworks. For a year, Maggie Keane showed an illuminated pumpkin with the image of Donald Trump carved into it. This year, Holly Shoemaker shows a ghastly human face with only one mouth. It is one of several annual events. bring people to Alwun House, where art lovers expect the unexpected Alwun House an Exotic Art Show in which they show suggestive thematic works by local artists and continue the theme with an evening of daring but tasteful performances. Zarco Guerrero recalls attending one of the venue’s early Exotic Art shows where you were just as likely to see creative interpretations of the erotic. “It really challenged me as an artist to explore this subject, and being in this alternative place as an artist gave me more freedom,” says Guerrero. “I ventured there a couple of times when they definitely made me blush,” Stanton recalls of the time at Alwun House. “But that’s okay, because good art should challenge you.” Click to enlarge A mailer for the Alwun House Exotic Art Show 1987. Courtesy of Alwun House Odds are, the former homeowners never thought the two-story bungalow would be too would become one of the city’s most popular arts centers or the venue for any type of performance from burlesque to fire art. A German immigrant named John Sedler built the house on five acres in 1912, and Earl Brown bought it in 1948, according to snippets from the Alwun House story that a small cadre of volunteers collected and posted on social media to help help mark the 50 year milestone. “I was looking for a place to do staged performances,” recalls Moody, a fourth-generation Arizona resident who at the time lived on 11th Avenue near Grand Avenue, in a neighborhood that later became the art scene in the inner city became another center of the city. “There was a wall that I hung up large sheets of paper and drew things to imagine a room where you could do all kinds of art and other activities,” he explains. “I saw the house and found that it was empty; then I realized I could afford to buy it. ”Click to enlarge Moody in 1974. Courtesy of Alwun House Moody recalls that with the help of Laurence Vanderbeek, his partner at the time, he made $ 11,000 for the house paid for. Moody decided to call it Alwun House, as in “All One,” a choice that reflected his eclectic, inclusive approach to art and culture. Some of Phoenix’s most popular artists were early regulars at Alwun House. Rose Johnson, who painted the iconic mural of Saint Francis of Assisi once housed in a morgue on 16th Street and Thomas Road, was an early contributor. So did Zarco and Carmen Guerrero, who later founded the Cultural Coalition, which focused on indigenous artists. At that time the guerreros had a small band. But they hired additional musicians when Moody and Johnson invited them to play an event called the Caribbean Carnival on the roof of a local parking garage. “It was a big deal for Phoenix and everyone just danced their asses off,” says Guerrero. “That really helped us build a huge fan base for our band.” But something else also impressed him. “From the beginning it was all about this idea of collaboration between artists and organizations; it really kept us going and helped us develop a commitment to one another. ”Moody knew early on that if they wanted more space for performances, art exhibitions, and community events, they would have to remodel the house. A driveway that once wrapped around the building has been closed and a fence has been raised around part of the property. Then they laid out lawns, laid out concrete ponds and built a large stage in the back yard. Friends helped dig a pit in the basement where people would gather for theatrical performances. “They’ve improved the property so much and really upgraded the neighborhood itself by creating such a beautiful corner,” said Steve Weiss, an downtown advocate and local creative who shows independent films in unusual settings. click to enlarge Kim Moody and Dana Johnson. Tom Carlson Still, the Alwun House story isn’t all sweet and easy. They lost the house for a few years in the 1980s due to financial problems but eventually bought it back. They recently bought land next to Alwun House and turned it into a new space they call the Art Park. The move earned high praise from Mitch Menchaca, director of the city’s Arts and Culture Bureau, who says the couple’s “visionary leadership” was instrumental in bringing the park to their community and giving people another opportunity to to experience the art of Phoenix. Johnson believes Art Park will play a pivotal role in expanding the Alwun House offering and increasing the number of people it can reach. “We’re starting the next 50 years with a new plant that has doubled our floor space so we can do bigger and better productions,” he says. The space already has a big impact. In 2019, artist Kristin Wesley worked with the local Burning Man community to create an outdoor event called IgNight in the Park. More recently, community members have been participating in roller-skating nights in the park, a sign that the Alwun House hasn’t lost its eclectic touch. By the way, Wesley first learned about an art teacher at a high school at Alwun House. “The idea that there was a place in the city center that pushed the boundaries with interesting, unusual, atypical art was really comforting,” she recalls. Years later, Wesley took the man she has since been married to an Exotic Art Show and she has shown her work in various exhibitions at Alwun House. Today she is on its board of directors. “I’m really proud of the work we’ve done in the church,” she says. click to enlarge Alwun House recently converted this adjoining lot on 12th Street into an Art Park. Tom Carlson Over the years, Moody and Johnson have not only maintained their own space. They are also active with the neighborhood association and support local schools by hosting an annual exhibition of children’s artwork called “Salon Des Enfants”. “They were pioneers if you look at the revitalization of downtown Phoenix,” says Stanton. “Many chapters are written about Kim and Dana and Garfield and Alwun House.” Amid all their investments in money and time, the couple are quick to praise others for helping make everything possible. “We could never do this without all of our volunteers and supporters,” says Johnson. Soon they will be celebrating with a trio of anniversary events. On the first Friday of November 5th, they will open a “50th Anniversary Invitational Art Exhibit” organized with curator Ted Decker, which will include artists who had a significant influence on Alwun House and the Phoenix art scene. A week later, the Phoenix Poet Laureate Rosemarie Dombrowski and Ernesto Moncado are hosting a Heartsong Poetry Night for the 50th. On Saturday, November 20th, the Alwun House will be celebrating the 50th anniversary with a gala attended by Mayor Kate Gallego and the local Jazz icon Francine Reed was one of the special guests. There is even a new book in the works, which should not appear until the spring of next year. Moody and Johnson plan to fill it with stories and photos from five decades of Alwun House history. click to enlarge The bungalow as it was in 1971 when Moody bought it for $ 11,000. Courtesy of Alwun House Like many Phoenix creatives, Steve Weiss has seen both Alwun House and the Garfield neighborhood change over time. “The group that came to the exhibitions early was pretty secluded and not a familiar place,” says Weiss. “I’ve seen it grow as they have more reach, and it now really fills a niche that our city lacks.” Looking at the bigger picture, Weiss says he sees important differences between Roosevelt Row and the Garfield neighborhood where Alwun House is located. “Roosevelt Row has become a method of ‘eatertainment’ that is not necessarily art-centered,” he explains. “Alwun House continues the tradition of legitimate art spaces versus quasi-art spaces that occasionally display works of art.” In December they will hold the annual “Lighthouse” exhibition, which will fill their gallery and outdoor gardens with light-flooded artwork. Typically it’s a fascinating mix of neon, fire art, video, light boxes, and various mixed media works of art. “It’s all cutting edge and cool and hip,” says Stanton. But there is more to it than that. “They used art as a spearhead to make the neighborhood stronger and safer,” adds Stanton. “It’s really about changing people’s lives for the better.”
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