On Friday December 5th, 2008, Rockin A Gallery in Downtown Phoenix had it’s doors open for the monthly “First Friday’s Artwalk”.  One of the artists featured was Ashley Pope Ronnfeldt, a local Phoenix artist and painter.  Ashley had half of the gallery space at Rockin A devoted to exhibiting her latest works. 

 

Her work is a blend of raw elements and textures with central figures dominating the canvas or fiberboard workspace.  Utilizing various materials as her canvases, Ashley imparts a  natural element to her often un-natural scenes.  Hairy an acrylic on fiberboard mixed-media piece features an over-sized female face super-imposed on a rough texture of black and white symbolizing a dissonance or noise akin to what an analog television will look like on February 19th, 2008 if you don’t don’t have cable.  In the figures hair are ransom-note-style cut-outs of words and phrases, positive clear messages atop a static charged background and our main character treading somewhere between the elements.

  

 

Other works display a more innocent and soft tone, like the acrylic on canvas piece titled New Begnnings.  Again texture takes precedent with the background being a rough-hewn white which resembles a cloudy sky that fades to ominous dark edges.  Overlayed is an image of a young girl dragging a cluster of balloons through the sky.  A blond hapless dreamer pulling her puffed up dreams behind her and forging on unrepentant or heedless into the possible pratfalls in the dark spaces. 

 

 

 

The first Friday of every month downtown art galleries stay open late into the night and art lovers embark on self-guided tours of art exhibitions, musical performances, bars, and restaurants.  First Friday’s began when local business owners began to occupy spaces downtown and open community art spaces and music venues to highlight what has always been a thriving art community. 

 

As early as 1988, with the passage of the bond election to build the new central library, the Arizona Science Center, and the Phoenix Museum of History came the official recognition of the existing organic art movement in Phoenix.  This new infusion of energy led to the Jackson Street Studios, an arrangement to accommodate artists displaced by the America West Arena (now the US Airways Center).  A local community art association responsible for maintaining events like First Friday, Artlink was founded with this energy and some of the art spaces existing during that time, such as Alwun House, live on today. {1}

 

First Friday has grown.  During the 1998 season, there were 13 spaces open each Friday. There are now more than 90 participants in the First Friday Artwalk. Spaces are situated from Indian School Road to Buchanan Street, from 12th Street to 17th Avenue.  Impossible to walk in one night, a free Shuttle-Link service allows Phoenix First Friday visitors to reach most of the spaces.  If you aren’t already familiar with First Friday’s routes, just stop at the Phoenix Central Library first and pick up a current map. {2}