Paint Phoenix 2016: Day One

The clock reads five in the morning. My car is packed and my family and some friends are on the road on our way to Paint Phoenix 2016 in Arizona. This is our second year going to this event. Last year was memorable- we met local artists and familiar faces from the Los Angeles area who also made the trip. This year will be no different I think. It's been a full year since we set foot in the state of Arizona, and look forward to all the events and new murals that will be taking place for Paint Phoenix.

With 5 hours on the road behind us we make it to Phoenix. We get out of the car, take a stretch, and get settled in our hotel room. I start to think of places to visit and the first that comes to mind is Roosevelt Row. It's a familiar spot for me from last year and where many artists paint on revolving walls of art. It's definitely a fun and active location.

On this Friday night it is Roosevelt First Friday. It's equivalent to Art Walk in DTLA but with a whole lot of differences. First Friday is a platform for everyone: artist, dancers, beat boxers, vendors, galleries, bands and free speech. It was a interesting night to say the least. I learned more about the city on this night then any other. Our first stop was to MonOrchid Gallery for The Real Nitty Gritty Show featuring the work of graffiti crew Nuestra Gente. A open set gallery with intricate and thought out graffiti pieces that show the diversity of each artist and where they currently are artistically.

After some shopping and crowd watching we decided to head over to New Grand event that was taking place at ThirdSpace, the official live paint jam for Paint Phoenix. Artist from Texas, Chicago and LA graciously live painted panels for art patrons on this night. I was able to catch up with folks from Phoenix and meet some of the artists involved with adding some color to Phoenix. To see more of the coverage of Paint Phoenix give them a follow on Instagram @paintphx.