Check out our new website!

Ladies and Gentleman!

Take a gaze and bookmark our new page at www.asphaltarts.com !

Search, Look, Enjoy :)

-Ashley Hare
Artist in Residence

Event Videos now posted!

Click HERE to see awesome footage from the Embracing Life event. Good times!

This Friday!

Gumby's adventure into the community

Here is a spoiler for our event Friday November 4

More artwork

Robert represents Asphalt Arts!

Robert with his work

Aries

Ariel

Ariel was nice enough to let me photograph her creating signs for our event. These signs will allow the community to really think about the issues the clients are addressing.

Gumby's Work in Progress

Gumby is creating a large piece for the event next Friday. It's looking good!

Obstacle Course

Many of the clients made drafts of the obstacle course. I'll give you a sample but the final is a secret!

Tumbleweed Art Gallery

Sean, an ASU Art student, is helping create the backyard space for the Embracing Life event. This past week, he worked with the clients to decorate the gallery walls. It looks great!

Making some Boxes

The Embracing Life event is almost here!

The front porch will be decked out with colorful boxes representing those that have past away and other important issues the clients want to share.

Take a look at some of the handywork below...

Stage 1 in progress

Clients (and Leslie) spray paint boxes that will be decorated to display those people in our lives we are remembering and celebrating. Stage 1 of Embracing Life

Mike's finished product!

Check out the September First Friday movie below created by Mike.

Success!

First Friday was a success! I will be documenting the whole experience this Tuesday with the clients. Stay tuned!

Our next event will be Friday October 7.

Here are some photos of the event....

Joseph sharing his poetry

Melissa and people of the community deciding what to write for the mic

Community members filling out prompts that express why they celebrate life

Pictures of the Wall Mural

A beautiful work in progress....

Every Tuesday and Thursday, clients decorate candles that express obstacles they have or want to overcome, what and who inspires them in life and what they are achieving for themselves. Some have expressed themselves through words while others have masterfully decorated their candle with symbols and other drawings.

First Friday Event!

This Friday, September 2nd from 6pm-9pm....

Celebrate and embrace life by sharing inspirational stories of loved ones and past life experiences. Connect with the community in an exploration of how we all can achieve our ideal selves. This project is part of a larger installation that will be showcase on the First Friday event in November. Come out and see what we have been working on and help us generate new material. 

Alesha's Poetry Videos

In the final weeks of this year's residency, Alesha created some amazing videos out of her poetry.

This first one, "I Hate the Way I Love You" deconstructs a relationship - the good & the bad:

The second video is a piece to honor soldiers, and the sacrifices they've made.

And this last one was made in secrecy, as we set up for our final First Friday event, as a thank you to the artists in residence! Thank you Alesha!

Asphalt Arts Comes to First Friday!

This Friday, Asphalt Arts will be outside the Drop in Center (corner of 5th St & Garfield, downtown) presenting an open mic as part of First Friday. Clients, ASU artist volunteers, professional poets and community members will take to the stage to write and share their own original work about living in Arizona, as part of ASU's Centennial Project. Join us between 5pm and 9pm, this Friday May 6!

A Love Story in Poems: Beven's Project

Over the past two weeks, Beven enlisted other clients to help him realize his vision for his poetry. He took four poems he'd written, that together told a story and cast Robert and Alesha in the major roles, with Lady Fame running the camera. We recorded Beven reading the poems, and then he directed his actors to act out the story for us. We generated a ton of footage in the center, then edited it all together. Check out the finished product below:

Definition of a Dream

Definition of a Dream performed April 1-3 and was a tremendous hit. First, we took the show to Fiesta Inn in Tempe, to perform at ASU's Artswork Symposium.

That night we premiered the show at the Phoenix Fringe Festival, with a show at Modified Arts. We had a great cast. and a terrific audience. Check out the clip below!

The show got better every night. Here are a few great moments from Sunday night's show:

More video, including full runs from three different shows, are available on our YouTube Channel, http://www.youtube.com/tumbleweeddicphx

Compu

Compu is the name given to the DIC computer today by Hector. See how fashionable he made him/her...

Hector's Tumbleweed Dog/Cat

Great drawing by Hector that he shared with us!

Definition of a Dream - Coming Next Weekend!

Get your tickets now! Definition of a Dream tickets are on sale (along with all other shows from the fringe festival) at the Phoenix Fringe website www.phxfringe.org! Don't miss this opportunity to see this powerful original production starring Tumbleweed clients!

Remember, our shows are next weekend at Modified Arts (407 E. Roosevelt Ave) on
Friday, April 1 at 5:00pm
Saturday, April 2 at 5:30pm
Sunday, April 3 at 8:00pm

Last minute glimpses into the rehearsal process

As we gear up for our performance next weekend, here are a few photos representing the hard work and creative energy being put into the process.

Publicity Shot outside the Library

Publicity Shot #2

Script writing as an ensemble

Cast members preparing for their entrances

Staging the opening sequence of the play

Scene between mother and daugher

A still image sequence, based on Chelsea's monologue

More from the opening sequence

Fame, fortune and skateboarding!