Cultural Activities

Since moving to Arizona six years ago my cultural activities stopped dead in their tracks.  At first it didn't bother me as I was new to the area and there was so much to explore, new people to get to know and even learning where the best grocery stores and pharmacies are, kept me busy. Also, the Scottsdale/Phoenix area seemed a bit devoid (or so I thought) of musicals, plays and other forms of culture that I would partake of in the San Francisco Bay Area.

I was so wrong.  It took a little time and patience and investigation (my husband isn't up on the art world so wasn't able to help me) to find out what was available.  And, since I hadn't made women friends at that point, I was pretty much on my own. 

After a year or so of living here, I joined the Phoenix Art Museum first as a member and shortly thereafter became a volunteer.  I usually give my time once a week for a couple of hours assisting patrons by answering their questions or directing them to galleries, the restaurant, etc. - all the while enjoying and taking in the wonderful art and new exhibits. 

I have also visited the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix a few times and it is a great place to not only see beautiful flowers and plants but often they will have a special exhibit such as the Chihuly Glass sculptures and the Jun Kaneko enormous sculptures shown there last year.

In addition, Scottsdale has a contemporary art museum; SMOCA.  Yes, it is small, but from time to time the exhibits are quite interesting and it's located in a lovely park like setting near downtown.

Within a mile or two of my home is Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home and architecture school.  It's an amazing building and grounds that I have visited several times and will re-visit again and again.

So you can see how wrong I was about the Phoenix/Scottsdale area being devoid of culture!  In addition to the above mentioned places, the Phoenix Theater is right next door to the museum where I volunteer and just today I picked up a brochure for upcoming shows.  I realize now that in order to find culture, sometimes I must look beyond my nose!   

Whenever I visit family in N.Y. and N.J. I make a policy of seeing a play or at the very least visiting one of their fabulous museums; such as my favorite, the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Other times, I make a visit to the Ground Zero Memorial - always a touching and profound experience.

This year I'm planning on visiting New York in early June and my sisters-in-law, cousins and I are going to see a remake of the musical Kiss Me Kate. I'm excited to see this musical and visit this fabulous, bustling city.

For Mother's Day this year, my sweet son took me to the San Francisco Symphony.  It was outstanding and has whet my appetite for additional cultural experiences.

Life is good and many inspirational and artistic adventures are in my future!

xo