Arty Girl: What You Should do Tomorrow: Garfield and Grand

Learn more about this funky historic building on Saturday.

​Do me a favor and click this link to the Grand Avenue Festival website. I've been looking forward to this all day event for months (and I've been blogging about it along the way).

Hooray! It's finally here! Er, tomorrow, anyway.

So after you're done poking around and mentally selecting the tours, fashion shows, live music performances, artist studios, restaurants and retail boutiques you want to visit, come back here and read about another event happening tomorrow that is just down the street.

By algo on flickr Creative Commons.

Man, those Phoenix birds are everywhere.

​The Garfield Neighborhood has a new public art addition on Roosevelt and 13th Streets called "Garfield Rising".

As you can imagine, this art piece will replicated our city's namesake, the mythical Phoenix bird that endlessly rebirths itself by committing a fiery suicide and then rising from its own ashes. It's an 18 foot tall sculpture made by artist Joe Tyler, who grew up in the Garfield Neighborhood and aims to symbolize the revitalization of this historic neighborhood.

Tyler, a horticulturist turned welder turned artist is no stranger to public art. He is responsible for the Lizard Acres project in Scottsdale, a veteran's memorial in Glendale and others scattered around town.

Tomorrow at 9 a.m., Mayor Phil Gordon, Phil Jones, director of the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture and Kim Moody, founding member of Garfield Organization will all speak at the "Garfield Rising" inauguration.

So don't stay up late tonight and be sure to eat a complete breakfast tomorrow. You've got a big day ahead of you.

For more information about the Grand Avenue Festival, visit www.grandavenuefestivalaz.com.
For more information about Phoenix's public art program, visit phoenix.gov/arts.