1. 6/20/2016 Arizona Artist Collective finds a space in partnership with {9} the Gallery
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{9} the Gallery on Grand Avenue has
been home to many an art show,
poetry slam and book reading. Now it
will serve as the home base for
Arizona Artist Collective and its
meetings and workshops. (Alexandra
Scoville/DD)
Arizona Artist Collective ᐅ㜁nds a space in
partnership with {9} the Gallery
The Arizona Artist Collective celebrated its first birthday this
weekend by introducing a new partnership with {9} the Gallery
on Grand Avenue.
Travis Fields, founder of Arizona Artist Collective, said the
objective of the organization was to help artists with the
business side of art.
“There were a lot of really talented artists here that didn’t
understand the business side of things,” Fields said. “They didn’t
really understand how to get into a gallery, how to represent
themselves, manage themselves, public relations, marketing
and all those types of things.”
{9} the Gallery and Arizona Artist Collective announced this weekend that there will be new
meetings, classes, workshops and events at the gallery to guide local artists to represent
themselves professionally. These include Sunday Sessions, where there will be demonstrations,
conversations about art and speakers talking about business practices every Sunday from 12­4
p.m., Fields said.
There are also two upcoming juried shows for members of the collective, “Liberty and Justice for
Art” opening in July and “In with the Old, Out with the New,” opening in January.
Fields said Arizona Artist Collective started out as a Facebook page and evolved into a whole
community. The organization offers classes for youth and adults, provides workshops and has
even organized protests for local artists, such as when the Herberger Theater Center Art Gallery
canceled Robrt Pela’s show “Prime Example” in September.
Jayme Blue, a local artist and Arizona Artist Collective member, said she became involved with
the organization when Fields added her to the Facebook page.
Blue said she’s motivated and excited for change with Arizona Artist Collective’s new partnership
with {9} the Gallery because gallery owner Laura Dragon understands other artists, as she is
By Jasmine Kemper - March 12, 2014

2. 6/20/2016 Arizona Artist Collective finds a space in partnership with {9} the Gallery
http://downtowndevil.com/2014/03/12/56142/phoenix­arizona­artists­collective­9­gallery/ 2/3
one herself.
“We’ll be able to have two shows at {9}. Laura is very involved in the art rejuvenation in
downtown Phoenix,” Blue said.
Before the partnership with {9} the Gallery, Arizona Artist Collective didn’t even have a main
office to work out of, Fields said.
“{9} is the first gallery that we are co­oping with, and this is going to be our home base for the
near future,” he said.
The idea of partnering with the collective came during a meeting last year, Dragon said.
“Travis was at that initial meeting, and he began speaking to other artists about how they might
cooperate to understand better the business of selling art,” Dragon said. “So they kind of
launched with that concept and have really grown.”
When Arizona Artist Collective needed a space to work and grow in, Dragon said she happily
invited them in to help support the fine art scene downtown.
“Being a sole business owner, hours and manpower are kind of difficult for me at times,” Dragon
added. “They’ve got the manpower. I’ve got space.”
While {9} the Gallery is small, it’s a great place to start once word of the business fully reaches
the community, Blue said.
“Being at {9} is a small, new space. Eventually Laura will grow out of it,” Blue said. “But for
right now, it’s great, and it’s very generous of her to let us use it.”
Dragon has been in business since 2012 and said she has a vision to help local artists grow.
“My whole idea when I opened {9} was that I was always inspired by Andy Warhol’s Factory
and the amount of emerging artists that he was able to support and bring to the community,”
she said. “I really wanted to create a melting pot of creative energy here and the potential for
people to find a place where they can sit and talk about their craft and expand on their ideas
and become more enthusiastic.”

3. 6/20/2016 Arizona Artist Collective finds a space in partnership with {9} the Gallery
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At the moment, Arizona Artist Collective is still working to get associated with people in the
business, but the organization has a bright future ahead of it, Blue said.
“Travis has big plans, and hopefully we can make his dreams come true,” Blue said.
Possible future steps for the organization are a framing shop and a studio for artists who don’t
have their own spaces, Fields said.
“We want to continue to grow where we have a membership and start having actual fundraising
so we can have our own facility,” Fields said. “We’re still planning on doing shows at other
galleries around town as well. The idea is to be involved in the community as much as possible.”
Contact the reporter at jckemper@asu.edu