ARIZONA NEWS
Scottsdale Arts’ Canal Convergence to celebrate 10 years this November
Jul 25, 2022, 4:15 AM
(Photo by Jeff Zischke)
(Photo by Jeff Zischke)
PHOENIX — Recognizing artworks and experiences, Scottsdale Arts’ Canal Convergence will celebrate its 10th anniversary this November.
The Water + Art + Light event is scheduled to take place over a 10-night period, from Nov. 4-13 at the Scottsdale Waterfront, according to a press release.
There’ll be large-scale public artworks, augmented reality art pieces, creative workshops and educational activities.
Visitors will also be able to buy from food trucks and a beer and wine garden, while also getting the chance to see live music and dance performances.
“This November, we will celebrate Canal Convergence’s evolution since 2012, its recognition today as a destination event and what we can look forward to seeing in the future as Canal Convergence continues to evolve,” Kim Boganey, director of Scottsdale Public Art, said in the release.
For this year’s celebration, local, national and international artists were encouraged to highlight water, art, light, interactivity and sustainability, while taking inspiration from past themes, such as “Reconnect,” “The Story of Water” and “Art of Technology.”
An original 2012 Canal Convergence artist, Scottsdale-based artist Jeff Ziscke, will be making a new piece called “Sun Drops.”
“There will be five units designed like sun shapes installed in an ascending and descending order, representing sunrise and sunset in our desert environment,” Zischke said in the release.
“There are many new problems to be solved, such as engineering of cable structures and design and programming of the computer controlled LEDs that will power the sculptures at night. I look forward to working with the Canal Convergence team to create another spectacular public art installation in the canal environment.”
The event expects to see about 250,000 people over the course of its 10 days, Gerd Wuestemann, president and CEO of Scottsdale Arts, said in the release.
“This was supported by significant investment of resources by the city of Scottsdale, via its Tourism Development Commission, as well as our own private and corporate fundraising,” Wuestemann said.
“Ten years ago, we embraced the idea of activating this waterfront of a public space to bring community together. I think this made Scottsdale a better place to live, while making our community stronger.”
