Uncover hidden gems all over the city with reporter Nicole Dusanek as she gets off at a different light rail stop each week to explore.
The first stop on my light rail adventure was a stop in downtown Mesa on Main and Center streets. The first place I decided to explore was the Mesa Arts Center gallery. It is free to the public with a donation box toward the front for any charitable sightseers.
One exhibit I went through was an experiment with different mediums of art. The painting “American Gothic” by Grant Wood, which depicts a farmer holding a pitchfork beside his wife, was redone using bubble wrap. It was intriguing because the farther you stood from the picture, the more clear the portrait became. Hanging beside it was another rendition of “American Gothic” made up of characters that resembled numbers and letters.
The entire museum was an expression of artistic minds and an exploration of creative endeavors. The last exhibit I walked through used antique looking objects and brought them to life by juxtaposing a mobile device within them. One of the pieces was a sculpture that had open shutters for the viewer to peek through and see a flying fairy or girl dancing on top of a horse in black and white across a digital screen. The black and white repeating videos added life to the art but also seemed eerie. Music accompanied the video of the fairy within that made the piece seem a bit unsettling.
Exiting the art gallery, I was drawn across the street to a store called Book Gallery. With two stories full of books, this place was my dream library. Decorative spines cluttered the bookshelves, begging to be opened. Wooden ladders leaned against various shelves that were overflowing with books. There was a book for everyone, but I was drawn to the poetry section in particular. Whether one is interested in mysteries, crime or travel, there was sure to be a book filled with information on that topic.
Eventually I had to be dragged away from the pages that could captivate me in their words for years.
Nearby, I found Antique Plaza. This store was a cluttered collection of eclectic antiques sprawling across multiple floors.
On the top floor, I found myself intrigued by old coins, some so old the faces were wearing off. One five cent coin might go for $4, or maybe $75. There was an diverse collection of unique trinkets, from Beanie Babies and Pez dispensers to tea sets and coke bottles.
To finish off the day, we decided to treat ourselves at Jarrod’s Coffee, Tea and Gallery. Art decorated the walls and the atmosphere was laid-back. It was an excellent place to get creative juices flowing. The barista recommended a chocolate mocha blended frappuccino. Not only did it taste delicious, outdoing any Starbucks drink I’ve ever had, but it was made to look as lovely as it tasted. Sitting at the a table inside the coffee shop was like drinking coffee in the middle of an art museum.
The stop on Main and Center Streets was definitely a place that encourages free thinking. There should only be one disclaimer printed at the light rail stop: Artists Welcome.
Reach the reporter at ndusanek@asu.edu or follow @NikkiDusanek on Twitter
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