Crescent Ballroom played host to the second annual Art d’Core Gala Saturday night.
Art d’Core Gala was presented by Artlink, Downtown Phoenix Inc. and the City of Phoenix’s Office of the Mayor. The event celebrated the arts and culture of downtown Phoenix and kicked off the festive season that will occur over the coming weeks.
Attendees were encouraged to dress in creative formal attire and each guest did not disappoint. From bright cocktail dresses to decorative suits, Crescent Ballroom was adorned with sea of creatively styled outfits.
The Phoenix Theatre opened the gala with a musical number. The tap routine was pulled from its current show Anything Goes, which premiered over the weekend.
Artlink President Catrina Kahler delivered opening remarks, followed by Downtown Phoenix Inc. CEO David Krietor. He expressed that downtown Phoenix is becoming more like the model downtown cities that Phoenix has aimed to become.
“If you want urban, and you want diverse, and you want interesting, downtown Phoenix and the core part of Phoenix have never been stronger than they are now,” Krietor said.
Mayor Greg Stanton then addressed the crowd for his annual “Celebrate Downtown Address,” which had the crowd cheering for all the things the city has accomplished.
Stanton highlighted the recent Super Bowl success as well as the landscape changes the city has been working toward. Last year, the city broke ground on more than one million square feet of commercial space.
“I have made it my No. 1 priority as mayor of this city to build an innovation based export economy that lifts everybody up and that starts right here in our downtown,” Stanton said.
He also lauded the universities in downtown Phoenix that are working together to bring a greater change.
Through partnerships with Arizona State University, University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University, the city is able to build and produce tech startups, medical advancements and other innovations downtown. As for the arts, Stanton thanked ASU for making an investment in the warehouse district that opened up more spaces for artists.
Music in the city has also bloomed including the upcoming Viva Phoenix festival as well as Crescent Ballroom, which plays host to a variety of shows every week.
Current construction on Roosevelt Row is aiming to make the area more walk able for pedestrians and more shaded than ever before. In downtown, the new Complete Streets policy has made the streets more accessible to pedestrians and bicycles, including the new Grid Bike Share.
In addition, he toasted the growth in events, the arts community, those who make downtown what it is and the overall improvement of downtown Phoenix.
The remainder of the night was filled with music, dancing, and mingling as well as a raffle.
Although the kickoff celebration is over, the main event is still to come. Art Detour 27 takes place in downtown Phoenix March 7 and 8. Over the weekend, this self-guided tour will allow people from all over the Valley to experience the arts and culture that downtown has to offer.
