Dirk Arnold's Wishbone

On Friday, March 2, at the Temple Gallery  Dirk Arnold’s new exhibition, Dirk Arnold: Endangered Architecture features Arnold’s framed shadowbox miniatures of Tucson’s historic building facades, many of which have disappeared as generic urban sprawl has encroached upon the city. The exhibition opens with an artist reception on Friday, March 2, 2012, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, and runs through April 3.

Although trained as an architect, Arnold’s true love was constructing architectural models. Endangered Architecture was born of a happy communion between his training and the desire to preserve Tucson’s unique cultural heritage before it is lost to the chain stores and strip malls that are remaking the American city into a model of ubiquity and sameness.

Loft Cinema by Dirk Arnold

Arnold’s shadowboxes, such as the façade of the Tucson Warehouse & Transfer Co., transcend mere nostalgia. Architectural models, now themselves replaced by software, are the perfect, optimistic representation of the building-to-be, of the future.

Arnold’s shadow boxes capture that optimism, at the same time that they frame the architecture in a specific time. For Arnold, Tucson’s future is in highlighting and protecting the best of its past.  Arnold is also a local contributor to public art, recognized for his Tucson gateway neon saguaro. Dirk J. Arnold obtained a B.S. in Architecture from Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Michigan. His professional background includes graphic design, technicalcommunication, and multimedia development.

DETAILS of Exhibition:

Exhibition:   Dirk Arnold: Endangered Architecture

Location: T E M P L E  G A L L E R Y / 330 S. Scott Avenue/ Tucson, AZ 85701

Phone: (520) 625-7370

Dates:    March 2, 2012 – April 3, 2012

Reception:   Friday, March 2, 2012, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Regular Hours: Monday–Friday, 10am–5pm & before Arizona Theatre Company performances on Sat. & Sun.

Giant Neon Saguaro Sculpture by Dirk Arnold

It was designed in the spirit of the enduring neon signs of the Miracle Mile area. It stands in the median of Oracle Road, just north of Drachman Street. It’s the public art component of the intersection reconfiguration that removed the roundabout.

The official lighting ceremony will be Monday from 6:15 until 7:00 pm. College Place at 1601 N Oracle Rd is the official gathering place near the sculpture. It’s the former Del Webb’s Hiway House/Statler Hilton hotel on the west side of Oracle. There is plenty of street parking on the side streets on the east side of Oracle.

The Oracle/Miracle Mile area is presently experiencing a major renovation and it is definitely coming back from the degenerated area of the past decade. To see and experience the renewed area I recommend you attend the third annual Miracle Mile Festival, one of the early outcomes of the Oracle Area Revitalization Plan.

This event will be Saturday, April 24, from 9am until 5pm, with the festivities centered by the Oracle and Drachman intersection. This year’s celebration of the Miracle Mile area as Tucson’s historic main motor gateway is sponsored by the area’s new Gateway Business Alliance. There’ll be classic cars, tours of nearby historic sites, food, artists and more. Visit www.celebratehistorictucson.com for more info about the event.

Giant Neon Sculpture Designed by Dirk Arnold (facing north)

Recently installation was completed on one of Tucson’s new public art sculptures designed by local artist Dirk Arnold.  The Neon sculpture, titled “Gateway Saguaro,” is 30 feet tall and is located in the median near Oracle/Adams.

In 1937, what is now Oracle Road from today’s Miracle Mile to Drachman was the first divided highway in Arizona, with roundabouts at both ends. Because of the wide medians, it was considered to be very safe and was called the Miracle Mile of Safety by Arizona Highways. It was part of the main motor route through Tucson, US Routes 80 and 89. The public sculpture project is part of the Oracle/Main/Drachman intersection reconfiguration, which removed the final remaining roundabout that gave the area its name.

After I-10 opened, the area fell into decline and Miracle Mile became synonymous with drugs and prostitution in the minds of many. In the late 70′s the road was renamed to Oracle as a result of that stigma.

The design of the sculpture is homage to the neon signs of the motels and restaurants along the Miracle Mile, a number of which remain. After the Ye Olde Lantern sign came down the artist, Dirk Arnold, felt like the area had lost an iconic image, and wanted the public art he created to be of a similar scale to replace that loss. The Saguaro is an iconic image of Tucson because the city is bracketed by two units of a national park dedicated to the preservation of the Saguaro.

The sign-like structure located in the median was inspired by local historic sign designs. The northbound side says Miracle Mile to remind drivers of the traffic circle that was lost in the project that made the artwork possible, and also to reclaim the name “Miracle Mile” because the area is indeed recovering. The southbound side says Tucson because the Miracle Mile area continues to be the northern gateway into downtown Tucson.

Giant Neon Sculpture Designed by Dirk Arnold (facing south)

This is Arnold’s first public art project and he was selected from a large number of applicants.   The main reason he applied for it was because the Miracle Mile area is one of his favorite parts of town and is the home to many historic neon signs he has recreated in his “Signs of Tucson” refrigerator magnets. (www.endangeredarchitecture.com).

Cook & Company Sign Makers, a locally owned sign shop, fabricated the sculpture. Dirk first got to know Cook & Company when they helped him save and move the Ye Olde Lantern sign into his backyard a couple of years ago. Jude Cook, the owner, has a great appreciation for the vanishing historic neon sign culture of Tucson.

Whereas, the public neon sculpture is not ready as yet for lighting, it will be within the next few weeks.

The area’s Gateway Business Alliance will be hosting a historic open house and tour of the Miracle Mile area on April 24. Details at: www.celebratehistorictucson.com.

I was able to attend last year and highly recommend it to the public.  By visiting the area you will see the amazing progress that has been achieved in the past few years. It will soon be the shining star it once was and artist Dirk Arnold’s giant sculpture will light the way.