Alison King
• – • Phoenix Art Museum
About the speaker
Scottsdale native Alison King is the designer, writer, coder, photographer and historian behind ModernPhoenix.net, Arizona’s go-to source for midcentury modern design in Arizona. For ten years Modern Phoenix has published in-depth biographies, neighborhood reports, photo archives, vintage drawings, ads, photography and graphic design galleries spotlighting Arizona's midcentury heritage. She hosts educational events and tours in collaboration with Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art each April for Modern Phoenix Week.
In 2011 Alison wrote the authorized biography of Valley architect Ralph Haver AIA at RalphHaver.com, and with the help of the Beadle family and student photographers greatly expanded the BeadleArchive.com website in 2013. One peak experience of her career was visiting the Getty Research Institute to bring back the vintage photography of Julius Shulman, the industry’s unofficial photographer of record for the midcentury modern movement.
Alison is a frequent speaker at design and cultural events in the Valley including Phoenix Design Week, Modern Phoenix Week, Pecha Kucha, and Modernism Week in Palm Springs. When she’s not living in the past she enjoys mentoring students for the future as Associate Professor of Graphic Design and History at The Art Institute of Phoenix.
Local partners
AIGA Arizona is on a mission to nurture creative curiosity and use programming, resources and mentorship to empower the voices in our community to create a lasting impact.
Established in 1989 as the local chapter of AIGA, the professional association of design, volunteers build programming to help improve design ability for Arizona creative professionals. They connect with complementary disciplines of creativity and expression. They prioritize social impact. And they promote community excellence. How? By providing resources and access to all creative professionals within the state and making sure that underrepresented communities have a seat at the table. Learn more about AIGA Arizona at aigaaz.org.
A vibrant destination for more than 50 years, Phoenix Art Museum presents festivals, live performances, independent art films and educational programs that enlighten, entertain and stimulate. Its unique setting is a wonderful choice to host an event such as a holiday party, business luncheon or a very special ceremony.
Visitors also enjoy the interactive PhxArtKids gallery, vibrant photography exhibitions through the Museum’s landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography, the lushly landscaped Dorrance Sculpture Garden, dining at the Museum’s restaurant Palette, and shopping at The Museum Store.
Additional details
In 2009 acclaimed midcentury architectural photographer Julius Shulman was booked by Modern Phoenix for his first-ever talk on his work with Valley architects. When he became too frail to travel, Design Historian Alison King took the trip of a lifetime to the Getty Research Institute and brought Shulman’s body of work in the Valley back to light. Alison’s lively and passionate talk about her journey and our Valley’s design history is rich with previously unpublished photographs by Shulman, all of it from Arizona’s midcentury moment in the sun.
Location
Hosted at
Phoenix Art Museum
1625 N. Central Avenue
Phoenix, Arizona United States 85004-1685
When
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Photographer Danny Upshaw
