Practical Art Celebrates 7 Years in Business

Posted by Amy DeCaussin
Director of Projects & Social Media

practical-art1Still keeping the local scene cool, artsy and classy, Practical Art on Central in Phoenix hosted a party celebrating seven years in business this past Saturday.  The shop is chocked full of local artists — boasting over 100 on their shop signs.

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On the wall is the current gallery show “Buffalo Girl: Celebrating Jane Reddin” which is exhibited until April 30th, 2015. Featured artists are Christine Cassano, Randy Efros, Mayme Kratz, Lara Plecas, Joe Ray, Mary Shindell, Joe Willie Smith, Kate Timmerman, Denise Yaghmourian and Frank Ybarra.

A variety of cool work can be found inside.  Brightly colored ceramics, beautiful textile sweaters for babies, fun greeting cards, handmade soaps and candles, and handmade jewelry are just a few of the items you will find.

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Ceramic pots by Annette Weaver.

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Mixed Media lamps by Chad Shimmel

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Necklaces by Cyndi Coon(Left) & Sara Creaser(Right).

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Mixed Media Robots by Jordan-Alexander Thomas

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Ceramic Mug by Katheryn Sins

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Glass pieces by John Ryszka

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Wooden spoons by Dan Basinski

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Book by Tray Harris with illustrations and textile stuffies by Jennifer Campbell.

Out behind the store was a tent set up where shoppers could get in on the action and create their own crafts or try their hand at the pottery wheel.

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Ceramicist Jillian Schimmel showing guests how to spin a pottery wheel.

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Ceramics by Jillian Schimmel

It was a beautiful day for a fabulous celebration.  It is always a wonderful thing to shop local, and even better when local businesses flourish from so much support.

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Laboratory5 Inc. is a small business based in Tempe, Arizona

Visit our website: Laboratory5       Follow us on Twitter: @lab5     Become a fan on Facebook: Laboratory5
Contact Us at anytime – we’d love to hear from you

Music and Productivity – Part One – Introduction

Written by Amy DeCaussin
Director of Projects & Social Media

This is part one of a new three part series on “Music & Productivity.”

Guess what??  Music helps to improve your productivity…well, usually.  Personally, there are times when I am working when I need absolute quiet.  An example would be if I am doing something business-y and/or financial.  I think that is because I am artsy by trade.  If I am painting, I’m all ears for music.  I think the same typically goes for whatever skill that you excel at.  Some people listen to music while they read.  Others can do their taxes while listening to music.  If you haven’t considered listening to music while you work, check out the infographic at the bottom of this article to see some facts about how it might help your productivity.

Music is a wonderful addition to any experience involving repetitive tasks.  According to Jacki Hollywood Brown, of Unclutterer.com, “If you have a project you have been putting off for some time or if your task involves repetitive work…turn up the volume and listen to your favourite music to get you motivated.” Some repetitive activities to consider could be doing dishes, folding laundry, cutting coupons–well, really anything domestic.  Other tasks that could benefit from music include sorting and organizing receipts, doing a product inventory count, grading papers, installing air conditioners, driving a truck, charting patient records and counting sheep or cracks in the sidewalk.

In the following parts of this series, we will explore how music closely effects artist Joey Salamon and we will hear from an expert in music, Dr. James Gerber, Music Associate at All Saint’s Episcopal Church in Phoenix.  Until then, I leave you with this site where you will find 226 free tracks to help your productivity.

Sources Used/Other links to check out on the subject:

“The Power of Art: Can music help treat children with attention disorders?” BBC News

“Listening to Music at Work–Do’s and Don’ts” CNN.com

“The Power of Music, Tapped in a Cubicle” New York Times

“Music at Work: 3 Real Productivity Benefits” CBS News

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Laboratory5 Inc. is a small business based in Tempe, Arizona

Visit our website: Laboratory5       Follow us on Twitter: @lab5     Become a fan on Facebook: Laboratory5
Contact Us at anytime – we’d love to hear from you

What is Arts Integration

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Thank you to Susan Riley at EducationCloset.com for this lovely infographic.  You can read her article here.

Laboratory5 Inc. is a small business based in Tempe, Arizona

Visit our website: Laboratory5       Follow us on Twitter: @lab5     Become a fan on Facebook: Laboratory5
Contact Us at anytime – we’d love to hear from you