By Emily Ellis eellis@myheraldreview.com April 13, 2023
Phoenicians Codi Martin and Zachary Fredstrom capture images of the eclectic art collection. MARK LEVY HERALD/REVIEW
BISBEE — The Artemizia Foundation held its grand opening late last month for its new location at 818 Tombstone Canyon in Bisbee, which is home to the Artemizia Foundation’s museum, Gallery 818, a mural labyrinth and a sculpture garden.
The museum is celebrating its opening with a Banksy show that is open to the public. The show features museum owner Sloane Bouchever’s six signed Banksy pieces and “a lot of Banksy stuff.”
Those wishing to view the museum and the Banksy can visit Thursday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Images above: Left, Mitch Hundman from Carefree views artwork at the grand opening event at Gallery 818. Middle, artist Corie Mattie interacts with Artemizia Foundation opening guests last week. Mattie has a piece she created hanging on the wall. Right, several forms of artwork, including murals, are on display at the Artemizia Foundation's Galley 818. Grand opening guests peruse the gallery during last month's foundation event in Bisbee. PHOTOS by MARK LEVY HERALD/REVIEW
The Artemizia Foundation’s new location offers a lot more to see than just the Banksy exhibit. Guests can also explore the museum, the mural labyrinth and the sculpture gallery. When designing the new space, Bouchever wanted to create something unique for his guests.
Images above: Left, an Artemizia Foundation attendee checks out a sculpture. Right, Artemizia Foundation Director Sloane Bouchever chats with attendees during the grand opening last month in Bisbee. PHOTOS by MARK LEVY HERALD/REVIEW
“I didn’t want to do a typically static museum where you just kind of walk silently from room to room in reverence and look at the art,” said Bouchever. “There is something about street art that is more irreverent and I wanted it to be more of an exploration with a surprise around every corner.”
Bouchever’s collection focuses primarily on contemporary art and his favorite pieces are on display in the Artemizia Foundation’s museum. His collection contains more than 700 pieces of art with works by Banksy, Swoon, Andy Warhol, Jules Muck, Cey Adams and many more world renowned contemporary artists.
Bouchever says it’s a collection that visitors would typically have to travel to New York, London or Paris to see. He hopes the new location will help make Bisbee a “cultural destination.”
Antonio Peirce and Katherine Lynch traveled from Cave Creek to attend the grand opening. MARK LEVY HERALD/REVIEW
The mural labyrinth features work by world renowned street artists.
“Bisbee is kind of anti-mural because they want to keep the city looking historic, and so I thought, ‘what if we just had muralists come and paint inside as if they broke into an abandoned building?’ ” said Bouchever.