Robbie Pfeffer is an art kid. He likes art, he makes art, he studies art (well, specifically, he studies urban development and is only minoring in film but you see where I’m going). A little over a year ago, Robbie directed his love of art into the creation of Tempe Starving Artist, one of the town’s (and YabYum’s) favorite zines for artists.
After some initial support from Adam Dumperfoo (of Wet Paint/ Blunt Club/ Drunken Immortals fame) and a couple events hosted with ASU support, Tempe Starving Artist managed to grow from just 50 copies per issue to a thousand each publication with plans for a venue underway.
The zine originally started out as an art and poetry publication but it quickly expanded to cover local music as well because, as Pfeffer points out, “music brings in people.”
In fact, the music facet of Starving Artist promises to be a growing aspect in the coming year with the opening of an all-ages Tempe venue off Mill Avenue (in the building formerly occupied by eJoy). This might be considered a step up from some of the other Valley locales that have housed TSA-affiliated shows described by Pfeffer as “I-wouldn’t-live-there-cause-I’d-be-robbed-by-crackheads” art houses in downtown Phoenix.
Despite its Tempe headquarters, TSA has enjoyed a lot of support from the Phoenix art community. Nevertheless, Robbie still names Tempe his “bread’n butter,” a relationship that promises to only develop further with the his support of the new venue set to open sometime amid winter break (name yet to be determined).
Look for Tempe Starving Artist around the Valley at local music stores, coffees shops, galleries and the like. While you’re at it, look for Robbie around town at music and art events (you might even catch his own band live, Cartons and Bottles!
