PIXEL PIXIE

Through teaching, writing and workshops
Alison King sets up unforgettable experiences
that motivate people to make art & design

By day, Alison King is an Assistant Professor of Digital Design at Grand Canyon University. By night she's an artist and is the editorial force behind ModernPhoenix.net, an active community that is reshaping the face of Phoenix one building at a time — and in some cases rescuing city icons from total destruction.

She's fighting hard for her city's cultural preservation through writing, education and documentation. Undaunted by failure and fueled by fire, Alison interprets design history in a way that sweeps people into action.

PROFILES + PORTFOLIO

SELECTED WRITING + RESEARCH SAMPLES

SELECTED EDITING + INTERVIEWS

As both a copy editor and a line editor Alison coaxes the very best out of writers, streamlines their language, and performs critical behind-the-scenes work by digging through archives, securing imagery, obtaining copyright clearances, and verifying facts.

A Tale of Two Fingado Houses by Janice Fingado
Unboxing Beadle by Jennifer Gunther
Bennie Gonzales FAIA: Master Southwest Architect by Johanna Haver
Jimmie Ray Nunn FAIA: An Honest Architect by Jennifer Gunther
All About Paradise Gardens in supporting collaboration with journalist David Tyda
100 Degrees of Design [PDF] for Desert Living in collaboration with David Tyda and Joey Robert Parks
There's No Place Like Sunnyslope by Marshall Shore
DK Taylor: Scottsdale's Mysterious Modern Master by Taz Loomans
How Superlite Shaped Phoenix into the Block Capital of America by Taz Loomans
Growing up Haver by Bucky Haver
Holy Houses! by Walt Lockley with Alison King
The Scoville House: Requiem in Shades of Gray by Walt Lockley
Banking on Progress: The Valley National Banks by Walt Lockley
The Cedar Street Residence by CoLab

SELECTED VIDEO

Inspire: For the David and Gladys Wright House
Phoenix Preservationist Receives American Express Aspire Award
Modern Phoenix Week 2020 with podcaster Danny Brown
Panel: Leon Polk Smith and Midcentury Design
Belong to Where You Are
Ralph Haver and the Vig Uptown
Phoenix X Design
Demo of Al Beadle's Mountain Bell Building

WHAT OTHERS SAY

Midcentury Maven in Sources For Design
She's the King of Modern Phoenix if you Have to Have a Haver in the Phoenix New Times
Preserving Phoenix's Modern Past in Images Magazine
Modern Phoenix Takes us Back to the Future Cover Story in The Phoenix New Times
The Arcadia Chronicles in Phoenix Magazine
Valley Legacy Architects: Ralph Haver: Neighborhoods to Haverhoods for Arizona
Residential Architecture.
Into the land of McMansions, Alison King leads her Midcentury Modern Army in The Arizona Republic
Meet Alison King of Modern Phoenix in Retro Renovation
Save Our City in Java Magazine [PDF]
A Phoenix Man Scored when he Bought Ralph Haver's Family Home for a Song in the Phoenix New Times
Kings of Modernism in Desert Living magazine [PDF]

AWARDS

Silver Addy Award for Book Design, Making Architecture 2020
Bronze Addy Award for Copywriting, Making Architecture 2020
American Express Aspire Award National Trust for Historic Preservation 2013
Daughters of the American Revolution Arizona Chapter Award for Historic Preservation 2014
The New Times Best of Phoenix 2006 + 2009 + 2011 + 2012 + 2013 + 2014 + 2015 + 2016 + 2020, usually for Best Home Tour
The Phoenix New Times 2019 Best Memory for How it Used to Be
AZ Central Critic's Pick for Best Home Tour 2012 + 2013 + 2014
AIA Arizona Chapter Award of Distinction 2010
WebAwards Standard of Excellence, Architecture Category 2009
AIA Arizona Chapter President's Commendation 2008
The Art Institute of Phoenix Vanguard Award 2007 + 2010
944 magazine Platinum Award 2006

SELECTED SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

Panel: Leon Polk Smith and Midcentury Design for the Heard Museum 2021
The Evolution of Historic Phoenix for Focal First Forum 2019
Design Like a MoPho for AZ State Historic Preservation Conference 2019
Ralph Haver AIA: Everyman's Modernist for Modern Phoenix Week 2019
The Art of Transformation Keynote for Phoenix Design Week Keynote 2019
Where Cantilever Meets Coyote for Palm Springs Modernism Week, AZ State Historic Preservation Conference, Modern Phoenix Week and Burton Barr Library 2013 + 2014 + 2018 + 2019
Calligraphy Boot Camp for AIGA 2015 + 2016 + 2017 + 2018 + 2019
Unboxing Beadle for Tucson Modernism Week and AZ State Historic Preservation Conference 2016
Visual Communication for the Win for AIGA 2016
Designing for Historic Spaces for Designstein 2015 + 2016
Branding Arizona for AIGA 2014
What Would Ralph Haver Do? for Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art 2015
Mapping a Path to Preservation for AZ State Historic Preservation Conference 2015
The Improbably Perfect World of Jame Karl for AZ State Archives Conference 2015
Design Like a MoPho for Phoenix Design Week, AZ State Historic Preservation Conference and Burton Barr Library 2013 + 2018
History of Marion Estates for 6oth Anniversary Celebration
Julius Shulman in Phoenix for Pecha Kucha Phoenix 2010
Julius Shulman: Progress + Preservation Through the Lens 2009 - 2014
The Ranch Home in the Valley of the Sun for SMoCA

TESTIMONIALS

"I take my hat off to you. You are one of the few who authentically walks the talk."

Eddie Jones
Principal Architect
Jones Studio

"Modern Phoenix has truly become an indispensable cultural resource."

Thomas Martens

"Many thanks for your passion and interest in understanding, excavating and preserving the legacy of modernism in one the 20th century's most important regions."

Anthea M. Hartig, Ph.D.
National Trust for Historic Preservation

"Every time I go to your site, I get really jealous. It's perfect!"

Margaret Foster
National Trust for Historic Preservation

"I've been frying my brain reading and watching the Modern Phoenix website for the last 3 1/2 hrs. It's like a book I can't put down. Seriously addicting."

Marc Patlan
Nostalgic Alley