An eclectic group of four Valley women, the Heady Hoop Tribe aims to inspire others in the Phoenix area through the creative power of modern hoop dance.

Perhaps to alleviate the dreariness of long northern winters, Scandinavian style tends toward folk-art florals, crisp checks, plaids and stripes, and wood furniture left natural or painted in colors that evoke the region's natural beauty.

Mesa

Using nothing more than the soot from a wood burning stove mixed with his own saliva, deaf artist James Castle used this homemade ink to communicate with the world.

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Charleston is awash in history and Southern charm and becoming widely known as a culinary town. Each year it hosts major events ranging from the Spoleto Festival USA to the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition and the Family Circle Cup Tennis Tournament. But there are a lot of free things to do for visitors drawn to the city founded in 1670. Here are some suggestions:

They brought folk back to mainstream radio long before The Lumineers and Of Monsters And Men hit it big, with blissful, down-home tunes popping up in jaunty car commercials and adorable father-daughter YouTube covers. This weekend, you can find the 10-piece Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros at the McDowell Mountain Music Festival in Phoenix, where they’ll be rubbing shoulders with the likes of The Shins, Dr. Dog and The Roots.

Browse the best quilts in the state at the Arizona Quilters Guild’s annual show, where a sew-a-thon will benefit the Child Crisis Center.

Paco Peña: Flamenco Vivo - Spanish dancers, singers and musicians bring a bit of Andalucía to Scottsdale.

Mesa Arts Center is inviting music lovers — or workers needing a change of scenery on their lunch breaks — to enjoy free concerts 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursdays through April 11 in its outdoor Wells Fargo Garden.

Naming herself after the provincial flower of Alberta, Canada, Loca Rosa is a performer with international flair.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — In 21st century America, a 19th century invention — the bicycle — is figuring more and more in the calculations of apartment hunters and others looking for suitable digs.

Good Lovelies: This all-girl trio combines quirk and sass for an irresistibly modern take on folk music.

City of Mesa Parks and Recreation held its annual Breakfast with Santa at the Mesa Convention Center Saturday.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has exhibited them. So has The Museum of Modern Art. They’re just two major arts institutions to recognize the playfulness and sense of surprise in vernacular photography — a form of folk art developed quite by accident.

Seeking gift ideas for that music lover this holiday season, check out the following box set reviews from The Associated Press:

Known primarily for his character roles in “Total Recall” and “RoboCop,” long-time performer Ronny Cox is also a singer-songwriter, performing laid-back Southern folk music with a dash of self-depricating humor.

Whether you want to explore a classy art festival or cheer at the ostrich, or even Chihuahua races, the East Valley has it! Let’s take advantage of our Arizona paradise and dance outdoors to live music, indulge during a cook-off, put on our boots for the rodeo and Old West Days, or run foot races.

Do you long for the days when Halloween was more about fun and games in your local community and less about ponying up a hundred dollars’ worth of candy to distribute to a bunch of ungrateful kids?

Performing Arts 2012-13 season preview

Performing Arts 2012-13 season preview

On this side of the aisle, weathered barn boards and a chipped farmhouse table are laden with patchwork toys, quilts and wooden pull toys. On the other, the latest innovation in holographic technology turns a kid's iPad case into a mini surfing movie.

Some places have such an impact on your senses, you can’t help but be drawn back time and time again.

Do decency, integrity, ethics, forgiveness, respect, thoughtfulness, self-reflection, forgiveness, kindness, empathy, civility, morality, generosity, hope, and honesty mean anything to anyone today? Are these traits of weakness that separate the sheep from the wolves, the leaders from the followers, the innovators from the implementers?