The other weekend I finally did something that I've been meaning to do since I moved here to Phoenix last August: I visited the Kiva Center located on 5th Avenue in Scottsdale. The Kiva Center was established in the 1950s by Cherokee fashion designer Lloyd Kiva New as an arts, fashion, and jewelry center. It was a place where high-class travelers could go and purchase exquisite 'souvenirs' from the great Southwest.
The artists who occupied the shops at the Kiva Center were respected, talented individuals, noted for producing quality items right there in the shops themselves. Visitors could see the artists in action, and buy a little something from the artist as evidence of their travels and experiences.