Author: Alexandra Flamini

Conspire, a Phoenix art cooperative, is a coffee bar, fashion boutique, book shop, art gallery, live venue and hang-out spot all in one. A teal bungalow tucked on the corner of Garfield and 5th streets is home to the collective. Twinkle lights illuminate the tree in front, acting as a beacon to bicyclists and windsurfers alike. Lock your bicycle to the homemade racks and take a seat with the regulars at the picnic bench out front. You may even fancy a vegan doughnut. Room 270 of Taylor Place is my home. Buddhist prayer flags line the top of the room, personal art pieces hang on the wall, my fish Monet swims on the windowsill in his bowl and a heavy scent of Plakka paint hangs in the air. My bookshelf holds existential novels, feminist magazines and my camera handbook, just to name a few. The spare bedroom is a design studio littered with sketches and paper scraps. I enjoy sleeping in my far-too-comfy bed, far too many hours a night. I’ve always loved fairy lights and nighttime bike rides through empty city streets. When I discovered Conspire one First Friday, it was packed. I honestly could not move. So, I left. But soon after, I returned. The place was quiet but welcoming, and a friend and I made our way to the back. The library, filled with anarchist novels and music zines, was overwhelmingly appealing to my taste. I am not sure how an artsy coffee shop serving my favorite food, doughnuts, in bike-riding distance from my dorm, could get a whole lot better. And, how could this converted home be any more similar to my bold, coffee-loving personality? My name is Alex Flamini, and I am a sophomore at Arizona State University. I am a first-year graphic design major. Being 19, the awe of living in the heart of the city keeps me well enough entertained. I frequently ride in Central Phoenix on my KHS, hunter green, Urban Soul, single-speed bike. Say hi if you see me. I’m looking for friends.

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