Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Debuts Artisan Palate Series
Carcara Dining Room
SHERATON PHOENIX DOWNTOWN AND BENTLEY GALLERY LAUNCH ARTISAN PALATE SERIES
Collaboration with Artist Andrés Anza to Ignite a Journey of the Senses at the Intersection of Art & Culinary
PHOENIX, AZ (PRESS RELEASE) – Sheraton Phoenix Downtown, a contemporary destination located in the heart of downtown Phoenix, announces a partnership with Bentley Gallery that explores the intersection of art and culinary with a new rotating ‘Artisan Palate Series.’ In collaboration with Sheraton Phoenix Downtown’s signature food and beverage outlet Carcara, Executive Chef John Marchetti and world-renowned artist Andrés Anza invite guests to embark on a journey of the senses, infusing sight, sound, touch, smell and taste through a private exhibit of Anza’s work paired alongside a five-course dining experience. The first event in the series launches on Sunday, Nov. 3 with additional events to be announced later this year.
“Sheraton Phoenix Downtown takes pride in showcasing the full richness of the destination through a variety of dynamic partnerships and versatile guest experiences,” said Sheraton Phoenix Downtown’s Market Director of Sales and Marketing William Stratton. “Our new collaboration with Bentley Gallery not only allows us to continue celebrating downtown Phoenix’s vibrant art and cultural scene, but also show our guests the unexpected ways in which different art mediums, whether it be culinary or ceramics, can evolve into a one-of-a-kind exploration of creativity.”
Anza is the 2024 winner of the prestigious Loewe Foundation Craft Prize, an international competition that considers more than 3900 artists from 124 countries. Based in Monterrey, Mexico, Anza uses ceramics as a medium to create sculptures that are abstract, monochromatic, and deliberately ambiguous. While their titles—such as "Portrait," "Unknown Body," and "Stalagmite"—suggest references to the human, animal, or natural world, the rounded sculptures blur the lines between abstraction and realism, organic and inorganic. The forms often appear to droop over the edges of their pedestals and feature hidden folds and openings under a surface blanketed in small spikes, the high-relief texture creating a sense of both invitation and guardedness. This duality mirrors human relationships and our perceptions of interiority and exteriority. Anza exhibit at Bentley Gallery will highlight these amorphous ceramic sculptures whose high-relief texture lend the work to different angles of appreciation–familiar yet strange, specimen-like but fantastical.
In 2025, the Artisan Palate Series will debut with a cocktail reception at Bentley Gallery in downtown Phoenix for a viewing of Anza’s exhibit, immediately followed by a five-course exclusive dining experience at Carcara at Sheraton Phoenix Downtown, crafted from the unique talents of Chef Marchetti and the Carcara culinary team. Guests can expect a menu inspired by the artist where abstraction, distraction, and satisfaction will take center stage to find the uncommon and unexpected in food presentation. Aptly named after several of Anza’s exhibits, highlights include dishes such as “Cinco de Uno,” a specialty approach to the first course that provides multiple bites on edible spoons, a seafood course that evokes a play on Anza’s exhibit titled “De Adentro Hacia Afuera la Marea” to mean from the inside of the tide showcasing ocean-based ingredients, and “Alce y Zanahoria Amorfa,” that speaks to the amorphous ecosystems, integrating Pinon, Elk, Mole and Huckleberry. The final course will feature a ceramic mold designed by Anza and transformed into a focal point of the dessert from Chef Marchetti. Whimsical cocktails and eclectic wines native to the Coahuila and Zacatecas Regions of Mexico, Anza’s home region, will also be paired alongside each course.
"We conceived 'Artisan Palate' as a conversation between two creatives, artist and chef. It really began with a simple yet ambitious premise: transforming the visual language of art into a gastronomic dialogue," said Craig Randich, Director of Bentley Gallery. “During a first meeting this summer, Anza and Marchetti shared their passion for their respective crafts, and thus translated some of the underlying concepts and aesthetic approaches of Anza's artwork into exciting culinary ideas.”
Tickets are $200 per person and are available to purchase here. Additional dates for the Artisan Palate Series in 2025 will be revealed later this year. For more information on Sheraton Phoenix Downtown, visit www.SheratonPhoenixDowntown.com or call (602) 262.2500.
About Sheraton Phoenix Downtown: Sheraton Phoenix Downtown, a contemporary destination located in the heart of downtown Phoenix, is the largest hotel in Arizona. Featuring the new vision of the reinvented Sheraton brand experience, Sheraton’s design approach embraces community-fluid spaces that feel warm and inviting for both locals and visitors. The Sheraton Phoenix Downtown renovation includes completely revamped guest rooms, new food and beverage and programming, and a social lobby lounge, Sheraton Club. One of Phoenix's premier convention hotels, Sheraton Phoenix Downtown houses more than 110,000 square feet of versatile space with the latest audiovisual technology, as well as on-site planning and catering. Modern lodging and a superb location in Downtown Phoenix, the hotel is near the Phoenix Convention Center, Footprint Center, Chase Field, Arizona State University, Arizona Science Center, Phoenix Zoo, Children’s Museum of Phoenix, Orpheum Theatre, numerous art galleries and large-scale murals in Roosevelt Row Arts District, and just 5 miles (ten minutes) from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) and Scottsdale Airport (SCF).
About Sheraton Hotels & Resorts: Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, part of Marriott International, Inc., makes it easy for guests to feel part of something special at over 440 hotels in 70+ countries and territories around the world. As the most global brand within Marriott International’s portfolio sitting at the center of hundreds of communities around the world, Sheraton has a rich heritage in creating a sense of belonging for guests, wherever they are in the world. Sheraton Hotels & Resorts is currently undergoing a major brand transformation at properties around the world to bring its signature community experience up-to-date for the next generation of travelers. The new vision for Sheraton features intuitive design, tech-forward experiences and upgrades to everything from guest rooms to F&B. To learn more, visit www.sheraton.com. Stay connected to Sheraton on Facebook, and @sheratonhotels on Twitter and Instagram. Sheraton is proud to participate in Marriott Bonvoy™, the global travel program from Marriott International. The program offers members an extraordinary portfolio of global brands, exclusive experiences on Marriott Bonvoy Moments and unparalleled benefits including free nights and Elite status recognition. To enroll for free or for more information about the program, visit MarriottBonvoy.marriott.com.
About Bentley Gallery: Bentley Gallery’s commitment to contemporary abstraction has been unparalleled for over four decades. The gallery houses a large inventory of carefully selected works by an esteemed roster of popular local and internationally-recognized artists. Each represented artist is held in numerous collections, exhibits widely, and is recognized for their high caliber contributions to the discourse of contemporary art. Exhibitions feature contemporary painting, drawing, sculpture, textiles, new media, and site-specific installation works. For more information, please visit www.bentleygallery.com.