13 Free Art Shows You Should See in Metro Phoenix This Week

There's a lot of art to see in Phoenix this week, at all sorts of venues. So get an early start on First Friday, September 2, and wear your serious walking shoes. With so many choices, you'll have to hustle to get it all in. 

"Our Other Selves"
You'll have to head to Flagstaff to see Sky Black's work on a 4,500-square foot Sound of Flight mural filling an entire exterior wall at the Orpheum Theater, but you can explore an intriguing assortment of his other works at {9} The Gallery, where First Friday hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Find more information on the {9} The Gallery website.

"Her Little Machines"
See what happens when artist Kenosha Drucker creates her own little world, inspired by everything from microscopic worlds to an imagined parallel universe, for an exhibition at Burton Barr Central Library. First Friday offerings, which include live music, happen from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Find more information on the Phoenix Public Library website. 

"Pop Culture Politics"
Artist Paige Reesor creates colorful portraits exploring the juxtaposition between presidential politics on a national scale and her own volunteerism in the local political scene. See her works in this new exhibition at Treeo. First Friday hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Find more information on the event Facebook page. 

"The Nature of Things"
New City Studio presents works by artists Ariana Enriquez, who explores the ties between figure and nature, and Chris Vena, who addresses contemporary political unrest. First Friday festivities, which include live music, run from 7 to 10 p.m. Find more information on the New City Studio website.

"From the Abstract to the Absurd"
Carlos Rausch creates non-representational paintings. Cindy Schnackel uses colored pencils and acrylic paint to create abstracted creatures. See works by both artists side by side at Olney Gallery, whose First Friday hours are from 6 to 9 p.m. Find more information on the Olney Gallery Facebook page. 

"Systemic"
Another academic year is underway, which means the return of exhibitions presented by the ASU School of Art at Grant Street Studios. This exhibition features works by Molly Koehn, Emily Ritter, and Priya Thoresen. Each has a different take on the ways various systems have an impact on human behavior. First Friday hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Find more information on the Grant Street Studios Facebook page.

"Lalo and Tato"
Proving their prowess in both street art and the studio, Lalo Cota and Tato Caraveo are showing about 20 works during the grand opening of Grand ArtHaus, where visitors can also see new works created by resident artists including Mata Ruda and Lauren Lee. First Friday hours are 7 to 10 p.m. Find more information on the event Facebook page.


"People, Places + Pop"
Practical Art presents images from Steve Hanson's Polaroid of the Day series, which capture people considered social influencers, places with architectural significance, and the contemporary commercial landscape. Show up, and you can take your own Polaroid for display. First Friday hours are 7 to 9 p.m. Find more information on the Practical Art website. 

"What Happens in Between"
Artist Kris Manzanares culls images from her personal collection of digital photographs, translating them into paintings meant to capture the subtleties of time and space that separate ordinary moments of everyday existence. See her sculpture and paintings at monOrchid, where First Friday hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Find more information on the monOrchid website. 

"Visions of GRANDeur"
Best known as Arizona's hip historian, Marshall Shore goes into curator mode for this exhibition of works by more than 20 artists, including a historic mural and pieces created specifically for this show at Chartreuse. Participating artists include Colin Chillag, Marilyn Zsabo, Zarco Guerrero, and Rossitza L. Todorova. First Friday hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Find more information on the Chartreuse website. 

"Master Portrait Series Pt. 1"
Phoenix artist Abe Zucca has created five new portraits meant to "localize downtown Phoenix and ground the viewer in the application of paint" while presenting an alternative to what he considers the outright gimmickry of artists who rely on contrived props and patterns. First Friday hours are 6 to 11 p.m. Find more information on the Abe Zucca Gallery Facebook page. 

"Give Color to Your Life"
See works by more than 20 artists in this exhibition curated for the Herberger Theater Art Gallery by Tempe artist Oliverio Balcells. Participating artists include Jill Friedberg, Michael Sarda, Kimberly Harris, and Robert Roselli. First Friday hours are 7 to 10 p.m. Find more information on the Herberger Theater Center website.

"Jules Demetrius"
Using stencil cuts and aerosol paint, Jules Demetrius paints portraits of iconic figures both real and fictional — including Prince, Buddha, and Frankenstein. His work is currently on view at Fair Trade Cafe, where First Friday hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Find more information on the Downtown Artists Collective Facebook page.