First Friday heats up tonight with creative works going up all over Phoenix. Here are our picks for shows not to miss this evening.
"Tom Sawyer Wears A Business Suit"
The new Step Gallery in downtown Phoenix is the ideal venue for Bobby Zokaites's MFA these exhibition "Tom Sawyer Wears A Business Suit." The industrial space provides the perfect backdrop for Zokaites's whimsical sculptural work; in this show, the artist uses woven seat belts to create a large-scale installation in the gallery.
See also: Sentrock to Hold Solo Show at Palabra Collective in Downtown Phoenix
According to a press release, "Zokaites makes reference to pivotal industrial developments while presenting a circus-like environment that begs for playful exploration. If Tom Sawyer is to Henry Ford as a business suit is to a pair of stilts, then you can imagine the sort of opposites Zokaites is fusing together in this exhibition." The opening reception will take place from 6 to 10 p.m. and will feature a guest trombone performance by the artist's twin brother, Russ Zokaites. The exhibition runs though Friday, May 30.
"Sort of Sacred"
"Sort of Sacred" is a showcase of both undergraduate and graduate student work from the Sculpture program at ASU. This biannual exhibition put on by the Arizona State Sculpture Collective will feature a variety of materials, including found objects, metal, and light. The art will be on view at Icehouse for one night only, with a reception from 6 to 10 p.m. For more information, check out the Facebook event page.
"The Bracero"
If you're looking for something more cerebral, this show, put on by Calaca is the way to go. "The Bracero" explores the history of the Bracero Program, which brought manual laborers from the Mexico to the United States in the 1940s. Artists featured in this show are Marco Albarran, Mary Ann Rodriguez-Veatch, Emily Costello, Martin Moreno, Gabriela Munoz, Zarco Guerrero, Jose Benavides, Cristina Cardenas, Johnny Lozoya, and Marco Turrubiantes. The opening reception will take place at Willo North from 6 to 9 p.m., and the show will be up through Friday, May 30. Check out the Facebook event page for more information.
"Honesty"
"Honesty," is a multimedia exhibition with work from Samantha Lyn Aasen, Angela Cazel-Jahn, Ruokun Chen, Francisco Flores, Benjamin Philips, Kristina Ricci, and Annalise Shingler. Artist Samantha Lyn Aasen says, "Overall there is a theme of raw truth and honestly in our work. . . In our practices each of us takes the world around us (immigration, body politics, exposure, femininity, etc.) and showcases it through our own critical eyes and enters a space of questioning from multiple angles." Aasam's piece in the show is an interactive game of vajazzling, using web applications and animated GIFs. The exhibition is open for one night only, so be sure to stop by Frontal Lobe from 6:30 tp 9:30 p.m.. For more information, check out the Facebook event page.
"Knowing You Unknown"
This solo exhibition of work from Emmett Ramstad uses sculptural representations of undergarments and dresser drawers to explore dichotomies of knowns and unknowns. According to Ramstad's website, "This exhibition asks how we are unique, what constitutes intimacy and how we document our differences." The opening of "Knowing You Unknown" will take place from 6 to 10 p.m. at Eye Lounge. The show runs through Sunday, May 11.
