“The Blessing”
Most people put family photos in frames. But San Carlos Apache-Akimel O’odham artist Douglas Miles puts his on blankets, which have special significance for many Native American people, who hand them down between the generations. The blankets are symbols of protection, love, and blessing, according to materials for “The Blessing,” an exhibition of Miles’ work on view at the Arizona Capitol Museum, 1700 West Washington Street.
The show includes a series of oversize blankets, printed with images of family, friends, and neighbors. Miles is a painter, printmaker, and photographer. In 2002, he founded a company called Apache Skateboards. Recently, he was a resident artist at the De Young Museum in San Francisco. Often Miles’ work blends Native history with political resistance. Explore “The Blessing” between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Monday, November 27. The free exhibit continues through January 22, 2018. Visit the Arizona Library website. Lynn Trimble
Leo Banks, Marc Cameron, and Matt Coyle
When three suspense and thriller authors gather at a local bookstore, what happens isn’t a mystery. They’ve got new books to sell and sign. Join Leo Banks, Marc Cameron, and Matt Coyle as they autograph recent releases.
Banks’ finds a former baseball player embroiled in a dangerous scenario in the Arizona desert. Cameron’s political thriller is a continuation of Tom Clancy’s best-selling Jack Ryan series, and Coyle’s is a hardboiled tale of a private investigator battling personal demons. Get new reads for your home library from 7 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 28, at The Poisoned Pen, 4014 North Goldwater Boulevard in Scottsdale.
Admission is free, but books for signing range from $16 to $29.95. Call 480-947-2974 or visit the Poisoned Pen website. Amy Young
“How to Live in the Desert: Interpreting Taliesin West”
There is expressiveness in the horizontal lines and wide extended eaves of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West. The event “How to Live in the Desert: Interpreting Taliesin West” will inspire those who are intrigued by the Prairie School style that the late architect popularized in the first half of the 20th century. Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation President and CEO Stuart Graff will share the history behind Wright’s desert home and laboratory. Attendees will have the opportunity to tour the grounds.
The history lesson starts at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 30, at 12621 North Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard in Scottsdale. Admission is free. For more information, visit the Frank Lloyd Wright website. Jason Keil
Documentary Video Art Festival
June Jung documented arranged marriages. Brandon Peppler took on life with autism. And Mia Lopez delved into the early Chicano movement in Glendale. They’re three of the seven students whose short videos are screening at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, 7374 East Second Street.
It will mark the seventh time ASU art professor and artist Muriel Magenta has shown her students’ work at SMoCA, during a free event called the Documentary Video Art Festival. Magenta will introduce the films during the 2017 edition of the event, which will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 30.
Student filmmakers also include Alison Sigala, who explored the world of fandom, and Dexter Farley, who captured childhood memories of life on the Navajo reservation. Igor Komienovic’s film addresses family escapes from Yugoslavia during the 1980s, and Xualiing Liu looks at Chinese students who study abroad. For more information, visit the SMoCa website. Lynn Trimble
Full Moon Festival
A full moon can be exciting, as it’s often synonymous with spawning unique and unexplainable occurrences. But even if nothing crazy happens, it’s still pretty cool to look at, and a good reason to throw a party.
The folks hosting the monthly Full Moon Festival agree. The theme of this month’s gathering is “Heart Shala.” Shala is the Sanskrit word for home. So when you put the two together, it translates to “a place of
The event will include yoga, meditation, sound healing, teas from around the world, food, and live music. Celebrate December’s “cold moon” starting at 5:55 p.m. on Friday, December 1, at Unexpected Gallery, 734 West Polk Street. Admission is free. Call 602-638-1313 or visit the Unexpected Art Gallery website. Amy Young
Images in Motion
In Scottsdale Community College’s dance program, creating a piece is as much about experience and personal growth as performance. During the annual Images in Motion production on Friday and Saturday, December 1 and 2, the program will present work from three companies: Instinct Dancecorps, SCC Moving Company, and Scottsdale Arizona Jazz Ensemble.
The fall showcase will highlight more than 30 student dancers, performing acrobatics, lyrical and contemporary jazz, hip-hop-inspired and Latin-infused contemporary, and modern works from faculty, guest choreographers, and alumni. A dance group from the Arizona School for the Arts will also perform.
The free dance concert will begin at 8 p.m. each night at Scottsdale Community College’s Performing Arts Center, 9000 East Chaparral Road. For more information, visit the Facebook event page. Laura Latzko
Arizona Asian Festival
Chances are good you’d find more than 17 Asian cultures here in the Valley, but 17 of them will be represented at the 22nd annual Arizona Asian Festival. Is your first question about more kinds of Asian food than you probably have fingers? Duh. Whether you get hangry or just a little cranky and worn-out (from viewing the fashion show of 100 traditional costumes, strolling the Avenue of aforementioned Cultures, or prowling the tent full of community information and shopping), you and 15,000 other visitors will find a selection that’d do any festival proud. Filipino, Indonesian, and Laotian cuisine join the familiar standbys.
The food’s also important to the dozens of dance, martial arts, and musical groups that perform continuously. So. Much. Dancing. Cruise to Scottsdale Civic Center Park, 3939 North 75th Street on Saturday, December 2, and Sunday, December 3, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Visit the Arizona Asian American Association website. Julie Peterson
Art and Objects Studio Sale
Phoenix artist Patricia Sannit uses textured clay forms to represent interwoven layers of history, humanity, and culture. Sometimes her art is displayed in large-scale installations, as in her recent “Rise Fall Rise” exhibition at Phoenix Art Museum. But Sannit also creates smaller work like vessels and pendants.
Get a glimpse of Sannit’s studio, located at 2631 East Cortez Street, when she holds the Art and Objects Studio Sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, December 3. She’ll be joined by more than a dozen artists showing and selling works of art, which gives you a convenient way to holiday shop while supporting local creatives. There’s no cost for admission.
Participating artists include Tiffany Bailey, Christopher Jagmin, Elliott Kayser, and Christy Puetz, to name a few. While you’re there, enjoy a cup of mulled apple cider and get a henna tattoo created by Jennifer Lind. Visit the Patricia Sannit website. Lynn Trimble
The Full Moon Walk
Put your single sparkly glove away. The Full Moon Walk isn’t a fresh iteration of an M.J dance move. It’s an actual walk under an actual full moon.
The Museum of Walking’s director and co-founder Angela Ellsworth will lead the free 2.7-mile walk under the cover of darkness. The goal of the trek through Papago Park is to be contemplative and silent.
The nighttime walk will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 3, at 625 North Galvin Parkway. RSVP at the Artful website. And participants are welcome to bring flashlights. For more information, visit the Museum of Walking website. Lindsay Roberts
Editor's note: This post has been updated from its original version.