Spring into action this week with sports, art, and science events in metro Phoenix.
"Imaginate" @ Arizona Science Center "Dream. Create. Build." is the theme for "Imaginate" at Arizona Science Center. The concept behind the exhibit is to help viewers unlock their minds to ponder and pose the questions that lead to new ideas and innovations. The exhibit is a place where visitors are not only spectators but also participants in a world where imagination is unlocked and creativity encouraged, all while exploring the world of science.
See also: ASU's Ceramics Research Center to Relocate in 2014
There are plenty of hands-on activities in the exhibit for those of all ages, including building paper airplanes, making faces, interactive projections, ferrofluid experiences, exploring stop-motion animation, and more. "Innovation is neither quick nor easy," exhibit creators explain, but the time invested is time well spent.
Tap into your mind at "Imaginate" from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, November 11, at 600 East Washington Street. Tickets are $18 for children 3 to 17 and $21.95 for everyone else. Visit www.azscience.org or call 602-716-2000. -- Glenn BurnSilver
"Chihuly in the Garden" @ Desert Botanical Garden He's back. World-famous glass artist Dale Chihuly returns to the Valley with a new exhibition, "Chihuly in the Garden" at Desert Botanical Garden.
Whether you've seen these intricate, vibrant pieces on display in London, Paris or Seattle -- or caught his last stop in town, "Chihuly: The Nature of Glass" in 2008 -- this six-month long installaton offers plenty of chances to study every detail and spiral of his signature blown glass.
Expect plenty of red, yellow, and green hues that play with the desert's fall light and mimic what lives in the garden. The garden itself is 140 acres and the art will be found throughout: dotting trails, hiding in plain sight.
Catch Chihuly daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Sunday, May 18. Tickets are $22; discounted admission is available for members. Reservations are highly encouraged. Call 480-941-1225 or visit www.dbg.org. -- Janessa Hilliard
Doug Stanhope @ Stand Up Live It's been well established that Doug Stanhope doesn't shy away from any topic. The boundaryless comic's wry stances on sex, drugs, drinking, death, and everything in between take no prisoners Wednesday, November 13, in downtown Phoenix.
The man who's called the Arizona border town of Bisbee home since 2005 often starts with pretty reasonable assertions or anecdotes that roil into full on comedic rants that can't help but strike a chord. Stanhope digs deep in his latest one hour special, Beer Hall Putsch, coming on DVD later this month, detailing his mother's decision to take her own life in the face of continued emphysemic suffering for one bit. It's unflinching while absolutely hilarious like the comic himself.
Doug Stanhope performs at Stand Up Live, 50 West Jefferson Street in Phoenix. The 18 & over show starts at 8 p.m., and tickets are $25. For more info, visit www.standuplive.com or call 480-719-6100. -- Jose Gonzalez
Tokyo Waka Screening @ SMoCA Lounge The residents of Tokyo are locked in an epic battle with giant jungle crows. Sounds like a great monster movie -- but it's a documentary, Tokyo Waka, presented at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art by No Festival Required Independent Cinema. It's a poetic, contemplative film that weaves a philosophical framework of human nature, art, and urban life around the government's years of mixed success with initiatives to reduce the population of the aggressive, messy birds, who are getting smarter every day, hold grudges, use tools, and really like mayonnaise and wiring. Tokyo's previous governor, Shintaro Ishihara, hoped to interest his constituents in crow meat as a delicacy, but no luck so far.
Refresh your outlook with some issues from another hemisphere at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, November 14, in SMoCA Lounge at 7374 East Second Street. Tickets are $7 at the door, or call 480-874-4666. Visit www.nofestivalrequired.com for more information. -- Julie Peterson
Phoenix Suns vs. Brooklyn Nets @ US Airways The Phoenix Suns may end up having four first-round draft picks in 2014. What's more, the 2014 NBA draft is being touted as the best in a decade. Understandably, Planet Orange devotees find themselves in the ambivalent position of rooting for their team whilst secretly being okay with the losses piling up this year. And while the Suns' top brass would never admit it, they might be in the same spot. New GM Ryan McDonough has had no qualms about completely dismantling an already tenuous roster in a very transparent attempt to posture the team for the future, particularly next year's draft. Translation: The Suns aren't going to rise very high this year. But then again, nothing catalyzes cohesion and inspires a locker room like a throng of dismal prognostications.
The young Suns will host a Brooklyn Nets team whose circumstances couldn't be more opposite at 7 p.m. Friday, November 15, at US Airway Center, 201 East Jefferson Street. Tickets start at $37.75. Visit www.nba.com/suns or call 877-455-1822. -- Rob Kroehler
