Here’s a look at several free shows you can explore on Friday, June 2. We’ve got details on the “Heart of a Dragon” exhibition and auction happening at {9} The Gallery, where all art sold benefits gallerist Laura Dragon, who recently shared her diagnosis of stage-four lung cancer. And word to the wise: Keep your eyes open while you're out and about on Friday, since several new murals have gone up since the start of May.
Roosevelt Row
“Baggage”
The beauty of baggage is the way it fills both small and large spaces. Rachel Goodwin premiered her “Baggage” exhibition at ASU's Step Gallery earlier this year, and now she’s adapted it for a far smaller exhibition space inside a shipping container gallery in Roosevelt Row. First Friday hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Learn more at the Rhetorical Galleries Facebook page.
“Muere Vivo”
For this exhibition in the ASU Project Space, artist Gabriel Rico is presenting sculpture and video work in dialogue with insects from the ASU natural history collection. First Friday hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Get details on the Project Space Facebook page.
“A New New Wave”
The new monOrchid curator Mark Freedman put together a group show featuring works by more than a dozen Arizona artists – including some familiar names, such as Malena Barnhart, Dani Godreau, Rembrandt Quiballo, and Travis Rice. See their work between 6 and 10 p.m. on First Friday. Learn more on the event Facebook page.
“Extraordinary Expression”
Olney Gallery at Trinity Cathedral beckons gallerygoers to explore the works of Patsy Lowry and Kip Sudduth. Lowry uses layers of acrylic paint to “strengthen her texture and imagery." Sudduth creates mixed-media abstractions from photographs and other materials. See their work from 6 to 9 p.m. on First Friday. Let details on the Olney Gallery Facebook page.
“PTSD, The Invisible Scar”
See this solo photo-documentary exhibition featuring works by Christopher Boats Oshana, a Navy veteran who uses photography to spotlight post-traumatic stress disorder and its impact on the many lives it touches. First Friday hours for this show at Public Image are 6 to 10 p.m. Find more information on the event Facebook page.
Detail of Laura Dragon portrait by Jon Wassom.
Jon Wassom
“Heart of the Dragon”
The walls at {9} The Gallery will be filled with works by dozens of artists for an exhibition and art auction to raise money for Laura Dragon, a local gallerist who recently announced that she has stage 4 lung cancer. Head to the gallery to see a diverse assortment of paintings, drawings, mixed media, and sculpture, then stay to place a bid or enjoy the after-party. First Friday hours are 6 to 11 p.m. Learn more on the event Facebook page.
“pretty/creepy: the dainty little freak show part 2”
Nicole Royse curates this solo exhibition of works by Daniel Shepherd, who reconfigures pretty images, making them creepy and unnerving but still oddly attractive like their original forms. Basically, Shepherd’s work reminds art viewers that beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. First Friday hours at Chartreuse gallery are 6 to 10 p.m. Get details on the Chartreuse website.
Central Corridor
“The Evidence of Hope”
Practical Art is showing 33 individual compositions that comprise a single work of art. The painting features a flock of sparrows, along with a few outlying observers on a field of lilies, calling attention to the fact that sparrows keep singing despite the brokenness of men. First Friday hours are 7 to 9 p.m. Learn more on the Practical Art website.
“Free Arts of Arizona”
First Studio is showing works by children who participate in Free Arts of Arizona programs with professional artists. Free Arts is a Phoenix nonprofit that provides therapeutic creative experiences for children and teens living with homelessness, abuse, and other challenges. Check it out from 6 to 10 p.m. on First Friday. Get details on the First Studio Facebook page.
“Juxtaposition”
Head to the Studio at Found:RE Phoenix, a boutique art hotel filled with creations by famous Arizona artists, to see works by James Angel and Jamie Pettis. They’ll be on view from 6 to 10 p.m. Find more information on the event Facebook page.
