5 Must-See Third Friday Art Shows in Phoenix on May 15

Seeing everything on your Third Friday wish list is going to be more challenging than usual this month if your top picks include ARTELPHX at The Clarendon Hotel, which features 29 performances and installations. So we’re sharing a relatively short “must-see” list, but also offering a friendly reminder that ARTELPHX continues on Saturday, May 16. Beyond ARTELPHX, these are the shows we’re most eager to see during this month’s Third Friday.

“Bobo and Friends”

It’ll be retrospective time for past and present members of the Paint Co-Lab come Friday night, when Eye Lounge opens a month-long show featuring works in various media by more than two dozen artists, including Bobo Johns, in its East Gallery. The fact that Heather Hoylan is doing a “Paint and Prints” show that includes her adventures in bond, vellum, and Mylar in the Eye Lounge Project Room is a delightful bonus. Friday’s opening reception takes place from 7 to 10 p.m. Find more information on the Eye Lounge website.

“Fragile Life”

Phoenix Institute of Contemporary Art opens “Fragile Life,” a month-long exhibition of works by Denise Yahgmourian, at Modified Arts this Friday. Her most recent works blend diverse materials including animal bones, leaves, and feathers — plus materials recently seen in other settings. Think thin threads like those featured in recent works at Bentley Gallery and cable ties like those used in her installation for last fall’s ARTELPHX. There’s a big bonus here, as well — because phICA is also opening a second month-long exhibition in the space: “Krivanek,” featuring large-scale paintings by Eddie Shea, who often juxtaposes familiar objects with abstract imagery. Friday’s opening reception takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. Find more information on the Modified Arts website.

“Incognito Witch Project: Celebrating Hidden Magick”

Magic rarely comes to mind on those rare occasions when we pause to ponder other peoples’ selfies. But artist Mollie Kellogg has a thing for “capturing the inner light of self-photographed subjects,” which she’s transformed into a series of mixed media portraits dubbed the Incognito Witch Project. Kellogg aims to “unlock the previously obscured magical essences” of her subjects, and she’s inviting Third Friday gallery-goers to let their own magic shine by showing up at Frontal Lobe Gallery and Community Space all decked out and costumed. We’re told she’ll be shooting footage for a new music video during the opening, which runs from 6 to 11 p.m. Find more information on the Frontal Lobe Gallery and Community Space Facebook page.

“Mini’s”

Wacky apostrophe aside, we’re keen on this exhibition featuring small bodies of work artist Michelle Terry-Helmick calls “compact exhibits,” which we explored at Five15 Arts during May’s First Friday opening. Terry-Helmick uses diverse materials and techniques to explore “the realization and acceptance of middle age.” It’s always a treat to see artists demonstrating their versatility, and we’re pleased to note that you needn’t be a so-called middle-ager to appreciate these works — which include drawings, collage, and casting. The artist reception on Third Friday takes place from 6 to 10 p.m. Find more information on the Five15 Arts Facebook page.

“Beat Those Mind Games”

After enjoying Noelle Martinez’s first solo exhibition, presented last year at Willo North Gallery, we’re eager to see new works she’s created for her solo exhibition opening this Friday at The Hive. Martinez tells us three things inspired the ten works she’ll be showing: the encouragement of a photographer friend, her need to stay positive for a sister facing health issues, and her respect for fellow artists who “have to persevere through so much and balance it all.” Plus, it’s fun to dabble in The Hive’s funky surroundings, which include an outdoor courtyard sporting a cool assortment of works by various artists. This Friday’s opening reception runs from 7 to 10 p.m. Find more information The Hive Facebook page.

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