Swinging bats at candy-filled pinatas was the highlight of childhood birthday parties. With age, most come to realize bashing papier-mâché donkeys is a little scary and animalistic. But pummeling a pinata zombie Joe Arpaio with a wooden stick sounds like it could be screaming grownup fun.
That notorious pinata doppelganger is just one of several pieces on display in the Arizona exhibit at Galeria de los Muertos. We wanted to show the good and the bad of Arizona and some of the different takes on it, says Marco Turrubiartes, gallery president and artist. We want to get people to think about the place they live.
The result is a diverse collection of art in a variety of media by 16 of the gallerys member artists. Cacti with mustaches, skeleton cowboys, photography and large stuffed monsters made out of vintage fake fur all come together in what Turrubiartes calls a modern portrait of the state.
Tuesdays-Saturdays, 1-9 p.m.; Sundays, 1-7 p.m. Starts: Aug. 26. Continues through Oct. 20, 2011