“Good Wonder”
Weary of contemporary art that’s cold and pretentious, artist Lily Montgomery curated an exhibition that’s all about revealing a world filled with wonder. “Good Wonder” features artists who work in the language of myth, beauty, and self-contained truths. You can see the exhibition on Monday, August 28, from noon to 5 p.m. It’s on view at ASU’s Gallery 100, located inside Suite 199 at 951 South Mill Avenue in Tempe, near the ASU Art Museum.
More than a dozen artists will show works that counter the mechanization of everyday life with magic, awe, and humility. They include Elijah Bourque, Camila Galofre, Bill Dambrova, Ryan Perra, and the Dream Collective Agency. The free art show continues through Friday, September 1. Visit the ASU Events website. Lynn Trimble
Night Cruiser
Music lovers expecting to lose themselves in some weeknight EDM beats will be dancing to a different tune when they show up at the cocktail bar The Womack for a three-hour set from DJ Gila Man and TK Nicholson. During Night Cruiser, the duo will spin soul and disco records that perfectly match the retro atmosphere of this swanky establishment. The vibe is decidedly more bell-bottoms than rave gear, but the urge to get down will be hard to deny.
Catch the Tuesday night fever from 8 to 11 p.m. on Tuesday, August 29, at 5749 North Seventh Street. There’s no cover. For more information, visit the Womack website. Jason Keil
Seinfeld Trivia
Seinfeld, the infinitely popular TV show about absolutely nothing, sure left us with a new vocabulary and a lot to discuss, like low-talkers, close-talkers, anti-dentites, manziers, and mimbos.
If you know what any, or all, of those terms mean, or have the intricacies of characters Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer’s lives burned into your memory, you’ll want to throw down during Seinfeld Trivia. The competition for prizes and bragging rights is hosted by Emily The Lewis. DJ Shane Kennedy provides music. Enjoy $1 off cans of craft beer.
Sign-ups start at 7 p.m. in the Rose Room. The trivia throwdown that is real and spectacular begins promptly at 8 on Tuesday, August 29, at Valley Bar, 130 North Central Avenue. Admission is free. Visit the Valley Bar website. Amy Young
“What the Eye Doesn’t See Doesn’t Move the Heart: Migrant Quilts of the Southern Arizona Borderlands”
Using blue jeans, bandanas, and other items discarded by migrants crossing the Sonoran Desert, quilters are telling the powerful stories of people who’ve died while making the journey from Central America or Mexico into the United States.
The Migrant Quilt Project is featured in a free exhibition at Tempe History Museum, 809 East Southern Avenue, next to Tempe Public Library. Every quilt represents migrant deaths documented by the Pima County Medical Examiner’s Office during a specific federal fiscal year.
See “What the Eye Doesn’t See Doesn’t Move the Heart: Migrant Quilts of the Southern Arizona Borderlands” between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Wednesday, August 30. It continues through Thursday, September 21. Visit the City of Tempe website or the Migrant Quilt Project website. Lynn Trimble
See Saskia Jordá’s newest body of work at Eric Fischl Gallery.
Saskia Jordá/Courtesy of Eric Fischl Gallery
Maybe you’ve seen Saskia Jordá’s work at Phoenix Art Museum or Scottsdale’s Canal Convergence. Using wood, fabric, and other media, she’s explored everything from forest fires to migration. Now, she’s taking on the concept of lineage with an exhibition of new work at Eric Fischl Gallery.
“Lineage” is anchored by an 18-foot-long burst of red that prompts reflection on the complexities of the human circulatory system that’s essential to life, the intertwined lines of individual and collective ancestry that infuse the human experience, and the artistic lineage of Jordá’s art practice.
You can catch the opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, August 31. Or, see the free exhibit during regular gallery hours, which are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The exhibition space is located on the second floor of the fine and performing arts building at Phoenix College, 1202 West Thomas Road. Visit the Phoenix College website. Lynn Trimble
Acoustic Open Stage Night
Fiddler’s Dream Coffee House does open mic night a little differently than most — without a microphone. There’s nothing onstage except the performer and whatever instrument he brings along.
The 21-year-old cafe invites creatives to take the stage during Acoustic Open Stage Night every Thursday. On August 31, attendees can expect a variety of entertainment, including singers, poets, and storytellers.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the show begins at 7 at 1702 East Glendale Avenue. Admission is $3 to $5 by donation at the door. The setlist will be in order of arrival. Visit the Facebook event page. Lindsay Roberts
Picture your love life as art when you hit Step Gallery for “Union.”
Courtesy of Arizona State University
What would your love life look like if you turned it into an art installation? See what a couple of recently married artists and graduate students, Christina Kemp-Sullivan and Buzzy Sullivan, came up with when they tried this at home.
The duo will present an ephemeral, photography-based exhibition called “Union” at Step Gallery, located inside ASU’s Grant Street Studios at 605 East Grant Street. It’s a reflection of their lives as emerging artists, graduate students, and newlyweds. But the exhibition also hints at the challenges of living in an urban desert environment.
Take a look between 6 and 9 p.m. on Friday, September 1. The free show runs through Saturday, September 2. Visit the ASU events page. Lynn Trimble
