Here's Your Guide to June First Friday in Metro Phoenix

June First Friday promises more than a dozen fresh art shows, showcasing emerging and established artists working in metro Phoenix. We’ve organized them by neighborhood, to help you see more shows in just a few hours. Here’s your guide to June First Friday, including two must-see shows featuring Arizona creatives.

Must-see exhibits

“Objects of Memory”
Denise Yaghmourian dipped objects with sentimental value in paint, then suspended them above blank canvases to create abstract works she’ll be showing at Bentley Gallery. Her exhibition also includes the objects arranged into a single installation. First Friday hours from 6 to 9 p.m. include dance performance by Nicole Olson at 7 and 8 p.m. Learn more on the Facebook event page.

Contemporary Forum Exhibit
The Contemporary Forum support organization for Phoenix Art Museum is showing works by Matt Magee and four additional artists recently recognized for their work. First Friday hours from 6 to 10 p.m. include free museum admission, and several activities including a 6 p.m. meet-and-greet with Magee. Find details on the Phoenix Art Museum website.

Grand Avenue

“Flowerchild”
{9} The Gallery is showing paintings by Matthew Goodall and Ariana Enriquez. Goodall’s watercolor works blend floral imagery with the human form. Enriquez’s oil paintings embrace flowers as metaphors for identity. First Friday hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Get additional information on the Facebook event page.

“Reflection/Reconstruction”
Five15 Arts at Chartreuse presents works by collective members Joan C. Thompson, who creates both abstract and figurative works using salvaged objects, acrylic paint, and mixed media. First Friday hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Learn more on the Facebook event page.

“Figure”
See how a dozen artists working in different media represent the human form in this group show at Grand ArtHaus. Participating artists include Natalie Strait, Estevan Curiel, Ignacio Martinez, and Adriana Zavalza. First Friday hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Get details on the Facebook gallery page.

“Symmetrical Thoughts”
Head to Sisao Gallery at Oasis on Grand for a solo exhibition by Damian Amoros, who creates symmetrical, geometric works influenced by graffiti art and culture. Third Friday hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Learn more on the Facebook event page.

Central Avenue

“Studio Work: Arizona Images”
Practical Art presents a solo exhibition of works by Nissa Kubly, who works with metal and photography to explore Arizona’s habitat and culture. First Friday hours are 7 to 9 p.m. Find more information on the Practical Art website.

First Friday at Heard Museum
Heard Museum is celebrating Diné resilience 150 years after the signing of the Navajo Nation Treaty, with a free musical performance by Sihasin at 7 p.m. and a small artisan market. Museum admission is free starting at 6 p.m. (last entry is 9:30 p.m.). Get more details on the Heard Museum website.

“Imageworks”
See works by a dozen artists who create large-scale fine art photographs ranging from landscapes to abstracts. See 50 framed pieces at Found:RE Phoenix, during the opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Also, you can see works by Isse Maloi in the Found:RE Studio gallery space. Get details on the Facebook event page.

Arizona Artists Guild’s 90th Anniversary
Head to First Studio for an exhibition of works by juried members of the Arizona Artists Guild, which was founded in 1928. The exhibition includes works by more than two dozen artists working in diverse media. First Friday hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Learn more on the Facebook event page.

Roosevelt Row

“Yuma”
Xico, Inc. is showing photographs by Amanda Mollindo, who captures daily life in Yuma, Arizona, where she lived as a child and found the desert influenced her evolving identity. First Friday hours in the shipping container galleries in Roosevelt Row are 6 to 10 p.m. Learn more on the Facebook event page.

“Journeys; Near & Far”
Explore photographic works capturing everyday objects and faraway places at Olney Gallery, located at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. Participating artists include Paula Cullison, Joanna Proffitt, and Les Rudnick. First Friday hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Find details on the Facebook event page.

“Hereafter Surfaces and Soft Projections”
See photographs of the Sonoran Desert taken during the Jim Crow era, at the Larry Wilson Gallery inside Phoenix Center for the Arts. The exhibition explores issues related to forming a sense of self while living near the U.S.-Mexico border. First Friday hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Find more information on the Phoenix Center for the Arts Facebook page.

“Sea Creatures”
You’ll find ocean-inspired works by children ages 2 to 5 at the Herberger Theater Center Art Gallery, which is presenting its annual art show with First Things First, a nonprofit that promotes early learning and healthy development. First Friday hours are 5 to 7 p.m. Get details on the Herberger Theater Center website.

Other Neighborhoods

Layne Farmer
See works by Layne Farmer, who recently earned his master of fine arts degree at ASU, at the Icehouse gallery in the Warehouse District. First Friday hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Get details on the Facebook page for Joe Holdren, who curates the space.

“Restitution”
Sundown Gallery in the Garfield neighborhood presents a group show featuring art by Aztec Smurf, JB Snyder, James B. Hunt, Lalo Cota, Sierra Joy, Yai, and other artists supporting the creation of a nonprofit to promote disc golf, hip hop, and street art in schools and communities. First Friday hours are 5 to 10 p.m. Learn more on the Facebook event page.