Here Are the Best Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Week

New Times picks the best things to do in Phoenix from Monday, June 6, through Thursday, June 9. For more events, see our curated online calendar. 

"Pressing Impressions" 
The most sophisticated print we ever made involved carving a design onto a raw potato during grade school. And only our moms were impressed. For those who've taken printmaking to a whole new level, on the other hand, there’s the Arizona Print Group.

Their free "Pressing Impressions" exhibition at the Peoria City Hall Art Gallery, 8401 West Monroe Street, includes about 100 prints – plus print-making tools and explanations of how various types of prints are made.

Presented by the West Valley Art Museum, the exhibition features prints by several artists, including Donna Atwood, Eric Hodgins, Marlys Kubicek, Steve Phillips, and Wendy Willis. Works on view include collagraphs, photopolymer intaglios, and silkscreens.

Gallery hours on Monday, June 6, are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit www.arizonaprintgroup.com. Lynn Trimble


Authors Night with Robert Isenberg
Who could blame you for getting slightly jealous when trolling Facebook pics of your friends zip-lining through the lush trees of Costa Rica?

Certainly not author Robert Isenberg, whose book, The Green Season, is a frank and funny chronicle of the two years he spent there. After a decade of hoping to hoping to make the country his home, and a couple of rejections from the Fulbright program, Isenberg finally interviewed with the Tico Times editor, who hired the writer, making that longtime dream a reality. Ask him anything you want about Costa Rican life from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 7, at the historic Ellis-Shackelford House, 1242 North Central Avenue. Admission is free. Visit www.robertisenbergauthorsnight.eventbrite.com to register. Amy Young

"The World of Giant Insects"
Insects are small — usually — but their impact on our planet is hardly insignificant. Research the potential repercussions of declining bee populations if you’re not convinced. It stings like a, well… you know. Thankfully, the Arizona Science Center, 600 East Washington Street, is casting a light on the subject with its current exhibit, "The World of Giant Insects." Not to fear, the Center hasn't transformed into an entomophobe's living hell — just an animatronic one. That's right, the exhibit features "interactive animatronic critters," which are hundreds of times larger than their real-life counterparts. Which will make it terrifying for some, exhilarating for others, and enlightening for all. We're guessing your bug spray will feel woefully ineffective at this one. Check it out daily through September 5. Admission is $18. Visit www.azscience.org or call 602-716-2000 for details. Rob Kroehler



"Preservation Next"
Longtime Phoenicians often lament the same thing: the city's preservation, or lack thereof, of its historic places. While you can enjoy a craft cocktail and marvel at the still-standing 1920s-era Luhrs Tower, others have become the bones of future condo development — or worse, vacant lots — leaving many to ask, "Who will preserve our history for future generations?"

"Preservation Next," the 14th installment of the annual Arizona Historic Preservation Conference, aims to answer that question, featuring panels like "Changing Face of Historic Storefronts," "Midcentury Architecture of the East Valley," and "ASU Historic Preservation: Leveraging Rehabilitation at a Growing University."

Anyone from architects to enthusiasts can attend the three-day conference beginning Wednesday, June 8, at the Crowne Plaza Phoenix Airport, 4300 East Washington Street. Tickets are $265 to $300 and include refreshments. Registration and details are avaialble at www.azpreservation.com. Janessa Hilliard

Damon Wayans Jr.
For the past couple decades, there seems to have been an unwritten rule among TV producers that, at any given time, a viewer should be able to switch through the channels and find at least one member of the Wayans family. For a long time, Shawn and Marlon did the heavy lifting in this regard with The Wayans Bros., and Damon Wayans Sr. — Major Payne himself — did his part on In Living Color, SNL, and the occasional cult-classic movie. These days, though, Damon Jr. is the Wayans you're most likely to see: He stars on the hilarious Fox series New Girl, the perhaps-even-better Happy Endings, and was in the criminally underrated buddy movie Let's Be Cops. All screens covered.

Make your way to see Damon Wayans Jr. at 8 p.m. Thursday, June 9, at Stand Up Live, 50 West Jefferson Street in Phoenix. Tickets are $25, and there's a two-drink minimum. Call 480-719-6100 or visit www.standuplive.com for more. Zach Fowle

Phoenix Mercury vs. San Antonio Stars
The WNBA season has not started the way the Phoenix Mercury had hoped. Or expected, for that matter. No one could have foreseen that, with the return of all-star Diana Taurasi, an already formidable squad would begin the season with four consecutive losses. And unlike their male counterparts, WNBA players can't find solace in the "it's a long season" argument because, well, it's not. Which means the Merc already have a lot of ground to make up and very little time to do so. Luckily, their next matchup is against a struggling San Antonio squad. (Sounds weird, right?) The Mercury host the Stars at Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 East Jefferson Street, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 9. Tickets are $9 and up. Visit www.mercury.wnba.com or call 602-379-7800. Rob Kroehler

"All AZ Clay"
Clay can be a pretty unpredictable medium, so we figure there's at least one harried potter among the many artists whose work is part of “All AZ Clay,” a juried exhibition of the Arizona Clay Association.
The show at Shemer Art Center, 5005 East Camelback Road, includes an intriguing assortment of works – including a fractured nude, a floral tea set, and a party animal. Featured artists include Kazuma Sambe, who received a prestigious Phoenix Art Museum Contemporary Forum Artist Grant in 2015. See the free exhibition from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 9. Visit www.shemercenter.org. Lynn Trimble