Phoenix artist to hide work around Tempe on Halloween. How to find it

The same night Halloween revelers scour the Valley for candy, art lovers in Tempe will chase a sweeter prize. Phoenix artist James B. Hunt, a.k.a. NXOEED, will hide his paintings along with a package of curiosities and other treasures at secret spots in the city.

The late-night search on Friday is the latest in his long-running series of art drops where fans become treasure seekers. Hunt is known locally for stashing his paintings, many depicting beautifully grotesque figures, including an annual Halloween drop.

“It’s always seemed fun to me,” Hunt says. “It’s a very Halloween thing.”

Fans hoping to find his work on Friday night will have to decipher clues from the artist and his collaborators.

‘Just look for the disembodied face’

Hunt says the main prize in this year’s Halloween search is a box filled with his work, including three paintings, prints and fanzines. It also contains packaged music by local guitarist Lawrence Hearn and assorted monster-themed paraphernalia.

Befitting the scary season, Hunt says, there will also be “some oddities and curiosities” in the package, including a resin-coated centipede.

“It’s just some odd things I’ve collected on trips to the desert,” he says. “There will be art, music and monsters all in one package.”

Hunt says the package will be hidden a couple of blocks west of downtown Tempe. Participants can call 480-389-4970 starting at 11:47 p.m. for clues and watch for the artist’s signature paintings hanging from structures.

“They may find clues along the way, which in and of themselves are pieces of art. So there will be seven of those. When you see them, you’re getting warmer,” Hunt says. “I’ve been telling people is to just look for the disembodied face. And when you see it hanging on a structure, (that’s) where the package is. Also, they can keep the face, too.”

Hunt has been stashing artwork in Tempe, downtown Phoenix and other locations since 1997, when he was promoting a show at Alwun House. He says it’s a unique way to engage with fans that’s vastly different from an art show.

“They kind of lighten the mood. There was a period of time where I was going and doing shows and I’d see people there who looked unhappy, like they were obligated to be there. And that sort of bummed me out,” Hunt says. “You shouldn’t have to feel obligated to attend a friend’s thing, so injecting any sort of fun into something changes things to where it’s an activity where everyone can be involved. And the hunters sort of become collaborators in the project.”