It's all about variety this month as Third Friday April gives folks a chance to explore delicate wood burnings of moths inspired by ASU's entomology collection, acrylic paintings on watercolor paper inspired by tattoos mirroring traditional Japanese artwork, and an immersive world of plant-laden I.V. bags inspired by losing a young person to leukemia.
See also: ASU Artists Put Contemporary Twist on Traditional Materials in "New Art Arizona" It's your last chance to enjoy the trio of shipping containers in the Roosevelt A.R.T.S. Market in their current home, because plans are underway to move them across the street -- where they'll have a summer hiatus before we see their new incarnations later this year. Hence three of our "must-see" exhibitions are happening in the Hot Box and Halt Gallery shipping containers.
"Onloaded 2: Lauren Strohacker"
Strohacker turns her attention to the feral population of rosy-faced lovebirds in metro Phoenix, referencing the release several decades ago of birds purchased from pet stores or breeders. Noting that these birds' ancestors were "plucked from the wilds of Southwestern Africa," the artist indicts the creation of a "man-made artifice posing as paradise" in this Hot Box Gallery exhibition. Friday's opening takes place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Find more information on the Phoenix Institute of Contemporary Art website.
"Onloaded 2: Alexandra Bowers"
Bowers carefully mapped out the placement of 110 drawings of moths wood burnt into square and rectangular boxes of wheat-colored wood before installing them for this exhibition, which includes several new works that demonstrate careful attention to anatomical details. Her fascination with moths stems from their status as an indicator species that helps to alert humans to environmental changes taking place on a broader scale. Those who saw a smaller exhibition of her works several months ago at Practical Art will find the exhibition of this many pieces in the Hot Box Gallery setting makes for an interesting contrast. Friday's opening takes place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Find more information on the Phoenix Institute of Contemporary Art website.
"Privacy. Protection. Act."
The ArtFarm collective is introducing Indonesian-born artist Tinnis Enidraj Nimgaj with an exhibition at the Halt Gallery shipping container in the Roosevelt A.R.T.S. Market. The exhibition "addresses paradoxical issues of security and comfort" while questioning choices people make in "exchanging information for access." Friday's opening takes place from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Find more information on Patricia Sannit's Facebook page.
"Treetastik"
Once each year, we get to channel our inner Druid during a group exhibition of works inspired by all things tree-related. More than a dozen artists created works in various media for this homage to the ways "trees speak to us and tell us their stories." Featured artists include Monica Villarreal, Bill Hemphill, Kristina Kuhl, Parker Weston, Gabriela Castro, and many more. While you're at The Firehouse, hit the hallway to explore collaborative works created by Greg Desposito and Steve Davis, who plan to donate 20% from the sales of these artworks to the Tumbleweed Center for Youth Development. This Friday's exhibition hours are 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Find more information on The Firehouse Facebook page.
"Different Strokes"
Two of three artists featured in this group exhibition at The Lab Pop-Up Gallery are professional tattoo artists, so we're eager to see how their artistic vision goes beyond the land of skin. Mark Peoples uses acrylic paint on watercolor paper to create works that reference traditional styles of Japanese artwork. Chipp Ewa, who describes his work as "lowbrow" and "illustrative," creates drawings and sketches using pencil, ink, watercolors, acrylic, and paint markers. Sebastian Gely is showing his still life and portrait works made using pencil, charcoal, graphite, ink, and acrylics. Friday's opening takes place from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Find more information on The Lab Pop-Up Gallery Facebook page.
"Adit's Ode: A Modest Revolt"
Cherie Buck-Hutchison transforms the main gallery space at EyeLounge into an immersive art and social justice experience using tiny plants set in medical I.V. bags, crystalline forms and a video installation. Inside the adjacent project room, you'll find pieces made with additional medical supplies, and materials that explore the intersection of health and modern-day food practices such as engineering agriculture using genetically modified organisms dubbed GMOs. The "poetic walk-through" exhibition was inspired in part by a young life lost to leukemia, and by stories of Lot's wife Odit being turned into a pillar of salt. Friday's opening takes place from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Find more information on the EyeLounge website.
"Cecily Culver: Other Observations"
Culver's M.F.A. thesis exhibition for the ASU School of Art features a multimedia installation at Step Gallery inside Grant Street Studios. Her works explore "perspectives of the seemingly meaningless by-products of human activity" and celebrates "the mundane phenomena of the everyday." Friday's opening takes place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Find more information on the ASU events page.
See also: 8 Cool Things We Saw During Grant Street Open Studios in Phoenix
