FilmBar Will Resume Orpheum Screenings, Plus More Local Art News

Here’s a look at fresh news about metro Phoenix culture, including architecture, film, theater, visual arts, and more.

FilmBar Returning to Orpheum Theatre

FilmBar will be returning to the historic Orpheum Theatre in downtown Phoenix for a series of movie screenings. A venue support group called Friends of the Orpheum Theatre is working with FilmBar now on programming details and dates, which will be announced once they are set. FilmBar previously partnered with the organization for screenings last year before pandemic numbers necessitated pausing the program.

Tucson Artist Designing Light Rail Station

Joe O’Connell, a Tucson-based artist who heads a design and fabrication group called Creative Machines, has been selected to create art for the Valley Metro light rail station at Lincoln Street and Central Avenue, which is part of the South Central Extension/Downtown Hub. He will share his design plans during community meetings in coming months. Dates have not been announced.

APS Announces Substation Artwork

APS has announced preliminary details for art and design elements of its Evans Churchill North Substation being built on the southwest corner of Seventh and Roosevelt Streets in Roosevelt Row. The following creatives are part of the project: Doug Woodward (lighting), Chris Lasch (metal art), Chris Winters (landscape and hardscape), and Jamie Cowgill (artistic signage and wayfinding). The site will also include eight murals, ranging from 300 to 1,600 square feet in size, which are scheduled to go up in late spring 2022. Calls for mural art have not yet been issued.

New Taliesin West Tours

Taliesin West has a new Guided by Wright tour that guides participants through the renowned architect’s winter home using recordings of Wright’s own voice and words, and includes several new reinterpretation and restoration projects. Taliesin West is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors who want to take a tour need to make advance reservations online.

Report Reveals Covid-19 Art Impacts

The Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits recently surveyed more than 400 organizations about the impacts of Covid-19. Results revealed that arts and culture organizations experienced the largest average revenue loss at nearly $800,000. The average Arizona nonprofit lost between 25 percent and 50 percent of total revenue. The full report is available online.

New Art Project With Farming Focus

Artists Joan Baron and Gloria Martinez-Granados, whose previous work together includes the Good Trouble Bucket installation inspired by the late civil rights leader and U.S. Congressman John Lewis, have partnered with Maya’s Farm to create programs that benefit both artists and farmers. Their Mother Tree at the Four Corners installation, which continues their exploration of the body as landscape, will be on view at Maya’s Farm from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 27.

Finalists Announced for Governor’s Arts Awards

Arizona Citizens for the Arts has announced 26 finalist for the Governor’s Arts Awards. Finalists were selected in seven categories and represent 10 Arizona communities. Awards will be announced on Friday, March 26. Finalists for the Artist Award include Kristen Atwell Ford, Stella Pope Duarte, James Garcia, and Sareya Taylor.