There’s a lot happening on the local arts scene, despite the ongoing impacts of COVID-19. Catch up with this roundup of fresh art news, from new exhibits to online art classes. If you’re hitting an art event, remember that most venues still require face masks and social distancing.

We the People

Patricia Sannit is creating a participatory art installation called We the People, which will include clay bricks carved by the artist and community members. Sannit is holding outdoor carving parties at her Phoenix studio on Saturday, September 12, and Sunday, September 20. Contact the artist if you want to schedule a time to attend one of these sessions.

Adaptive Dance Classes

The School of Ballet Arizona is offering adaptive dance classes on Zoom, which are designed to foster self-expression, movement, and social skills in students with Down syndrome. Classes for ages 5 to 7 begin on Saturday, September 12.

Drive-in Puppets

The Great Arizona Puppet Theater is doing weekend drive-in puppet shows for children. The last performance of Old MacDonald happens in Saturday, September 12. Upcoming shows include The Three Little Pigs and The Dinosaur Picnic. Admission is $40 per car load (or $30 for members).

Festival of Masks

Cultural Coalition is presenting a virtual festival called Mask Alive!, which will livestream on Facebook from 2 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, September 13. The family event includes giant puppets, mask performers, dance, music, and more.

Five15 Arts Seeks Members

The Five15 Arts collective that exhibits work inside the Chartreuse creative space on Grand Avenue is looking for new members, who will receive a solo exhibition and be featured in three groups shows per year during their term.

Arizona Print Group Exhibit

The Arizona Print Group is showing work at First Studio, where you can attend a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, September 18. Masks and social distancing are required, as they are at most creative spaces.

You Racist, Sexist, Bigot. Film

A film called You Racist, Sexist, Bigot., which was produced by local film company Mango Skies, will begin streaming online on Sunday, September 20. The film includes several members of the Phoenix community sharing their own experiences with discrimination and injustice.

The Boundless Mirage

Laura Spalding Best recently completed a temporary interior mural for Scottsdale Fashion Square. It's located on Level 1, overlooking the food court. The artwork blends images of Camelback Mountain, Four Peaks, Red Mountain, and South Mountain into a single landscape.

Mesa Arts Center Classes

Mesa Arts Center is offering online art classes in ceramics, drawing, fused glass, painting, and more. The classes range from $65 to $140. The center also has free classes for veterans and service members, and sells Art To Go boxes with creative activities you can do at home.

High Marks for Performance

Ballet Arizona and Arizona Musicfest were named “high performing” arts organizations in a recent SMU DataArts study. The study considered several factors, including strategic vision, audience engagement, and more.

Scottsdale Performing Arts

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts will reopen on Saturday, September 26, after several months of being temporarily closed due to COVID-19 public health concerns. The first performance in the reopened venue will be a Jazz Con Agra concert happening that Saturday night.

Childsplay Theater Classes

Childsplay Academy is offering several online theater classes for youth in various age groups. Several classes begin next week, in areas that include improvisation, musical theater, story drama, and more. Class prices vary.

Public Art Opportunity

The City of Flagstaff is seeking statements of qualifications from artists who would like to provide design and beautification services for a transportation center in downtown Flagstaff. The anticipated project budget is up to $25,000. The submission deadline is September 30.

Phoenix Herstories

A new project highlighting the 19th Amendment includes an online exhibit of 31 photographs of women who’ve affected the city, which were taken by Claudia Johnstone, as well as images projected onto the Found:RE Phoenix Hotel.

'Stories of Abstraction' Exhibit

Several artists based in Arizona, including Liz Cohen and Matt Magee, will be featured in the “Stories of Abstraction: Contemporary Latin American Art in the Global Context” exhibition coming to Phoenix Art Museum in October. The museum reopens for members on October 1 and the general public on October 14.

Canal Convergence

Scottsdale Public Art is planning to present a modified Canal Convergence event this year, due to COVID-19 public health concerns. The November 6 to 15 lineup will include a mix of in-person and livestreamed events, as well as art installations created by local, national, and international artists. Arizona artists will include Casey Farina, as well as Walter Productions working in collaboration with Justin Winters.

Public Art Award

Mary Lucking’s Birdie Umwelt installation for Scottsdale Public Art received merit honors in the public space category for the CODA Awards, which recognizes effective integration of commissioned art with interior, architectural, or public spaces. You can see the work at the Mustang Library and nearby transit center.

Arizona Opera Reimagined

Arizona Opera will launch a “reimagined” 2020/21 season in October. The season will include live outdoor performances, digital offerings, and a film adaptation of the Copper Queen opera set in Bisbee, Arizona.

'Portraits & Icons' Call for Art

The FOUND:RE Contemporary art program at FOUND:RE Phoenix Hotel has an open call for its "Portraits & Icons" exhibit that will open when the hotel reopens on October 1. Artists can submit work for consideration through Thursday, September 17