If you’re eager to freshen up your social media feeds, we’ve got some great selfie backdrops to help you get started. Remember to social distance and wear masks while you’re out and about, and check ticket requirements for various venues before you show up and start snapping.
Roosevelt Row
Murals abound in Roosevelt Row, giving you plenty of choices for fresh selfie backdrops, from JB Snyder’s colorful geometric designs outside the Linear Apartments to Brian Boner’s black-and-white birds in flight on the monOrchid building. Nighttime options include two illuminated artworks at The Pemberton, a giant dress form and an archway of wooden pallets, created by artists with Phoenix-based Spectacle.Desert Botanical Garden
Your selfie options at Desert Botanical Garden begin with a circular canopy of intertwined twigs that sits just off the parking lot, and continue on the walkway towards the entrance, where you can pose in front of towering yellow plant forms created by renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly. Watch for architectural elements like metal archways, blooming plants (especially in April), and temporary art installations from creatives like Waterlily Pond Studio.Art Museums
Obvious choices at Phoenix Art Museum include Sui Jianguo’s red, caged dinosaur called Jurassic Age, which sits on the lawn outside the museum entrance. At Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum, you can snap yourself with an El Mac mural painted on a two-story elevator shaft. ASU Art Museum in Tempe and Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art have great architectural elements, plus outdoor artworks that make great selfie backdrops — from a massive pair of stone cowboy boots to a curved space opening to the sky. At the Musical Instrument Museum, you can take a selfie with instruments and artifacts that reflect your global geographic roots. Nix the selfie stick if you’re taking photos inside museums, because keeping the art safe is a top priority.
Haley Hinds mirrored the look of Donald Lipski's aviator glasses artwork for this selfie.
Haley Hinds
Sky Harbor Airport
You’ll find an impressive assortment of selfie-friendly art at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, including a 30-foot-wide pair of reflective aviator sunglasses by Donald Lipski that really shine when you take a selfie sporting your own shades. They’re located at the East arrivals areas on Level 4 in Terminal 3, where you’ll also find Merrill Mahaffey’s piece called Grand Canyon-The Ultimate Landscape.Hiking Trails
When in doubt, let nature be your backdrop. Popular selfie spots around the Valley include Camelback Mountain, where your background can be the vast expanse of Phoenix below you. Or head to Hole in the Rock at Papago Park, where you can impress your followers with geological formations in lovely desert hues. Walking pathways at the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area, which stretches along five miles of the Salt River in South Phoenix, you’ll find photo backdrops from concrete stanchions to lush pockets of water.
Having some selfie fun with John Randall Nelson's One-Eyed Jack in Old Town Scottsdale.
Brian Passey