Downtown Phoenix is usually full of artistic energy on First Fridays, but this Friday, February 6, that energy will have a decidedly sensuous twist. The Icehouse art space, located at Fourth Avenue and Jackson, presents its take on Valentine's Day with "Bizarre Love Triangle." From 7 to 10 p.m., the "love happening" includes a fashion trunk show and bazaar in the Silver Room, a presentation of various love shrines in the White Column Room, and an installation titled The Instrument of My Desire in the Cathedral Room. Artist Joe Willie Smith, creator of the Instrument, crafted the piece out of natural objects, found metal and old computer disks. He calls it "a sculpture and an instrument," and he'll create impromptu musical compositions at the event. (For those of us old enough to remember Metropophobobia, Smith used to play his experimental instruments downtown as part of the Amnesia Quartet.) The event is free and open to the public. Call 602-257-8929 for more information. -- Maidi Terry
Leashes & Lushes
Pooches and their owners soak up the good life
WED 2/11
Whether trumping the legs of the wine or humping the legs of the guests, everybody's guaranteed a good time at "Wine & Wag," Wednesday, February 11, at Fleming's, 20753 North Pima Road in Scottsdale. From 5 to 7 p.m., the free wine tasting welcomes pooches to the patio for treats from The Barkery. Call 480-538-8000 to RSVP. -- Jill Koch
Rollin' in the Bentley
A Scottsdale gallery expands downtown
TUE 2/10
Add a new hot spot to First Fridays and Art Detour: Bentley Projects, an expansion of Scottsdale's elegant Bentley Gallery, opens its new downtown location on Tuesday, February 10. Located in a refurbished warehouse space on the southwest corner of Third Street and Grant, the gallery's upcoming exhibitions will highlight larger-scale works under its 24-foot-high ceilings. The first show includes work by three local artists -- Mary Neubauer, Diana Klause and Ernie Buttons -- as well as several internationally recognized players like Chuck Close and Frank Stella. Call 602-340-9200 for details. -- Gina Cavallo Collins
Growth Spurt
Artists have a new space
FRI 2/6
"We don't want people to just check out the art and leave," says Gabriel Fortoul, the co-owner of the newest addition to the First Friday landscape, on his first exhibition, "Growth." "We're big on the feel of the environment."
Fortoul and his brother Isaac both got their start as fashion designers; the brothers' line is called Fortoul Presents. Their new gallery space, called Fortoul, will focus on work by new and young artists. It opens at 7 p.m. Friday, February 6, and features art by the Fortoul brothers, Bobby Castaneda and Ken Seto, creations by Fortoul Presents, and music by DJ Uriah and Ian Frost. Fortoul is located at 922 North Fifth Street. Call 480-968-2031 for details. -- Quetta Carpenter
