Election Week Art News and Events in Metro Phoenix

Election week is upon us, and metro Phoenix artists are ready to help you through it. Here’s a look at creative events happening in the coming days, along with several tidbits of art news. For artists, we’ve included calls for art to help you find new places to share your work.

Political Art

If election season has you longing to see how artists are tackling issues of the day, there are several ways you can explore political art this week, including the “Blue” exhibit at Lisa Sette Gallery, the “Politics as Unusual: Art at the Edge of Conspiracy” exhibit at Fine Art Complex 1101, and the “Roadside Attraction: Now It’s Political” exhibit organized with Practical Art. Exhibit dates and times vary so check with galleries for details.

Conversation With Myriam Gurba

ASU is presenting a free virtual reading and conversation with Myriam Gurba, a California-based artist and writer whose work includes a true crime memoir titled Mean, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 3. Her work often explores social justice in the context of Latinx and LGBTQ+ experiences.

Valley Metro Artsline

Tato Caraveo is the latest artist selected to make work for Valley Metro's Artsline. Caraveo’s work is featured on the light rail train, and his mural created for the light rail station at Roosevelt Street and Central Avenue will be installed in early November. The mural “pays homage to the richness of Native American culture and desert landscapes in Arizona.”

Governor’s Arts Awards

The 2020 Governor’s Arts Awards were presented during a virtual ceremony on October 28. The 17 recipients included Phoenix Center for the Arts, the Sonoran Arts League in Cave Creek, and Peoria-based theater professional Chris Hamby. Robert Booker and Rusty Foley were recognized for strategic and innovative work impacting public policy and the arts. Dorothy Lincoln Smith of Paradise Valley was honored in the "individual" category.

Trumpocalypse Billboard

Keep an eye on the Grand Avenue Billboard Project, where Karen Fiorito’s Trumpocalypse billboard is currently covered by her voting theme artwork. Beatrice Moore, who spearheads the project, has previously indicated that the artist may choose to update her Trumpocalypse design in response to the presidential election.

Tucson Public Art Opportunities

Artists can submit proposals for three public art calls in Tucson, including a monumental sculpture with a $15,000 commission and a monumental sculpture with a $10,000 commission. Another call seeks a large-scale sculpture created by a Native American artist for the Sculpture-on-the-Street program. The deadline to apply is 10 a.m. on Wednesday, November 4.

Gallery Exhibits

Five15 Arts is opening a holiday group show on Thursday, November 5. Sisao Gallery opens the “Art for Good” exhibit featuring Carmody Foundation grant winners on Friday, November 6. Check social media sites for your favorite art spaces to see whether they're doing in-person or virtual exhibits this week.

Free Heard Museum Admission

The Heard Museum is offering free admission for First Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, November 6, when DJ This Just-In will be spinning vinyl. It’s a great opportunity to see work by Maria Hupfield and “Larger Than Memory,” which was named the best exhibit in Phoenix New Times Best of Phoenix 2020.

Time Travel Through Historic Newspapers

Fly Paper presents an online class with librarian and writer Sativa Peterson, who will share research strategies for exploring family and community histories through old newspapers that can be accessed online. The $25 workshop happens from 11 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 7.

'Inspire' Dance Performance

Ballet Arizona will stream a digital dance performance for ticket holders starting at 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 7. The performance includes pieces by four choreographers, including Ib Andersen’s new work titled Goldberg Variations 1. Tickets are $20, and the digital event will be available for 24 hours.

Phoenix Creative Relief Fund

Soul Center and the Downtown Mesa Association are holding a free event from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, November 7, to raise awareness about COVID-19 mental health impacts. The lineup includes live music, dance, visual art, and more. Interested participants can contribute to a pandemic relief fund designed to assist local creatives.

Free Museum Playfest

ASU Art Museum is presenting a virtual play experience for families from 10 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, November 7. Stop by during museum hours this week to get a free bag of art supplies and activities (while supplies last), then get ready to enjoy creative experiences with Allyson Yoder and Emmett Potter — plus story time, meditation, and demonstrations.

Call for Campus Mural

The Community Foundation for Southern Arizona is seeking an artist team to create a mural for a tower located at its Tucson headquarters. Preference will be given to local, BIPOC artists that reflect the diversity of the community. Proposed designs should reflect the nonprofit’s values, including collaboration, innovation, integrity, stewardship, diversity, and fun. The mural project budget is $25,000. Applications are due on Sunday, November 8.

Radiophrenia Broadcast

A 60-minute radio art program by Phoenix-based Media Petros has been selected for a temporary radio art broadcast called Radiophrenia, which will be available online from Monday, November 9, to Sunday, November 22. Media Petros is a creative venture by sound artist Pete Petrisko, whose inspiration for You Are There: Twenty Twenty includes the COVID-19 pandemic.

Call for Light-Based Artworks

Alwun House is looking for illuminated artworks to feature in its “Lighthouse” exhibit that is scheduled to open on Friday, December 4. Artworks that will glow, flicker, or shine outdoors or in darkened gallery spaces will be considered.

Rosson House Reopens

The Rosson House at Historic Heritage Square has reopened after an extended COVID-related closure, which means you can once again explore the "The Great Migration-Indiscernibles in Arizona" exhibit addressing the history, experiences, and impact of Black community members in Arizona.

Park Central Mural Art

Three artists were selected to create artwork for the Catalina Parking Garage at Park Central. Diana Calderón, Edgar Fernandez, and Miguel Godoy will create “The New Archive,” a set of six panels that will reflect Arizona history, the surrounding neighborhood, and Midcentury Modern architecture. Additional themes include community, education, health, and equity.

Call for Fire Station Art

The city of Surprise is looking for a professional artist or artist team to create an interactive work of public art for a new fire station. Artists are encouraged to submit designs that reflect the community and incorporate themes such as unity and public service. The city is especially interested in durable designs, and values work that incorporates color and multiple mediums. Artists should apply by Thursday, November 12.

New Outdoor Performance Space

Herberger Theater Center is nearing completion of a new outdoor performance space on the eastern section of its complex. The Pavilion will include a stage that measures 36 feet wide and 20 feet deep, where a new series called The Art of Celebration will include concerts, theatrical performances, opera, and more. The Festival of the Arts takes place on Saturday, November 14.

Gallery Seeks Holiday Artworks

Vision Gallery in Chandler is inviting artists, crafters, and makers to submit prototypes for holiday theme gifts they’d like to sell through the gallery during the holiday season. Applications are due on Sunday, November 15, and creatives who are selected must have their works ready by Monday, November 30.

MIM Music Theater Reopens

The Music Theater at the Musical Instrument Museum has reopened, and the venue will be presenting several concerts featuring Arizona-based performers. Currently, the theater is using half its seats, and people (or groups) are being seated at least six feet apart from one another due to COVID-19.

'Arizona Aqueous' Art Exhibit

Tubac Center of the Arts in Southern Arizona is seeking submission for its “Arizona Aqueous XXXV” exhibit scheduled to open in January 2021. The national group show will be juried by Jim Waid, a Tucson artist who specializes in abstract landscape painting. Six cash awards will include a $1,000 best of show award. The deadline is Monday, November 30.

New Gallery Location

{9} The Gallery has relocated from Grand Avenue to the Lawrence Building, located at 515 East Grant Street in the Warehouse District, where existing galleries also include Bentley Gallery and ASU’s Step Gallery and Northlight Gallery. The virtual opening for their new figurative show happens on Friday, November 6.

Call for Herberger Exhibit

The Herberger Theater Gallery will present a group exhibit juried by Josh Louchheim during April 2021. Artists can submit work for consideration through Thursday, December 31. The exhibition theme is evaporation, which can reference water or the ways disappearance and change occur in daily life.