First Friday heats up tonight with creative works going up all over the city. Here are our picks for shows not to miss this artful evening.
"Hot Plate!" @ R. Pela Contemporary Art Don't mind us while we toot our own horn just a little bit. The series of commemorative plates that make up this exhibition were designed by local artists as an homage to this year's Best of Phoenix theme: Vintage Phoenix. The contributing creatives come from a wide array of backgrounds, and we're pretty sure a large portion of them have never worked under these exact parameters. You probably wouldn't have pegged souvenir dishes as a great medium for high art before. This show may force you to re-think that.
See also: 11 Must-See Art Exhibitions in Metro Phoenix This Fall Participating artists are Michael Allen, Cheryl Brandon, Sue Chenoweth, Eric Cox, Kathleen Engstrom, Jeff Falk, Todd Grossman, Halldor Hjalmarson, Sarah Hurwitz, Christopher Jagmin, Peter Kuttner, Janet de Berge Lange, Annie Lopez, Melissa McGurgan, Ronnie Ray Mendez, Kim Sweet, Melany Terranova, and Paul Wilson.
"Hot Plate!" is open from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, October 4, at R. Pela Contemporary Art. Valet service will be available. -- Katrina Montgomery
"The Cape" @ Phoenix Art Museum Step aside, Superman. The cape's making a comeback faster than a speeding bullet. Don't fear, Phoenix fashionables; these coverups aren't the floor-sweeping, candy-red costumery the Man of Steel's made famous. Instead, the fall 2013 trend showcased in collections from Valentino and Mulberry focuses on luxe fabrics, sleek shapes, and cultivating a cosmopolitan, ladylike look.
With an eye toward the past and a grasp on today's fashion market, Phoenix Art Museum presents "The Cape" in its Ellman Fashion Design Gallery. There you'll find a range of inspiration for this season's wardrobe, from a silk satin fuchsia Mexican bullfighter's cape and a dainty floral Dutch piece to a thick, navy number by Lanvin with a high collar and matching fedora.
See the supberb collection through Sunday, February 9, 2014. Hours Friday, October 4, are 6 to 10 p.m. -- Becky Bartkowski
Chaos Theory 14 @ Legend City Studios Randy Slack's annual exhibition at Legend City Studios is easily one of the most highly anticipated Phoenix art events of the year. But the anticipation won't last much longer, because the show opens Friday, October 4.
There are 60 talented artists, spanning a wide array of genres and media, on the roster for "Chaos Theory 14." You'll notice more than a few familiar faces: James Angel, David Dauncey, Carrie Marill, William LeGoullon, Abbey Messmer, and Annie Lopez (to name a handful). Cherie Cherie will provide musical entertainment for the First Friday opening. Read more. -- Katrina Montgomery
"We Got Power!" @ Modified Arts Southern California in the 1980s was a crazy time and place for the region's hardcord punk milieu. In his book on the topic, We Got Power! Hardcore Punk Scenes from 1980s Southern California, visual artist Cameron Jamie likens photographing punk shows to photographing a crime scene. The book plays out like The Adolescents' "Kids of the Black Hole" in visual form -- wayward kids acting out against the Reagan era, embracing bands like Black Flag, TSOL, and The Minutemen, who were just getting started. The book is photo heavy -- featuring live shots, candids, and posed photos of major players including a young Henry Rollins, Mike Watt, and Chuck Dukowski, who share stories about the DIY ethos of hardcore punk's formative years. Following a successful exhibition in Santa Monica last year, "We Got Power!" makes its way to Phoenix for a couple of weeks to tell the story of the high-energy music and the people who played it.
"We Got Power!" is open from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, October 4. Call 602-462-5516 or visit www.wegotpowerbook.com. -- Melissa Fossum
"Arvizu vs. Burruel" @ Olney Gallery Artists Jon Arvizu and Manny Burruel will engage in a sort of artistic face-off this First Friday when the pair of printmakers present dueling large-format monoscreen works under the banner "The Ultimate Printer." We doubt the evening will end in fisticuffs, but the show of one-of-a-kind prints will highlight the differences in the artists' processes. Arvizu uses stencils to create layers in his prints, while Burruel paints and draws directly onto his creations.
Crown the champ of your choice when the print show opens at 6 p.m. Friday, October 4, at Olney Gallery. -- Becky Bartkowski
