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We know, the beginning of the work week sucks. But if you take a quick look at the calendar, you'll see we're off to a pretty good week of art events, sports games, dance parties, and more. Here are our must-see events from now to the weekend...
Monday, December 10: "The Language of Silence" @ Central Gallery English writer and poet Martin Farquhar Tupper once wrote, "Well-timed silence hath more eloquence than speech." At times the beauty of the unspoken word can overshadow the power of speech as a means of expression and medium for art.
"The Language of Silence," a primarily mixed media exhibition, will explore the unspoken through works from four Arizona artists. Barbara Crisp, Mindi L. Headrick, Cara McAneny, and Diane L. Silver offer their unique interpretations of that which is usually left unsaid, from unanswered questions and buried-away wounds to unfulfilled dreams. With diverse backgrounds in architecture, design and photography, the artists investigate the inner workings of quietude. -- Lauren Saria
Tuesday, December 11: Chill @ W Scottsdale We miss out on a lot of customary winter activities in Phoenix. Most of these activities (like shoveling your car out of snow or dealing with Seasonal Affective Disorder) aren't worth missing. One of the few that we actually do feel deprived of is the outdoor skating rink, which -- if a childhood of watching Christmas specials have taught us anything -- is a critical element of social lives everywhere where they have actual season.
This is why we're watching the experiment going on at Scottsdale's W Hotel, 7227 East Camelback Road. The hotel has converted its rooftop pool into a 2100-square-foot ice skating rink and dubbed it with the decidedly unpretentious moniker Chill. Since no ice skating jaunt is complete without cocktails, the hotel will also be serving specialty winter sips. -- Ed Kummerer
Wednesday, December 12: "Giant Mysterious Dinosaurs" @ Arizona Science Center There are some out there convinced that life as we know it was created a mere 9000 years ago (if not sooner) by the Almighty. A sea was parted and our animal friends were preserved two at a time during a massive flood. Those must have been some magical times.
If you would like to pursue that same sense of wonder, but on a realistic scale, you may want to head to the Arizona Science Center's showcase of "Giant Mysterious Dinosaurs" that weren't quite Arc worthy.
The largest touring collection of dinosaur skeletons and robotics has made its way to Phoenix in spectacular fashion. Spot exotic and enormous findings from all over the world, while learning of growth and evolution through sight, sound, and smell. Elements of the exhibit will show in detail how these monstrosities lived -- from eating habits to reproduction. -- Craig Smith
Thursday, December 13: "SouthwestNET: Sherin Guirguis and Carrie Marill" @ SMoCA To catch the latest work by Los Angeles-based artist Sherin Guirguis and Phoenix-based painter Carrie Marill, head to Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, 7374 East Second Street, for "southwestNET." The two artists have very different roots -- Guirguis was born in Luxor, Egypt and Marill in San Franscico -- but each draws inspiration from the aesthetic and history of Arabic pattern-making and calligraphy, as well as southwestern Native American textiles and images.
Guirguis is known for her intricate paintings and sculptures that walk the line between minimalism and elaborate illustration. Marill has a sharp eye, and combines her attention to detail and passion for subject in her work.
In "southwestNET," the two showcase their latest work, described by museum staff as a "modern" take on both cultures and artistic methods while "exploring each one's formal qualities -- color, line and texture," that results in a collection of sculptures and paintings. Price: $7 for adults, $5 for students, free for members and those 15 and under, and free on Thursdays. -- Claire Lawton
Friday, December 14: The Addams Family @ Gammage It's a given that any beloved pop culture property probably will take a spin (successfully or not) on Broadway. The Addams Family, the creepy, kooky clan that achieved mass appeal with a mid-'60s TV show that became syndication gold, hit the Great White Way in 2010 and land in Tempe this week.
The dapper Gomez Addams and his scintillatingly spooky wife Morticia head up a collection of eccentrics including goth daughter Wednesday, mischievous son Pugsley, potion-brewing Grandma, and bald weirdo Uncle Fester. In this musical comedy adaptation, Wednesday and her normal boyfriend Lucas Beinke declare their intention to marry, and Fester's meddling traps both sides of their families in the Addams mansion for a long night together. -- Jose Gonzalez
Check out more things to do today (and everyday) in our Calendar section ...
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