Here are four exhibitions currently on display that you should check out.
'Desert Rider'
Phoenix Art Museum1625 North Central Avenue
602-257-1880The new "Desert Rider" exhibit at Phoenix Art Museum "explores the ways car culture in the Southwest has influenced the work of contemporary Latinx and Indigenous artists who are examining the intersection of movement and motion, migration, gender, sexuality, labor, and identity,” says Gilbert Vicario, who curated the exhibition. “It’s important to acknowledge all of the artists represented who are members of communities that were forced to the margins of our geographic space, experiences that parallel the history of the lowrider itself. I hope guests see the impact that local culture has had on artists working in the Southwest and appreciate this piece of history from the land in which they were born.” Attendees will see work such as Justin Favela's rainbow-painted tires and lowrider-shaped pinata; Liz Cohen's photography; and Douglas Miles' political charged skateboard decks. The exhibit opened April 24 and continues through
When you're there, you can also check out "Figural Variations," a collection of interpretations of the human form; "Farewell Photography: The Hitachi Collection of Postwar Japanese Photographs, 1961-1989," which closes on Sunday, June 26; and "Generation Paper: Fast Fashion of the 1960s."
'LALOLAND'
Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum1 East Main Street, Mesa
480-644-6560The vibrant work of local artist Lalo Cota can be found in the form of murals all over metro Phoenix. But the new exhibit "LALOLAND" at Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum gathers 20 years of Cota's work for a retrospective show full of color and energy. The show opened on April 15 and will continue through August 7.
While you're there, you can also see MCAM's other summer exhibitions, all of which close on Sunday, August 7: "Nothing In Stasis," a collection of Monica Aissa Martinez's depictions of the intricate structures and complex diversities of living organisms"; "Choice Cuts," in which Tucson artist Laura Tanner investigates the social constructs of gender and class; "Sanctuary," a site-specific installation by Texas artist Eliza Au about sacred spaces; and "Somos Southwest," a show featuring works inspired by the Chicano Art Movement.
An image from the new Heard Museum exhibition "Between the Lines: Art from the No Horse Ledger Book."
Heard Museum
"Between The Lines: Art From the No Horse Ledger Book"
Heard Museum2301 North Central Avenue
602-252-8840As Indigenous people were displaced from their native lands, traditional art forms like painting on rocks and animal hides evolved. Accounting or ledger books became an important medium for these artists, and one is the subject of the newest exhibition at the Heard Museum. "Between the Lines" is a collection of 28 drawings from a Cheyenne/Arapaho ledger book created between the late 1870s and 1882. Named after the man who is thought to have been the first artist to draw in the book, the book captures the work of up to six Indigenous artists who depict images of war, dances, and horsemanship. The exhibit opened on May 6 and continues through April 23, 2023.
Also at the Heard Museum right now are "Southwest Silverwork, 1850-1940" and "Remembering the Future: 100 Years of Inspiring Art."
"Brad Kahlhamer: Swap Meet"
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art7374 East Second Street, Scottsdale
480-874-4666Speaking of ledger books, that art form is one of Tucson-born artist Brad Kahlhamer's inspirations. The work in his "Swap Meet" exhibit at SMoCA reflects his two dominant influences: Indigenous iconography and the downtown art scene of 1980s and 1990s New York City. The two come together in the form of paintings, sculptures, and found objects, anchored by a trailer that Kahlhamer, who currently lives in the southeast Valley, bought at a Mesa swap meet. The show opened on February 26 and continues through October 9.
Other exhibitions at SMoCA right now are "Beverly McIver: Full Circle," which encapsulates 25 years of the artist's paintings; and "Teresa Baker: Capturing Space," which features large-scale mixed-media wall works by Los Angeles-based Mandan/Hidatsa artist.
