“Landscape Interrupted”
Phoenix artist Travis Ivey puts a new twist on landscapes, using tape, glitter, stamps, and security envelopes. But his alter ego, Hank, takes a more traditional approach. Hank is “a representational artist with a background in graffiti and painting en
Hank explores “the encroachment of urban space into the desert ecosystem,” according to exhibition materials for “Landscape Interrupted,” an exhibition of the alter-ego’s oil paintings on view through Wednesday, February 28, at The Gallery at Appaloosa Library, 7377 East Silverstone Drive in Scottsdale.
See Hank’s art between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Monday, February 12. Then you decide: cactus or palms? Visit the Scottsdale Public Art website. Lynn Trimble
Replace looking for love with looking for art on Valentine's Day.
James B. Hunt
The thrill of the hunt can rival the satisfaction of a good find. Of course, it’s fine to search for art in traditional venues such as galleries and museums. But seeking out art in the streets is just as rewarding — especially when you know a local creative has hidden paintings for people to find. That’s what James B. Hunt, a.k.a.
Look for five of his “valentines” along Roosevelt Street between Third Avenue and Fifth Street. It’s finders keepers. Search with wild abandon starting at 6 p.m., or snag some clues that night on Hunt’s website, the Nxoeed website. Lynn Trimble
Claudio Dicochea, de la Agente Federal y el Rojo, la Emperatriz (of Federal Agent and Red, the Empress), 2010. Acrylic, graphite, charcoal, transfer, wood, 2 panels: 48 x 36 inches.
Courtesy of the artist and Lisa Sette Gallery
Help Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, 7374 East Second Street, celebrate three new exhibitions during its Spring Opening Reception from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday, February 16. The free event is a chance to mingle with curators and fellow art lovers while exploring the museum’s latest offerings.
The fresh exhibition lineup includes the latest iteration of southwestNET, a series that highlights midcareer artists living in the Southwest region of the United States or Mexico. This is the 17th exhibition in the series, which has also showcased work by Postcommodity, an artist collective featured in last year’s Whitney Biennial.
SouthwestNET: Claudio Dicochea showcases the artist’s skillful manipulation of pop culture and history, which challenge prevailing narratives about both present and past. Dicochea is represented by Lisa Sette Gallery.
Other new exhibits feature work by a trio of Inuit artists, as well as Guadalajara-based Luis Alfonso Villalobos.
Visit the SMoCA website. Lynn Trimble
28th annual Chinese Culture and Cuisine Festival
According to the Chinese zodiac, 2018 is the year of the dog. Whether you fall under that sign or not, make a stop at the 28th annual Chinese Culture and Cuisine Festival to celebrate.
Enjoy traditional Chinese music and dance performances, martial arts demonstrations, and table tennis. Vendors will offer items ranging from arts and crafts to food. There’s a whole pavilion for kids to engage in youth-centric activities, while a photo booth provides the selfie souvenirs.
The festival runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on February 16, at Margaret T. Hance Park, 67 West Culver Street. Admission is free. The event continues through Sunday, February 18.
Visit the Phoenix Chinese Week website. Amy Young
Jim Louvau
Punxsutawney Phil recently saw his shadow, but here in the Valley, we’re casting plenty of our own shadows thanks to all this blistering sunshine. Maybe it’s the record-setting temperatures that January hurled at us, or maybe it’s a post-Super Bowl lull, but it certainly feels like spring is sneaking up on us like an old pair of gym shorts. At least they’re cozy at first.
The silver lining? Baseball. Clouds likely will be absent from the Diamondbacks Fan Fest on Saturday, February 17, at Scottsdale’s Salt River Fields, 7555 North Pima Road, but D-backs fans have seen enough gloominess since their team was bounced from postseason play by the reviled Dodgers just a few short months ago.
The free event kicks off at noon.
Visit the Diamondbacks website or call 480-270-5000 for details. Rob Kroehler
Fiesta Bowl Overwatch Collegiate National Championship
There’s nothing like
You can witness such a competition on Saturday, February 17, during the Fiesta Bowl Overwatch Collegiate National Championship. Teams from the University of California Berkeley, University of Toronto, UC Irvine, and UC San Diego will face off while playing competitive rounds of Overwatch in a four-team tournament to crown a national champion. An exhibition match between ASU and the University of Arizona is also planned.
The action will unfold at the ASU’s Sun Devil Fitness Complex, 500 East Apache Boulevard, starting at 3 p.m. General admission is free; reserved seating is $10.
See the Fiesta Bowl website. Benjamin Leatherman
Experimental Art Night
The relationship between audience and artist is explored in nueBox’s Experimental Art Night at Mesa Arts Center. Creatives bring work to an intrepid and attentive audience eager to see something new. It could be a performance piece, interpretive dance routine, a new graphic design, or even a sculpture. Artists do not have to audition or submit their work for review before the show, so most of what you will see are raw works-in-progress looking to be taken to the next level as attendees offer supportive feedback to the creators.
See something new at 7 p.m. on Saturday, February 17, at 1 East Main Street. Admission
