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Here's a look at local culture news, from immersive exhibits to new creative spaces.
Van Gogh Exhibit
The “Immersive Van Gogh” exhibit featuring large-scale projections of portraits, landscapes, and still life artworks by the renowned 19th century Dutch painter is coming to Phoenix. The location for the July 26 to September 6 run has not been disclosed. Timed-entry tickets for the one-hour experience start at $39.99.
New Creative Space
Artlink is working with Park Central Mall and Gould Evans to transform nearly 20,000 square feet of basement space at the mall into a multidisciplinary space for Arizona artists. Community members can take virtual or online tours this month, and suggest best uses for the space by completing a survey. Organizers have not announced a timeline of next steps for the project.
World Premiere
Ballet Arizona will present the world premiere of Ib Andersen’s The Four Seasons on an outdoor stage at Desert Botanical Garden, where 15 performances are scheduled between May 18 and June 5. Set to the music by Vivaldi, it marks the first large-scale public performance for the ballet company since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Street Theater
Working in his art studio near the Arizona Capitol, Joel Coplin has spent years painting portraits of people living on the streets of Phoenix and capturing scenes of their everyday lives. Now, he’s presenting an exhibit of these works titled "Theater of the Streets" from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, March 19, at Gallery 119 at Lowney/Copley Studios.
Parking Garage Project
ASU Gammage is working with students at ASU’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts to create an immersive multi-level art space at the university’s Packard Garage in Tempe, where ticketed drive-through experiences will take place from April 9 to 25. Dubbed designspace, it will also feature work by Lightswitch and Hybycozo (which has shown several works at Burning Man in recent years).
New Downtown Mural
Ashley Macias is painting a new mural titled Lucid City at the corner of Adams and Second streets, after being selected through a public call tied to a Downtown Phoenix Inc. project called #DearDTPHX. Macias’ design was influenced by select community member photos submitted through the project. The mural is scheduled to be completed this month.
ArtPrize 2021
The international ArtPrize competition based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is currently accepting applications for curatorial, artist equity, and project grants. Several artists with Arizona ties, including Saskia Jorda and Nathaniel Lewis, have shown work during ArtPrize events or received funding through ArtPrize initiatives.
Artist Workshops
The City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture is presenting March workshops for artists who want to learn more about business aspects of creative life. Remaining workshops include arts attorney Sarah Conley Odenkirk addressing copyright on March 18, and artist Bill Dambrova on creating digital files for public art on March 25.
New Works Festival
Phoenix Theatre is presenting five new works in development as part of its Festival of New American Theatre, which takes place March 20 to 28. The line-up includes in-person and virtual readings in the theater’s outdoor courtyard as well as artist talkbacks. Themes include family secrets, controversial language, endangered animals, the male gaze, and more.
Art Award Finalists
Arizona Citizens for the Arts is announcing finalists for the 2021 Arizona Governor’s Arts Awards on its Facebook page in advance of the virtual awards ceremony happening on Friday, March 26. Finalists in the Small Business category include Davisson Entertainment, Emancipation Arts, and LDVinci Art Studio.
Mural Meeting
A Civitan Mural Meeting is being held via Zoom at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 16, so members of the community can share their ideas with Isaac Caruso, the artist selected by the Civitan Foundation to create new work on the building that was formerly home to an iconic mural by Rose Johnson.
Call for Nominations
The National Endowment for the Arts is accepting nominations for the 2021 National Medal of Arts, which is the nation’s highest medal awarded by the U.S. government to artists and art patrons, through March 15. The award recognizes “outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support, and availability of arts in the United States.”
Young Writers Resource
Changing Hands Bookstore is launching a virtual workshop series called Young People Write, which is designed for youth ages 13 to 17. The first workshops will be led by Arizona novelist and high school English teacher Suzanne Young, whose first session happens on April 9.
EXPANDMall Chalk Walls
Phoenix-based artist Courtney Larsen recently painted interactive chalk walls for two outdoor malls, which are designed to spread positivity and encourage community members to share positive affirmations. The pieces are currently on view at Tempe Marketplace and Desert Ridge Marketplace.
New Film Series
Scottsdale Center for the Arts is presenting a new No Festival Required film series at the Civic Space Park adjacent to the center. The series features five films, including Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, Echo in the Canyon, and Stop Making Sense. For these three films, tickets are being sold for pods of two or four people.
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