Here's Your Guide to February's First Friday in Phoenix

First Friday promises plenty of variety, from the launch of a new mural project at the Heard Museum to a show blending art and science on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus.

February 2 marks the return of “Nasty Women: Phoenix Unite,” an art show highlighting the rights of immigrants, the LGBTQ community, and women. And it’s a chance to meet Mexican artist Erick Meyenberg, whose video installation opens Saturday, February 3, at Phoenix Art Museum.

This is no time to skip First Friday.

But you’ll have a hard time seeing everything unless you get an early start and do some thinking ahead about how to squeeze it all in.

Here’s one pro tip: Find the shows that open at 5 p.m. or close at 11 p.m. That way you'll know where to start and end your evening.

We’ve organized new art shows by area to help with that. And we’ve got the short list of must-see shows. Here’s a look at fresh First Friday offerings for February.

Must-See Exhibitions

“Nothing in Stasis”
Explore more than 60 works by Monica Aissa Martinez, a Phoenix-based artist inspired by connections between body, mind, and spirit. They’re on view inside the U of A Health Sciences Education building at 435 North Fifth Street. First Friday hours are 5 to 8 p.m. Find details on the Facebook event page.

“Nasty Women: Phoenix Unite”
See more than 100 works in diverse media, in an exhibition at Grand ArtHaus meant to highlight civil rights for women, immigrants, and the LGBTQ community. Participating artists include Megan Koth, Ann Morton, and Patricia Sannit. First Friday hours are 6 to 11 p.m. Learn more on the Facebook event page.

“Elena”
The ASU Art Museum Project Space presents a multidisciplinary artist collaboration that includes restoring an animatronic doll discovered in 1925 on the Desert Botanical Garden grounds. First Friday hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Get details on the ASU events website.

"Renascent"
Artlink presents a pop-up exhibition, featuring an installation by Ashley Czajkowski that "explores the tenuous boundaries of the nature/culture divide." It's happening at 1017 North Central Avenue. First Friday hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Learn more on the Facebook event page.

Roosevelt Row

“Wayfinding”
Olney Gallery inside Trinity Episcopal Cathedral is showing new steel sculptures and acrylic paintings by Joan Waters, who took inspiration from the tar lines used to fill cracks in asphalt roads. First Friday hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Learn more on the Facebook event page.

“Misbegotten Memories”
Arizona Latino Arts and Cultural Center is presenting more than 70 color images of “monuments, memorials, and representations of a slave trade" from photographer Dòwòti Désir. First Friday hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Get details on the venue’s Facebook page.

“Monet & Malbec”
First Friday Live at Herberger Theater Center includes live music, art film, and the chance to try your hand at watercolor painting with artist Sandra Neumann Wilderman. First Friday hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Learn more on the Facebook event page.