First Friday promises new exhibitions and one last-chance opportunity. The “Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera” exhibition at Heard Museum closes after Monday, September 4. And Phoenix Art Museum is opening its new exhibition of contemporary Brazilian art. Both are must-see art shows.
Add Mucho Mas Art Studio to your must-see list, too. That’s the new studio and gallery space that Kathy Cano-Murillo and Emily Costello just launched in the McDowell corridor. They’re holding an open studio from 6 to 9 p.m. so folks can pop in to get a first peek.
You’ll even find art at places you normally hit for food or drinks. Lost Leaf is showing art by Alex Ramirez, and Songbird Tea & Coffee House is presenting work by Morgan McQuillan.
Here’s a look at new First Friday offerings, organized by geographical area, plus two additional art shows with opening receptions happening this week.
Roosevelt Row
“Present Tense”
MonOrchid gallery presents a group exhibition featuring work in various media by 15 artists, including Geoffrey Bohm, Dani Godreau, and Mark Jay Freeman. First Friday hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Learn more on the event Facebook page.
“Politically Charged”
The Five15 Arts collective is presenting an exhibition exploring political themes, created by members working in various media. It’s happening in a gallery at Phoenix Center for the Arts, and First Friday hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Find more information on the Five15 Arts Facebook page.
See works by Tal Dvir and Stuart Posner at Olney Gallery inside Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.
Tal Dvir
Olney Gallery at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral is showing work reflecting everyday life, created by artists Stuart Posner and Tal Dvir. First Friday hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Find more information on the event Facebook page.
“Dancing Devils of Yare”
The Herberger Theater Center Art Gallery presents photographs by Gina Santi, which showcase a Venezuelan religious festival. The opening, which runs from 5:30 to 7 p.m., includes musical performance by Tempe artist Oliverio Balcells. Learn more on the event Facebook page.
See work by various artists addressing suicide prevention at Warehouse 1005 in Roosevelt Row.
C. Moeller
Art Awakenings presents a community art show designed to raise awareness about suicide prevention, which features work in various media created primarily with black, white, and gray. First Friday hours at Warehouse 1005 are 6 to 10 p.m. Find details on the event Facebook page.
Grand Avenue
“The Reaches”
Chartreuse gallery presents a solo exhibition of work by Phoenix artist Charmagne Coe, curated by Nicole Royse. Coe’s expressive surrealism explores the intermingled existence of humans, structures, flora, and fauna – and the ever-changing mesh that binds them together. First Friday hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Find more information on the event Facebook page.
Collective artists
{9} The Gallery presents its first exhibition of work by members of its new artist collective, which includes Aileen Frick, Lynn Hoyland, Carrie Beth McGarry (who goes by FunWOW), Kathy Taylor, and Jon Wassom. First Friday hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Get details on the gallery Facebook page.
Warehouse District
Steve Gompf, Kathryn Hratko, Jenny Berry
Icehouse gallery presents work by three metro Phoenix artists. Gompf creates alternative histories using fictional technologies, Hratko uses line and space to explore human energies, and Berry sets animals in human contexts. First Friday hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Learn more on the event Facebook page.
See work by several artists, including Jeremy Thomas, at Bentley Gallery.
Jeremy Thomas/Photo by Lynn Trimble
Bentley Gallery is showing work by several of the artists it represents, who work in various media from painting to sculpture. In the project room, the gallery is showing work by Travis Rice. First Friday hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Get more information on the Bentley Gallery website.
“Lure”
Phoenix artist Abe Zucca is showing new “figurative studies of figurative studies” at his Abe Zucca Gallery, where First Friday hours are 7 to 11 p.m. Find details on the event Facebook page.
Read on for more art shows to see in downtown Phoenix on September's First Friday.
José Damasceno, Nota sobre uma cena acesa ou os dez mil lápiz (Note on a Lit Scene or the Ten Thousand Pencils), 2000.10,000 pencils on wood panel. Museum of Modern Art, São Paulo Collection, MAM São Paulo Contemporary NucleusAcquisition.
Romulo Fialdini
“Past/Future/Present”
Phoenix Art Museum opens an exhibition of work by contemporary Brazilian artists working in diverse media. Museum admission is free during First Friday hours, which are 6 to 10 p.m. And tickets for the new exhibit are reduced to $5. The evening also includes music and dance performances. Get details on the museum website.
“eyes on us”
New City Studio is showing portraits by Phoenix artists Larry Madrigal and Tyler Griese, who explore diverse internal impulses and expressions of humanity through painting and drawings that foster viewer empathy. First Friday hours are 7 to 10 p.m. Get details on the event Facebook page.
"Trump All Over Us"
Found:RE Phoenix presents work by Bobo Yo, and several artists who study art with John Randall Nelson at Phoenix College. Their paintings and mixed-media pieces present a sardonic view of America's current political scene. First Friday hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Get more information on the hotel Facebook page.
“Random/Refined”
Practical Art is showing new work by Tempe artist Tom Budzak, whose ceramics are covered with tiny dots that reference the prevalence of multiples in many elements of the natural world. First Friday hours are 7 to 9 p.m. Learn more on the event Facebook page.
Other Art Shows
“Florid”
Alwun House is showing work from a new series by Phoenix artist Nadia Vanilla, who uses traditional portraiture and erotic figurative art to explore what it means to be human. The evening also features global fusion dance performance and orchestral alternative rock at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. and admission is $5. Find more information on the event Facebook page.
“Lineage”
Head to Eric Fischl Gallery at Phoenix College on Thursday, August 31, to see new work by Scottsdale artist Saskia Jorda. Using fiber arts, Jorda explores issues of intersecting artistic and cultural lines. Thursday’s opening reception happens from 6 to 9 p.m. Get details on the event Facebook page.
“Las Fronteras Nos Dividen: Pero El Arte Nos Une”
Check out Sagrado Galleria on Saturday, September 2, to explore work by four artists on themes related to immigration. Saturday’s reception kicks off with an artist panel from 6 to 8 p.m., led by community activist Marisa Franco, and continues through 10 p.m. Learn more on the event Facebook page.
Editor's note: This post has been updated from its original version.
