7 Spring Art Shows You Need to See

Political figures are paired with iconic storybook characters. Disco-style orbs hang low to the floor. Photographs are printed on silk, birch, and denim. Those are just a few of the things you'll see in this season's best art exhibitions.

Here's a look at seven must-see shows happening this spring in metro Phoenix.

“Light Sensitive”
Art Intersection
Through April 21

Explore photographic work by national and international artists. These pieces were created using both traditional darkroom techniques and alternative photographic processes such as cyanotype, gelatin silver, and tintype. It’s a great way to learn more about the history of photography — and how it influences contemporary work.

“southwestNET: Acid Baroque”
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
Through May 20

See how Claudio Dicochea, a Mexican-American artist represented by Lisa Sette Gallery, addresses issues of race, gender, and class. Through his paintings, Dicochea questions historical narratives, pop culture icons, and the reappropriation of culture.

“Saber Acomodar”
ASU Art Museum
Through June 30

See how 25 artists hailing primarily from Guadalajara, Mexico, blend traditional arts-and-crafts techniques with contemporary ideas. This exhibiiton is guest curated by Patrick Charpenel, director for El Museo del Barrio in New York City.

“Any Moment Now”
Phoenix Art Museum
Through July 15

Explore the ways Brazilian artist Valeska Soares transforms common objects into revelatory works of art that explore time, memory, and transitory existence. Through simple, elegant installations, Soares prompts reflection on the relationship between the mundane and the monumental.

“Transitory Conversations”
Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum
April 13 to August 5

See work by Patti Warashina, a Washington-based artist whose ceramics are both playful and profound. Warashina is inspired by both her own everyday experiences and a contemporary society she finds fraught with absurdity.

“Adventure and Control”
Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum
April 20 to August 5

Check out new work by Rachel Bess, a Phoenix-based artist represented by Lisa Sette Gallery whose oil paintings lure viewers into pondering her subjects’ secret lives. For this exhibition, Bess addresses the tenuous balance between keeping control and letting go.

“Dear Listener”
Heard Museum
May 4 to September 3

Explore works by Nicholas Galanin, a contemporary Native Alaskan artist of Tlingit-Unangax heritage who challenges cultural appropriation, representations of Native people, and the commodification of indigenous culture through diverse media including video, sculpture, and performance.