Some might call him a scavenger, others a “picker.” The Valley prefers to think of Joe Willie Smith is an artist -- albeit an unconventional one. The local talent has participated in Art Detour and events throughout downtown Phoenix, and brings a new fall gallery show to Scottsdale.
“Cultural Savant” features only a portion of his collection of art and artifacts gathered from a variety of cultures. Smith scours streets for left-behind items, thrift stores for forgotten treasures, and miles of desert for discarded and out-of-place gems or ordinary objects. His exhibition also includes original artwork, which incorporates aspects of his found-object art.
Explore the lost-and-found at The Gallery at Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 North Drinkwater Boulevard. The exhibition will be on view through Thursday, November 20. Admission is free and open to the public. Open daily, hours vary on weekends. Head to www.scottsdalelibrary.org for more details.
Thu., Sept. 4, 6-8 p.m.; Mondays-Thursdays, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fridays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Starts: Sept. 4. Continues through Nov. 20, 2014
