If you're a First or Third Friday regular, you know how it goes. Things slow down during the summer, and sometimes that's a good thing. You won't find a lot of new art shows opening this Friday, but that just means you can focus on quality rather than quantity.
Hit the fresh shows we've noted below, where you'll have extra time to chat with artists and fellow art lovers. But remember that some First Friday shows are still open as well, so you've got more options if you want to see even more art.
Here's a look at exhibits opening on Third Friday, plus a couple of other happenings with an arts twist.
Megaphone Takeover
See works by Hank, the alter ego created by artist Travis Ivey. In Hank mode, Ivey creates oil paintings that capture desert landscapes and neighborhoods, including some you may recognize from your travels. They're being presented by Megaphone PHX at Shortcut Gallery (shared by Phoenix General and Framed Ewe), where Third Friday hours are 5 to 8 p.m. Learn more on the Facebook event page.
"Varieties of Illustrative Experience"
Playing off the fact that some people relegate drawing to the bottom of an unspoken hierarchy of art, Modified Arts is showing drawings that explore the boundaries between what's dubbed illustration versus fine art. Featured artists include Gori Bautista, Elizabeth Brice-Heames, Christina Cole, Lee Davis, and Lauren Kelly. Third Friday hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Find more information on the Facebook event page.
"Sympathetic Vibrations"
Eye Lounge features two artists whose work addresses the complexities of human existence — considering both individuality and the larger global community. David L. Bradley's ceramic sculptures reflect his travels to regions marred by war. Tess Mosko Scherer's mixed-media works are rooted in Jungian psychology. Third Friday hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Get details on the Eye Lounge website.
"Oblique Tactics, Blind Spots"
Discover how conceptual artist Verónica Aponte reinterprets objects and memorabilia inside a shipping container gallery to prompt reflection on geopolitics, art in public spaces, and the intersection of history with contemporary culture. See her works exploring "gender, urban, and cultural identity" from 6 to 10 p.m. in the Xico shipping container galleries in Roosevelt Row. Third Friday hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Get more information on the Facebook event page.
"Blurred Dreams"
Head to {9} The Gallery, where you can explore works by Italian-born artist Leandro Puca, who uses painting and photography to explore the world of dreams. Third Friday hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Learn more on the Facebook event page.
"Jouisance"
Prolific painter Abe Zucca is showing more new works, created with his characteristic style that heightens perceptions of movement and light. Third Friday hours at Abe Zucca Gallery inside Abloom Salon are 6 to 10 p.m. Get details on the artist's Facebook page.
"Water"
Cocoon Art Space is showing solo and collaborative pieces by resident artist Tedd Smith and Josie Garcia, in addition to works by illustrator Scott Serkland. Third Friday hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Learn more on the gallery Facebook page.
Organic Poetry
Check out Unexpected Gallery for a night of poetry, complete with DJ Scapegoat Andy and walls filled with an eclectic assortment of art. Third Friday hours kick off at 7 p.m. Find more information on the Facebook event page.
Hot Summer Sale
Artist Joe Holdren, who curates the Icehouse gallery, invited several artists well-known on the downtown arts scene to bring works down to the gallery for an art sale this month. Head over between 6 and 10 p.m. to see what he's put together for the Third Friday lineup. Learn more on the artist's Facebook page.