Is it possible to have too many good choices? Some people surely thought so during this month’s First Friday, when art was on view at dozens of Phoenix venues. Getting to each and every one of them during the course of just a few hours was impossible, but that’s not…
Most of the metro Phoenix mural action is concentrated in just a few areas – Roosevelt Row, the Grand Avenue district, and Calle 16. But now the Coronado neighborhood is home to a charming new mural by Karlito Miller Espinosa, who uses the moniker Mata Ruda. Born in Costa Rica…
Two lawmakers and a lobbyist have hurled serious accusations at the City of Phoenix over its creation of the Roosevelt business improvement district (BID). Senator Warren Petersen, Phoenix City Councilman Sal DiCiccio, and lobbyist Marcus Dell’Artino say the City Council acted improperly or illegally when it voted during its January…
iTheatre Collaborative was announced as the newest resident company at downtown Phoenix’s Herberger Theater Center on March 3. Other resident companies at the arts venue, built in 1989, are Arizona Theatre Company and Center Dance Ensemble, both longtime staples of the Arizona arts scene. Founded in 2002, iTheatre focuses on creating performing…
Consider this month’s First Friday the art equivalent of training wheels. In the next few weeks, two multi-day art happenings go down in metro Phoenix. A mural festival and block party dubbed Paint Phoenix happens March 3 to 5, and the annual Art Detour event takes place March 19 and…
Soon, Grand Avenue will be home to a new arts destination. Laura Dragon, who operates {9} The Gallery, is working with artists Robert Gentile and Michael Viglietta to create a studio and exhibition space at Oasis on Grand. Owned by Laurie and Tom Carmody, Oasis on Grand is a complex of…
Water, art, and light. That’s the typical triad for the annual Canal Convergence, presented by Scottsdale Public Art along the Scottsdale Waterfront. This year’s ran from Thursday to Sunday, February 25 to 28. Light figured prominently in most of our favorites this time around, including floating sculptures made with fishing…
Beginning in the fall of 2017, the School of Art at Arizona State University’s School of Art will offer a Bachelor of Arts in fashion program, according to ASU School of Art director Adriene Jenik. The program will be headed by Dennita Sewell, curator of fashion design at Phoenix Art…
Michael 23 has been doing some serious math. Recently, the artist and business owner (who uses the last name 23 because he’s fascinated by the number) learned that the building where he’s spent 15 years operating The Firehouse art space with his wife Joanna Lee is up for sale. So…
Everybody needs a good art binge now and then, and it’s about time to rev up for the next one. It’s Canal Convergence 2016, taking place Thursday, February 25, to Sunday, February 28, in downtown Scottsdale. During 29 hours over the course of four days, Scottsdale Public Art will transform…
Decisions, decisions. “Should we lop off their heads or leave their heads on?” So went the discussions as Michelle Dock, gallery coordinator for The Gallery at Tempe Center for the Arts, prepared to open “Merely Players,” an exhibition featuring costumes, design sketches, and a costume shop replica. “It’s been a…
This summer will mark three years since George Zimmerman’s trial ended in acquittal. After a jury found Zimmerman not guilty of murdering Trayvon Martin, three women launched a movement via social media using three simple words and a hashtag: #blacklivesmatter. Today, the national Black Lives Matter organization works to affirm…
February’s Third Friday is shaping up to be a great night for exploring works by local photographers, which are being shown at several galleries. But It’s also a good opportunity to see works in other media – including one that’s rather rare: hair. Here’s a look at 9 shows you…
Once a year, ASU Art Museum gives both artists and sculpture fans the chance to converse over all sorts of ceramics — from decorative to functional. Those eager to elevate their skills can watch demonstrations by some of the state’s best-known ceramic artists. And those who like to go behind…
“The Sleeping Beauty truly is the best ballet,” Ib Andersen writes in the program notes for Ballet Arizona’s production of the classic ballet, which runs through Sunday, February 14, at Phoenix Symphony Hall. “The Nutcracker is good, Swan Lake is good, but The Sleeping Beauty is the ultimate classical ballet…
By the end of 2017, Mesa will be home to about 50 new units of artist live/work space, created through a partnership with Artspace, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit that specializes in art-friendly residential developments. The City of Mesa invited Artspace to explore creating an artist live/work space development in Mesa during…
Three weeks ago, it looked like plans were moving forward smoothly for implementing a Business Improvement District in Roosevelt Row and the Evans Churchill neighborhood in Phoenix that would tax property owners to pay for extra services. The Phoenix City Council voted to approve the creation of a Roosevelt BID…
Hundreds of birds appear to fly northward in a mural recently painted on a west-facing exterior wall for the monOrchid building. The renovated Roosevelt Row warehouse is home to gallery, retail, and work spaces. And now it’s got a new mural painted by Brian Boner, who lives just a few…
There was a lot of ground to cover during February’s First Friday, as Practical Art showed work by Jennifer Gross in midtown, Kevin Caron exhibited work at Walter Gallery in Scottsdale, and dozens of art spaces in downtown Phoenix opened their doors. We spotted plenty of interesting work, including these…
There’s a little something for everyone in this season’s crop of exhibitions, which explore everything from monsters to immigration. Some are distinguished by the significance of the artists whose lives they reflect, such as Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo and 20th century Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Others stand out because of…
Metro Phoenix artists have been up to some cool stuff lately — using paintbrushes, iPhones, 3-D printers, and more. First Friday is a great way to explore what local artists have been creating. Here’s a roundup of venues presenting shows on February 5 that will help you get started. “Pigment…
Phoenix sound artist Tony Obr sat behind a table topped by a silver Apple laptop computer Friday night, amplifying the sounds created as visual artist Heather Couch pounded a large clump of clay on the stage at Tempe Center for the Arts. Fumihiro Kikuchi, the choreographer and dancer whose Amalgamations opened…
