What happens in the studio shouldn’t always stay in the studio. Studio Visit is a monthly series that profiles artists in their studios. We ask them questions, they provide answers, and then we have a nice discussion about their work. This month: Carolyn Lavender, whose work is currently featured in…
That Anne Bowles Levy became a young-adult author should come as no surprise. When the New York-born writer was just 3 or 4 years old, she’d sit curled up on her mother’s lap reading the first book she remembers: Robert McCloskey’s Make Way for Ducklings. “I loved that time,” she says…
The start of the 2015-16 dance season is looking delightfully eclectic, with offering that include not only Phoenix-area traditions such as Scorpius Dance Theatre’s A Vampire Tale, but also some touring productions including modern takes on music by Bizet and Bach. From classic story ballets to contemporary works infused by…
Tempe-born actress Alexandra Ncube is about to have a serious circle-of-life moment. She returns to Tempe in October as a cast member with the first national tour of The Book of Mormon, which plays at ASU Gammage from October 20 to November 8. Born in 1990, Ncube remembers going with her…
A glorious mix of visual and performance art infused September’s First Friday, with a cumbia dance night at Phoenix Art Museum, House of Cirque stilt-walkers activating the Shadow Play space in the heart of Roosevelt Row, and music by Native American high school students at Heard Museum. The entertainment combined with…
From the architecture inherent in a skilled fashion designer’s white shirts to the symbolism of cultural theft infusing a dozen animal zodiac heads, the fall line-up of art exhibitions in metro Phoenix has some intriguing fare. See artist-made inflatables in Chandler, videos channeling science fiction in Scottsdale, and photographs cherished…
Never fear if you sometimes feel torn during First Friday between making the art rounds and going to see a performance. Several First Friday venues are mixing it up on September 4, delivering not only intriguing art but cool dance and music offerings, too. There’s an awful lot going on,…
More than 300 people are expected to descend on metro Phoenix during early November for the 25th International Sculpture Conference, which includes an assortment of workshops, gallery visits, panels, and studio visits. The conference is held November 4 to 7 and centered on a “New Frontiers in Sculpture” theme. It…
Scientist turned mutant. Pregnant teen athlete. Drone operator. A whole slew of clueless but well-meaning missionaries. The cast of characters looks pretty appealing for this fall’s crop of theater offerings — which also include Sigmund Freud, Salvador Dali, and Joan of Arc. Shows by local and touring companies are taking…
You can’t win if you don’t play. It’s true for the lottery, and it’s true for landing places to show your art work. Metro Phoenix artists have several opportunities to up the odds of more people seeing their work in the form of seven recently issued calls for artists. One…
Some artists are too swamped with their own work to manage meaningful collaborations with other artists. But Ron May, founding artistic director for Stray Cat Theatre, isn’t letting his own hectic schedule keep him from the sorts of collaborations that fuel artistic growth and audience development. By day, he works…
David Quan, a Brookyn-based artist with Phoenix roots, has been back in the Valley since May. Chances are good you’ve seen his work under the name Luster Kaboom — including murals on Citywide Studios and the Chocolate Factory, where his Blue Ooze surrounds a mural by Los Angeles-based El Mac,…
Third Friday offerings are shaping up nicely this month, even as some galleries are in their final weeks of summer hiatus. A few of the new exhibitions merit excitement, but August 21 is also a chance to get a final glimpse of a cool show that’s been up for a…
It looks like [nueBOX], the nonprofit arts organization established in 2014 by Matther Mosher and Julie Akerly, is already starting to think outside its own box. Conceived as a nonprofit residency program for emerging performance and installation artists, [nueBOX] recently announced its newest artists in residence: a pairing of CONDER/dance…
Even amid Light Rail construction, Main Street in Mesa has proved a popular place for many years now, thanks to local attractions including Mesa Arts Center, Second Friday art walks, a self-guided sculpture walk, and an assortment of shops. Most recently, new public art has taken shape — from Jake…
Phoenix artist Nic Wiesinger recently founded something called Rhetorical Galleries. But it’s no-brick-and mortar art space. Instead, he explains, Rhetorical Galleries is a vehicle for curating and showing new works. It’s name reflects a simple question posed by Wiesinger: What if we made this space into a gallery? That space could…
In recent years, the metro Phoenix theater scene has witnessed both boom and bust. Phoenix Theatre underwent significant renovations after receiving a $1 million gift from The Walton Family Foundation. But other theater companies, including Arizona Jewish Theatre and Actors Theatre of Phoenix, ceased to exist after facing financial challenges. In…
Americans these days are bombarded with a steady stream of advertisements, television programming, social media, and online offerings. Screens deliver images at airports, restaurants, doctor offices, gyms, stadiums, and even gas stations. Saturated in visual culture, we’ve grown accustomed to tuning out much of what we see. That’s the cultural…
Amid the ceaseless noise of nonsense from politicians and pundits comes a new art exhibition titled “Statement Piece,” a pairing of works by two ceramicists whose pieces are deceptively quiet yet speak volumes about America’s identity and reach. Curated by Garth Johnson, it’s currently on view at the ASU Art Museum’s Ceramics Research…
Looming rainclouds did little to dampen enthusiasm for August’s First Friday, which was well-attended — especially along Roosevelt Street just east of Central Avenue, where there was plenty to see and talk about. The trio of shipping containers turned art galleries featured cool solo exhibitions curated by Nic Weisinger, and…
Growing up in Arizona, Tom Zoellner was always surprised to find stories set in Arizona. But the journalist and novelist, now living in Los Angeles where he’s an associate professor of English at Chapman University, will champion their cause during a panel discussion at Changing Hands Bookstore in Phoenix on Tuesday, August 11. He’s heading…
While some gallery owners head out of town this time of year, plenty are still here and ready to share the art love during August’s First Friday. We’ve found five shows featuring a fun assortment of artwork — including a couple that bring entertainment into the mix. Here are five must-see art shows…
