It’s been a year of big changes for Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix. Baron Properties tore down a pair of buildings at Roosevelt and Third streets to make way for residential units. Local First Arizona founder Kimber Lanning saved a house slated for demolition by having it moved to the vacant…
For some, the word Utah conjures only images of Mormon temples and the Great Salt Lake. But there’s far more to see in our neighboring state to the north, as it’s also home to a cool assortment of arts and culture offerings. We’ve found seven worth checking out if you’re…
A cadre of well-known street artists recently descended on Phoenix to create a mural inspired by the quest for immigrant rights. It was created in partnership with both the Netroots Foundation, a Washington D.C. organization that uses online tools to promote participatory democracy, and filmmakers for Who is Dayani Cristal?…
The artists of Eye Lounge are anything but confined to their collective’s Roosevelt Row gallery space. More than 60 artists affiliated with the Eye Lounge artist collective during its 15-year history were featured earlier this year in a retrospective at Vision Gallery in Chandler, which highlighted the marvelous diversity of…
It’s difficult to to grasp the ways unleashed nuclear weapons can forever alter personal and geographic landscapes. But five people whose stories of life following the Nagasaki bombing of 1945 are featured in a new book by Tempe author Susan Southard know all too well the horrors of nuclear weapons…
Back in May of 2014, 11 Phoenix arts and culture organizations announced they had formed the Central Arts District as a way to up their visibility in the region and increase their mutual collaboration while promoting local art and cultural offerings. The 11 organizations involved were Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix…
Just midway through the year, we’ve already spotted several works that stand out from all the rest — from dance festival featuring emerging and established artists to a graduate art student video conjuring the spirit of a famed contemporary artist. Here are a few of the best things we’ve seen…
Phoenix artist Beatrice Moore estimates that about 40 exhibitions have been shown at Frontal Lobe Community Space and Gallery during her four or five years spent operating the venue that’s best known to many for its annual “Mutant Piñata Show.” But now Moore says it’s time for a change. “I’ve…
It’s easy to hit New York City with a one-track mind, eager to explore just a small slice of the city’s vast arts and culture scene. Some go for the galleries and museums, and others to Broadway shows. But there’s a rich breadth and depth to the city’s cultural life…
Nowadays you needn’t stroll or bike your way down every street to see the riches of the metro Phoenix street art scene. Savvy street artists have taken to Instagram to share their artwork. Some feature images of their own artwork, as well as work by others. Here are 10 metro…
The Arizona Biennial, which has the distinction of being the longest-running juried exhibition featuring exclusively Arizona artists, returns this month. First organized in 1948, the exhibition’s current iteration opens on July 25 at Tucson Museum of Art. More than 1,490 works were submitted, and 50 pieces were selected for the…
“ARTillery” — an exhibition currently on view at Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum — is an interesting survey of weapons in contemporary culture. But it could have been a call to action in an age when simply talking about violence isn’t doing squat to end it. With more than 50 works…
As others are lay low for summer, plenty of metro Phoenix artists seem to be kicking it into high gear. July Third Friday attendees will be richly rewarded with opportunities to see works by dozens of artists — including several who use unconventional means or materials. “Maybe Tomorrow, Darling” See…
Photographs representing the entire history of photography are currently on view in the “One-of-a-Kind: Unique Photographic Objects from the Center for Creative Photography” exhibition at Phoenix Art Museum. The exhibition was organized by the museum and the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona in Tucson. “One-of-a-Kind” was curated…
If seeing works by Arizona artists exhibited around town has ever left you wanting to give art-making a try, this summer might be a good time to get started. Several local artists are offering classes or workshops in coming weeks and months, and we’ve found five that look especially intriguing…
It’s easy to get in the groove of hitting First and Third Fridays in metro Phoenix without making time to explore art by artists working in other parts of Arizona. But there’s an easy solution. It’s the “All Art Arizona” exhibition presented each year by Gilbert’s Art Intersection, whose curatorial staff…
There’s happy news this month, as galleries, museums, and other art spaces continue to offer an intriguing mix of exhibitions even as people are popping in and out of town for summer vacations. Take solace if you’re among those who couldn’t get away for the long holiday weekend. You’ll be…
The Heard Museum in central Phoenix announced on June 22 that it received a $1.25 million grant from the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust. The grant money will be used to combine two existing galleries into a single larger space that will accommodate bigger exhibitions and allow for greater integration of…
Rock ‘n’ roll is alive and kicking. And writhing, twirling, lunging, and twitching — thanks to a new dance program called ROCK that Scorpius Dance Theatre premièred Thursday, June 25. Rock hits nearly all the right notes, thanks to a genuinely entertaining blend of dance, aerial arts, live electric guitar performance,…
When news spread earlier this year that the building most recently occupied by a small business called GreenHAUS would be demolished to make way for a new housing development, a community uproar ensued. Some lamented the loss of the building located at 222 East Roosevelt Street, which once housed the city’s first…
There’s a new art commerce enterprise in town called Curator Engine, which seeks to connect artists with buyers. It’s starting with ASU-affiliated artists, including students, alumni or faculty — but there are plans to expand and replicate the model with additional artists and perhaps expand to other cities once the…
Third Friday has always been more laid-back than its First Friday counterpart. But June’s crowds were a bit thinner than we’d expected, even given the mass exodus that tends to occur this time of year. For those who braved the heat, lines at local coffee joints were shorter, and parking…
