Best Outdoor Art 2024 | Oak Street Alley | Megalopolitan Life | Phoenix
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Best Outdoor Art

Oak Street Alley

The tiny stretch of central Phoenix road known as the Oak Street Alley is one of the most delightful parts of the city. The concrete walls that line the street are canvases for the city's artists, turning the area into an open-air gallery any time of the day or night. You could drive through at a snail's pace, but we prefer to park nearby and check out the murals on foot. Some of the pieces, like Maggie Keane's charming ode to A-ha's "Take on Me" music video, have been up for years. But many sections of wall get a new look each spring during the Oak Street Alley Mural Festival, a weekend in which the public crowds the alley while artists paint new creations. It's one of our favorite events of the year.

Best Art at the Airport

'The Phoenix'

It's likely that you've never noticed the walls and floors throughout Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Blame it on the frustrating push through security and the sprints across the cavernous hallways to one of the 86 gates of Terminal 4. But the airport's two terminals, the terrazzo floors of the PHX Sky Train corridors and even the Rental Car Center might surprise you. Why? Because of the impressive number of public art installations showcasing the work of Arizona artists and curated by the Phoenix Airport Museum. It started in 1962 with Paul Coze's "The Phoenix," a giant, three-panel, 75-foot mural that was originally located over the main hall in the Terminal 2 lobby when it opened in 1962. When the terminal was decommissioned in 2020, the mural — the first piece of city-commissioned public art chosen by a public vote — eventually made its way to the rental car center in 2021. The iconic work includes 52 different materials and 15 canvases and pays tribute to the first prehistoric inhabitants of the region, depicts a blazing phoenix and, with outstretched hands, honors Arizona's agriculture, ranching and mining history.

Best Art Along the Light Rail

'On a Journey with You'

When Valley Metro's Thelda Williams Transit Center and the light rail's northwest extension debuted earlier this year, it provided riders with both new destinations and a collection of dynamic, vibrant public art to enjoy. Seven pieces were added to stations along Valley Metro's Northwest Light Rail Extension, including such standouts as Oregon-based sculptor Pete Goldlust's playful UFO-themed work "The Travelers" at Dunlap and 25th avenues and local artist Mary Shindell's divine "Ocotillo Rise" murals inspired by desert botanicals at the Metro Parkway Station. The crown jewel is Tempe artist Oliverio Balcells' evocative and vibrant "On a Journey with You," a multipart tile mosaic adorning 66 risers of the stairs leading to the second level of the Thelda Williams Transit Center. The colorful work features Costa's hummingbirds taking flight amid desert flowers, a flowing river and symbols inspired by the Wixárika, an Indigenous culture native to western Mexico. According to Balcells, the birds represent "relationships, admiration, community and love," while the water symbolizes the light rail and the journeys it will lead people on. It creates a stunning, eye-catching sight for visitors to the transit center heading out on their own journeys.

Best Stuffed Animals

Trolls on Grand Avenue

Grand Avenue is one of Phoenix's most colorful and artistic thoroughfares, with plenty of stores, restaurants and bars to stop into. Just east of Bacanora, which has garnered accolades from national food critics, walk past trees covered in yard afghans and look up at what hangs from them: flowers, plush toys and ... trolls. The gang of trolls on Grand are the cutest and most formidable public gang of stuffed animals that we've seen. Placed together among a diverse array of other toys, the trolls seem to have their own special society. It's a joy to see them all in solidarity, against the odds, weathering Phoenix's summers and basking in the glory of its winters.

Best First Friday Stop

Eye Lounge

Want to talk to local artists and learn about their work? Go to Eye Lounge on a First or Third Friday. The artist-run gallery is one of our must-stop spaces during the Roosevelt Row artwalks. The exhibits are always worth seeing; 2024 offerings included "Sex and Sovereignty," a photography exhibition by Amanda Mollindo about the ongoing issue of reproductive freedom, and "Your Money & Your Life" by Amy Bird, a collection of currency collages that challenged viewers to think about money in different ways. But here's what we love about Eye Lounge on a First Friday: More likely than not, you'll find the artist whose work is on the walls greeting you at the entrance. The tiny space inspires conversation, allowing those of us who may usually be too shy to talk to an artist to feel comfortable interacting. We invariably leave Eye Lounge a little more knowledgeable about the work and a little more connected to the Valley's art scene.

Best Art Exhibit

'Modified Arts: A 25th Anniversary Group Invitational'

It's a laudable accomplishment for any business to celebrate a 25th anniversary. We're especially happy to see it when the business is an art gallery, and downright thrilled when said gallery is on Roosevelt Row, a part of town that has seen a lot of change — not all of it good — over the past decade. Kimber Lanning's Modified Arts has been a staple of downtown Phoenix for a quarter-century, and its anniversary show included works by 25 artists "who have left an indelible mark on the gallery's rich history," according to the gallery statement. Ann Morton, Jeff Falk, Christopher Jagmin, Monica Martinez — some of the Valley's most influential and well-known artists contributed to the show, which made the exhibit both a meaningful look at our local art scene and a well-deserved celebration of Modified.

Best Political Exhibit

'Twin Flames: The George Floyd Uprising From Minneapolis to Phoenix'

We made a critical error when we visited "Twin Flames: The George Floyd Uprising From Minneapolis to Phoenix" at ASU Art Museum early this year: We didn't bring tissues. The powerful and heartbreaking exhibit included hundreds of signs collected from the streets of Minneapolis after protests related to the 2020 murder of George Floyd by police officers. Signs that read "My Black Family Matters," "Justice for George" and "You Don't Need Tear Gas – We're Already Crying" reflect the sorrow, anger and frustration felt in the wake of Floyd's murder. ASU professor Dr. Rashad Shabazz was integral in bringing the exhibit to the Valley and did so, in part, because of the ongoing problem of police violence in Arizona. For months, the public came to see the signs, bearing witness to one city's anguish and leaving inspired to effect change in their own.

Best Cultural Exhibit

'Barbie: A Cultural Icon'

How lucky were we? "Barbie" was a summer blockbuster film last year, but even before that happened, Phoenix Art Museum had already contracted to bring the "Barbie: A Cultural Icon" exhibit to town. So while everyone was thinking pink, we had a Barbie wonderland at our fingertips. The exhibition traces the way that Barbie and American culture have influenced each other for 65 years, and included dozens of well-preserved dolls from Barbie's long history. In addition, fun photo ops like Barbie and Ken boxes and a real pink Corvette visitors could sit in created long lines on busy days. The exhibit was a heck of a lot of fun, but the real win was the way it brought generations together. Seeing grandmothers, moms and daughters peruse the show and exclaim over the dolls was a heartwarming sight.

Best Billboard

'Dictator Diaper Don Destroying Democracy'

Grand Avenue Arts & Preservation Director Beatrice Moore owns a billboard near Grand and 11th avenues. But she doesn't use it for advertising. Back in March 2017, the billboard made national news when Moore commissioned Los Angeles artist Karen Fiorito to cover it with a controversial piece of art depicting then-President Donald Trump surrounded by mushroom clouds and dollar signs that resembled swastikas. Since then, the billboard has been used to decry Trump's nominees to the Supreme Court and to celebrate Black History Month, among other topics. But in March, a new work by Fiorito went up on the billboard. Titled "Dictator Diaper Don Destroying Democracy," the piece depicts Trump as three infants on a picnic blanket surrounded by things like a cake decorated with a Confederate flag, "I Love Fascism" spelled out with baby blocks and a bucket of fried chicken bearing the image of Adolf Hitler. Fiorito and Moore intended the work to remind people of the damage Trump has wrought in the U.S. and to encourage people to vote. Moore has stated that the image will stay up through the November presidential election.

Best Lowrider Painter

Efrain 'Bugs' Gonzales

This recognition is no surprise to those familiar with Gonzales' exceptional work, particularly his recent project painting the Phoenix Suns' 1957 Chevy Bel Air in the basketball team's iconic purple and orange color scheme. Before the project began, the Phoenix Suns' staff closely observed Gonzales' custom jobs for two years before deciding to entrust him with building their "lolo," or lowrider. The final product was captured on video being driven by Devin Booker; the video was shared on mainstream news and went viral. Since 1987, the Mesa-born and -raised car customizer has left his "Bugs Did It" signature on the top lowriders in the Valley and beyond. Gonzales is renowned for his proficiency in implementing advanced paint techniques such as pearl tape shades, flake pinstriping, water drops and silver leafing with candy clearcoats. His super-steady hands have earned him numerous accolades, including the opportunity to pinstripe a lowrider owned by Joe Ray, the former editor of Lowrider magazine. This year, we recognize Gonzales' dedication to his craft and ability to create stunning custom paint jobs that have solidified his reputation as the premier lowrider painter in metro Phoenix.

Best Of Phoenix®

Best of Phoenix 2024

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