For the opening of her show “Underpinnings” at the Lisa Sette Gallery, Angela Ellsworth had performance actors dressed as members of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints and acting out performance works from the 1960s, 70s and 80s by famous women performance artists. Writer Kathleen Vanesian describes the scene in…
Casa Gilardi by Jana PetersonI have to admit, that last blog took a lot out of me.So instead of droning on about complicated matters, I’m going to keep this one short and sweet.Chandler Center for the Arts has a new show opening today by painter Jana Peterson. I have to…
Have you ever felt you truly belonged anywhere? Since you were in diapers, you’ve probably experienced a constant mental negotiation to determine a sense of belonging to something: your gender, your family, your classmates . . . The list goes on. Michael Dixon’s no different, except his situation may be…
The Wrestler may be plenty visceral, but it’s no more a sports movie than professional wrestling is a competitive sport. Chronic over-reacher Darren Aronofsky’s relatively unpretentious follow-up to the ridiculous debacle that was The Fountain is all about showbiz. It’s also a canny example. You want to make a comeback…
For as long as it forges ahead without explanations, The Unborn works in its way, as a series of snap-cut gotchas introducing each new contestant in its pageant of cold-sweat set-pieces. Often, this involves starlet Odette Yustman approaching some obscured, inevitably terrifying figure from behind, very . . . very…
I fall in love with old buildings. There’s that odd little Flintstonian office building at Third Street and Clarendon, whose comically prehistoric rock-and-mortar façade stole my heart years ago. For a while, I had as my screensaver a photograph of the impossibly tiny stone cottage I drive past when I’m…
Phoenix Metro Bicycle Club presents the first century ride of the year. Options include a full century (103 miles), metric century (62 miles), or a 34-miler for newbies. The fee includes a hot lunch at Dave White Regional Park in Casa Grande. Sun., Jan. 11, 8 a.m., 2009…
Take a winter desert walk under a frosty full moon. The guided trek takes participants to the old Pemberton Ranch site along the Pemberton Trail. Sat., Jan. 10, 6-8 p.m., 2009…
Photographer Jack Dykinga speaks in conjunction with the new exhibit “Lasting Light: 125 Years of Grand Canyon Photography.” The library is hosting the national debut of the exhibit, which also features works by Mike Buchheit, Michael Collier, James Cowlin, Sue Bennett, George H.H. Huey, and Jerry Jacka. Wed., Jan. 14,…
Photographer Mike Buchheit speaks in conjunction with the new exhibit “Lasting Light: 125 Years of Grand Canyon Photography.” The library is hosting the national debut of the exhibit, which also features works by Jack Dykinga, Michael Collier, James Cowlin, Sue Bennett, George H.H. Huey, and Jerry Jacka. Sat., Jan. 10,…
Phoenix Public Library hosts the national debut of this exhibit, which features more than 60 images of the Canyon by the likes of Jack Dykinga, Michael Collier, James Cowlin, Sue Bennett, George H.H. Huey, Jerry Jacka, and Mike Buchheit. Jan. 10-March 29, 2009…
The American Meteorological Society sponsors the science fair for big kids and small, which features scads of interactive exhibits and experiments. Sun., Jan. 11, 12-4 p.m., 2009…
The Divorce Court mainstay and Mesa resident talks about her latest book, My Mother’s Rules: A Practical Guide to Becoming an Emotional Genius. Sat., Jan. 10, 2 p.m., 2009…
In addition to the usual cornucopia of beautiful rocks, this year’s show features a rare showing of Peralta Stone tablet maps believed to contain clues to a lost Arizona treasure. Fri., Jan. 9, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat., Jan. 10, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun., Jan. 11, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., 2009…
The annual street-hoops fest is held in conjunction with the Arizona Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee festivities. Some action takes place at Harmon Park, 1239 South Fifth Avenue. Jan. 12-17, 2009…
Feeling a mite poorly in these recessionary times? Watching the beauties fly off the block at this annual collectible-auto sell-off is manna for the auto lover’s soul, if a bit tough on the pocketbook. Jan. 14-18, 2009…
The folks who traffic in the international collectible-auto trade return to the Valley for Auto Auction Week 2009. Jan. 11-18, 2009…
The documentary looks at the independent-bookstore movement through the perspective of two indie-lit champions, Andy Ross of Cody’s Books and Clark Kepler of Kepler’s Books. Fri., Jan. 9, 6 p.m., 2009…
We’re not much into the quintessential “page-turner” – too many exhaustive strands of unimaginative dialogue and predictable cliffhanging endings to chapters – but Scott Sigler, acclaimed horror-story author of such reads as Infected, just cranked one out. Titled Contagious, it’s filled with creepy characters and a super-crayzee plot structure in…
One of contemporary life’s biggest challenges is separating the spiritual/New Age bona fides from the frauds. An example of the latter: Neale Donald Walsh and his Conversations with God series. Dude, really? You seriously transcribed a conversation with the Man Upstairs or whatever and made your publisher buy it? No…
What’s Monster Energy Supercross? Easy. Combine The Wild One with Death Race 2000, subtract the rampant hooliganism, and add a few dozen tons of dirt. Daredevil teams of two or four riders – including AMA Supercross champion James Stewart and challenger Kevin Windham – will rev and roll their super-powered…
You’re dead. Right outside of work. On the sidewalk. Didn’t get to say goodbye to anyone. Who you gonna call? Well, spiritual medium James Van Praagh’s “Connecting to Spirit” Tour can help you find your way. After a benediction, Van Praagh will provide meditation, question-and-answer sessions, spirit messages, and “random…
