See Brian Boner’s New Mural at monOrchid in Downtown Phoenix

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…

23 Spring Festivals You Should Go to in Metro Phoenix

Spring is that time of year when everyone is happy to spend as much time outdoors as possible. Which also makes it a great time for festivals. Whether you want to celebrate animals, independent films, or take a stroll while enjoying art and wine, you’ll find all that and more…

Not That Sort of Book Sale: Behind the Scenes at the VNSA in Phoenix

Editor’s note: Longtime New Times contributor Robrt Pela is a volunteer with the VNSA and shares his behind-the-scenes experiences with the annual book sale in this essay.  I’m always forgetting myself and putting an inner apple box where an outer citrus box goes. Or sticking an Isaac Asimov novel in the Fiction…

Awesome Things to Do for $20 or Less in Metro Phoenix This Week

New Times picks the best things to do in metro Phoenix from Monday, February 8, to Thursday, February 11.  Big Hair Bingo Down south they have a saying: “The bigger the hair, the closer to God.” At Kobalt, Phoenix’s buzziest gay bar, they have a similar saying: “The bigger the hair,…

How to Publish Your First Novel with Anne Wilson

New year, new you — new hobbies. In the 2016 edition of Project PHX, our annual how-to guide, we’re here to help with DIY projects that range from doable to dreamy. Learn how to build a tiny house and make your own chocolate. Become an embroidery artist, publish your first…

13 Art Shows to See in Metro Phoenix During Spring 2016

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…

The 10 Sundance Movies to Watch For in 2016

The biggest story at this year’s Sundance Film Festival was the record-breaking bidding war for The Birth of a Nation, a prestige biopic about rebellious slave Nat Turner. When Fox Searchlight snatched it for $17.5 million — $5 million more than any other flick in the festival’s history — their…

9 Best Things to Do This Weekend in Metro Phoenix

New Times picks the best arts and culture events in metro Phoenix from February 5 through 7. “Screaming Hand 30th Anniversary Show” Thirty years later, Jim Phillips Sr.’s Screaming Hand can still be heard loud and clear. Even those with feet planted firmly on the ground will recognize Phillips’ designs,…

Your Guide to Clothing Consignment and Resale in Metro Phoenix

Spend two minutes reading online reviews of any consignment or resale store in the Valley, and here’s what you’ll find: people complaining about snooty shop staff and buying counters manned by those lacking both taste and, seemingly, eyesight. Sure, on occasion you’ll run into a buyer (employees of a consignment…

Why Adult Coloring Books Are Overdue for Some Shade

Any minute now, I just know it, we’ll start hearing about adult hop-scotch competitions. It won’t be long before middle-aged people will begin gathering over Kool-Aid shooters for rousing Chutes and Ladders marathons. And who will be surprised to learn that jacks are making a comeback among 40-somethings? Not I…

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Only Fitfully Comes to Life

You’re probably right if you think you might get a couple laughs out of a movie titled Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. You’re also right if you’ve guessed that this gung-ho but cruddy-looking mashup fails from A to Z: It’s neither good Austen nor good zombie flick. But in those…

The Coens’ Hollywood Farce Hail, Caesar! Flames Out

A kick for those who’ve distractedly thumbed through Kenneth Anger’s Hollywood Babylon, Joel and Ethan Coen’s bustling comedy Hail, Caesar! looks back to the waning days of moviedom’s golden age: specifically, to 1951, when big-studio fixers were still tidying up the messes left by the talent (scrubbing now done by…

Israeli Doc Rabin Is Powerful but Limited in Scope

In 1995, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was shot after attending a public rally. Rushed to the hospital, he died hours later. His assassin, Israeli ultranationalist Yigal Amir, is in prison for life, having achieved his goal: Without Rabin, the tentative Palestinian-Israeli peace process collapsed. Where’s the story in an…

How to Become an Embroidery Artist with Cindy Dach

New year, new you — new hobbies. In the 2016 edition of Project PHX, our annual how-to guide, we’re here to help with DIY projects that range from doable to dreamy. Learn how to build a tiny house and make your own chocolate. Become an embroidery artist, publish your first…

The Best Comedy Shows in Metro Phoenix During Spring 2016

If you’re looking to laugh sometime in the next few months, we’ve got good news for you. There’s a ridiculous amount of comedy coming through the Valley in the next few months. Which is why we created a list of the 20 best for you (in chronological order). Cotter &…

How to Have a Perfect Proposal, According to Romantic Comedies

It’s time to buckle down, you hopeless romantic, you. Perhaps you missed your shot at popping the question over Christmas because of a family fight over the merits of Donald Trump’s campaign. On New Year’s Eve, you couldn’t get an Uber and missed the dinner reservation where they were holding…

Barneys New York at Scottsdale Fashion Square Is Closing

Barneys New York at Scottsdale Fashion Square will close this May, according to a February 2 report from Phoenix Business Journal.  Barneys representatives in Scottsdale and New York, where the 26-store chain is based, have not responded to New Times’ requests for comment on the matter. The Business Journal article notes…