Natalie Portman’s portrayal of a psychotic prima ballerina in the thriller Black Swan shone a glaring light on the world of professional dance. It’s not all frilly tutus and magical nutcrackers — that’s just the fantasy the dancer creates on the stage. Similarly, deception is at the core of “Dance…
Local artist Jen Urso has one month to raise $10,000 to fund her latest project. “The Things In Between” is born from Urso’s fascination with vacant lots in Phoenix and reading body language. While the two may seem unrelated, Urso hopes to bring them together to examine the moments between conversation…
On March 4, a new gallery will open in the old anti_space location on Fourth Street and McKinley in downtown Phoenix. Like other galleries in the area, Cade Gallery will exhibit a variety of artwork, but (nerd alert) it’s also an old school, mini-arcade, so customers can kill space bugs…
Joyce Farmer’s more than happy to dish on what she used to create her graphic novel, Special Exits, she even pull out her bright blue mechanical pencil without an eraser and a worn and tattered grip.The California-based artist and writer’s known for her openness both in person and through her…
Don’t get us wrong, we love Ignite — if we can manage to get in the door without trading regrettable sexual favors for the “free” tickets. But there’s something about the newer PechaKucha events we can really get behind. The event includes plenty of beer, wine, and snacks to go around,…
We can thank the idiots Matthew Inman worked with in the corporate world for driving him to quit and ultimately start his own webcomic.The 28-year-old says he was sick of the office (mostly the printer) and decided to work for himself. Just more than a year after he launched TheOatmeal.com,…
R.I.P. Paulina Miller Gallery. The upscale art space inside the historic Charles E. Palen House at Roosevelt and First streets in downtown Phoenix quietly stopped hosting monthly exhibits in mid-2010, after more than 10 years of showcasing local and national art. No one seemed to notice, in part because the…
If it were up to us, every day would be Third Friday with tons of new work from local artists who are just debuting and have been around for a while. Here are six shows you won’t want to miss: 1. What Goes On and What Takes Place @ Modified…
It’s about time Phoenix sees some serious mural love. In the interest of giving credit to their artists and because we’re losing track of the times we’ve said, “Woah, when did that go up?”, we bring you Mural City, a series on the murals springing up around town — their…
The Netherlands’ Afrika Museum and African Architecture Matters recently announced that Valley-based Fusion Architecture’s Garden City Park is one of three finalists for the 2010 “Blueprints of Paradise” competition. Kobina Banning, founder of Fusion Architecture (FA), and his team “were asked to visualize their vision on ‘future built Africa,'” says…
Put Pong next to Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and you’ll see that video games have come a long way. But you don’t have to tell the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC; it’s planning to chronicle the gaming evolution through a new exhibit. And bonus: The museum is asking…
Fetish Revolution 11 took over the Venue Scottsdale on Saturday, February 12, and to many of the thousand-plus people in attendance, the most exciting performances were flesh-hook acrobatics by local group Life Suspended.But for us, the most exciting performance — and by far the most amazing thing we’ve ever seen…
Coronado Neighborhood History BookDonna Reiner, Jen Kitson, and the Coronado Neighborhood Association are compiling a history-centric tome about one of Phoenix’s coolest historic neighborhoods, and they’re looking for old photos, stories, and any other relevant materials. The effort will be printed by Arcadia Publishing, who recently dropped a book about…
MAD ONE (aka Mike Neely) is leaving town. The local street art brain behind more than a few notable stencils, stickers, and pieces around the street scene and rotating shows at Atmosphere Salon and Cartel Coffee is putting up a few of his pieces from his latest series, “Differences” before…
It’s official, George freaking Takei is coming to Phoenix Comicon. The announcement of the Star Trek actor’s appearance came at the Phoenix Comicon Kickoff event Thursday night. More than 300 people jammed into a Phoenix Convention Center seminar room to hear what guests, events, and exclusive items were confirmed for…
Scottsdale’s pop-up gallery scene continues to gain steam. One of the latest participants is IDK Gallery, which opened in December and will be unveiling its second art show tonight. Idakatherine Graver has been an artist for 35 years, but IDK, located at 4200 North Marshall Way, Suite 1, is the…
This Friday, ribbons, dancing, and profile sketching will take over the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art as it hosts its annual Spring Opening. The free event, from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., will showcase three new exhibitions: Dance With Camera, Rivane Neuenschwander: A Day Like Any Other, and Imagining Dance in…
Local artist Hugo Medina (he just goes by Hugo) had his first show at the Icehouse in downtown Phoenix almost six years ago. So when he heard the gallery and performance space was slated to close at the end of the year, he decided to put together a group show…
Jane Reddin, the local creative who retired from her legal career to support the blooming arts scene in Central Phoenix, died on Sunday evening. Reddin was known and celebrated for her passion for locally made artwork. She opened Practical Art on Central Avenue north of Camelback in early 2008. Two…
Coffee with a side of Phoenix architecture never tasted better. The Phoenix Historic Preservation Office and Ryden Architects, Inc.will present and sign copies of their newly released book, “Midcentury Marvels: Commercial Architecture of Phoenix, 1945-1975,” at Royal at the Market on Wednesday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.. The book, described…
