Arty Girl: Glen Allen and Ben Beshaw at Pravus Gallery

“Encanto” by Glen Allen.Most of my art education was whittled down to endless flash cards for college exams. There was a time when I could recite the title, artist, medium and year of the majority of the artworks pictured in Janson’s History of Art.Screw the memorization – my favorite part…

Arty Girl: Laura Spalding at five15

See? She’s good.I could blog about a show that you only have a few days left to see…or I could blog about a show that you really should have seen already. But, being that it’s so close to the new year, I really don’t want to look back. No, it’s…

Arty Girl: Klaus Rinke at Bentley Gallery

Dame with Tailbone by Rinke.Okay, enough about downtown Phoenix. While I sure appreciate all the art options in that area, I’ve been blogging a liiiittle too much about it lately. So here’s a blog about someplace else…the land of milk and honey, Scottsdale.(That last sentence works better if you whisper…

Arty Girl: Elihu Vedder Drawings at Phoenix Art Museum

So I’m a writer, right? At least, that’s what I’ve been telling everyone at these Holiday parties I’ve been frequenting. It’s only natural that I wouldn’t be able to keep myself away from this blog on Christmas Eve. And while I don’t expect any of you to take in an…

Arty Girl: “Ain’ting” by Ryan Peter Miller at Eye Lounge

“Dip Dick” by Miller.You can’t blame me for starting this blog with the wiener picture. Such a racy image might snag some attention and get me some new readers.But enough about my strategy to keep Arty Girl alive. What I really want to write about is Ryan Peter Miller’s solo…

Arty Girl: Photographer Lindsey Nochta at Modified Arts

This is how Nochta snagged her victims -er- subjects.Everyone likes music on some level. I mean, come on – we’re alive, we’re human beings and we have emotions. Photographer Lindsey Nochta set out to find those who are beyond the casual music listener. She’s had her sights fixed on the…

Arty Girl: Angela Franks Wells at Five15

Photo By Angela Franks WellsIt’s been raining this week and, as a native Phoenician, I’m ready for it to be over. I can’t help it, I’m addicted to the sun. So it’s no wonder I’m already thinking about Friday. It’s the first day this week that the forecast icon has…

Arty Girl: John Battenberg at West Valley Art Museum

By John BattenbergIf you’re a religious reader of the Night & Day section of the Phoenix New Times – and, my God, why wouldn’t you be? – you’ve probably already heard about Michael Dixon’s show, “Sambo Scatches His Navel and Watches His Crazy Sister” at West Valley Art Museum.With a…

Arty Girl: “Fill in the Groove” at Hoodlums slideshow

Puzzled by Tim HamIf you’ve know me for any amount of time, you know I’m an incessant story re-teller. It’s an unforgivable offense and I apologize to my friends and family for having to put up with me. There’s nothing more embarrassing than starting off with a great build-up only…

Arty Girl: Robots in Flight at the Scottsdale Civic Center

There are certain things in this world that will win me over no matter what. Whenever my niece cracks up laughing with her high pitched squeals, sparkling eyes and a huge grin of jagged first grader teeth, I’m so overwhelmed with adoration, I feel like my heart is going to…

Arty Girl: Call for Entries, Mutant Pinata Show

The Mutant Piñata Show from last year.As much as I get overwhelmed by art on a weekly basis, I never have the urge to pick up a bat and beat the ever living hell out of it.Wait. Change “never” to “rarely”. We all have our bad days, right?But when I…

Arty Girl: Steampunk by ASU Sculpture at First Studio

So it’s a First Friday tonight and I’m sure your schedule is packed with this, a little of that and probably some of this…But please allow me to suggest one more. The ASU Sculpture students, faculty and some extraneous local artists have come together for an evening of Steampunk.Okay, I…

Arty Girl: ASU Art Museum in Miami, FL

Finally, a reason I would actually want to go to Florida. No offense to anyone from that place. It’s just that I’m a native Phoenician – I don’t like humidity, warm beach water offends me and I’ve always thought Florida was for people who don’t know California exists.Today through Friday,…

Arty Girl: “Love Bites” at MOCA in Tucson

By Lilia Menconi A sample of poetry from Gregory Sale’s ongoing Love Buttons project.All right, chickens, I’m giving you five days notice for this one because it requires a little planning and a trip out of town. But it’s worth it, I promise.Gregory Sale, one of our most influential local…

Arty Girl: Shopping at the Heard Museum

By Lilia Menconi See more ornaments like this at Heard Museum North Scottsdale.It’s black Friday. How could I blog about anything else but shopping? Now, I’m not the type to hit a mall on a day like today. Or most days, for that matter.But I do love to shop. And…

Arty Girl: Friday Night Art Lounge with yoga at SMoCA

By Lilia MenconiThis: Plus this:  “Casablanca” by Yoshiki Hishinuma, wool seamless knitwearEquals an excellent way to decompress after clogging your bowels with Thanksgiving dinner.Okay, so maybe you don’t need that kind of decompression, but it’s a great way to take in some art and a little exercise before the “soft…

Arty Girl: Dale Chihuly at Desert Botanical Garden

By Lilia Menconi With slideshow by Kathleen Vanesian Yes, you must see this and more in the slideshow.If you haven’t heard of Dale Chihuly, put a rubber band on your wrist, pull it back and snap that baby as punishment. This is an artist you should know. He’s one of…

Arty Girl: Night Lights on the Canal in Scottsdale

See more of this in the slideshow. By Lilia Menconi Alright, folks, I’ll be straight: Arty Girl ain’t feeling so hot about some shit she saw last night. I have mixed feelings about this event. And I’m keeping in mind that Scottsdale Public Art has come through in the past…