Visual Arts

Legendary French bohemian Jean Cocteau once described art as “a marriage of conscious and the subconscious” influences — a  seemingly a perfect subtitle for the new group exhibition In Your Head and Under Your Bed, which opens tonight at Modified Arts. According to the show’s curator Lindz Lew, each of the…

​There’s plenty of work to do for the members of local glassblowing group Circle 6. The team was spotted setting up shop inside 501 E. Roosevelt (formerly Pravus Gallery) building shelving and additional wall space. The gallery, to-be-called Circle 6, will house artwork from the collective, as well as local glass artists. …

In October, local and national designers will unite for Phoenix Design Week, a 14-day celebration of Phoenix design and culture. And while that’s still a few months away, it’s never too early to save space for what’s shaping up to be a kickass lineup of design events. In its third year, PDW…

If the whole “law of attraction” and power of positive thinking mumbo-jumbo pimped in books like The Secret really work, then local artist Curtis R. Smith is about to make it big. That’s because in modern hip-hop lingo, the names of his signature characters Stack Bread, Mad Cheez, Mad Paper and Make It…

Scottsdale’s been on the national radar for sightings (and upcoming reality shows) on the Dirty, a possible Real Housewives series, and now, our very own city — better known by locals for its nightlife, galleries, and public art program — has a chance to claim the “best bathroom in the…

Local artist Hugo Medina (better known as just Hugo) could be likened to a tight rope walker in a circus — if the tight rope walker was also spinning plates while balancing candles on their head while juggling apples while smoking a cigar. In other words, Hugo is one busy…

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, “Whoa, when did that go up?”, we bring you Mural City, a series on the murals springing up around town — their…

The local artist says she hopes her latest visual project, “I Dream” — part of an ongoing “Illustrated Dreams” exhibition at Alwun House — will explore the true face (and faces) of illegal immigration in the United States.For First Friday in August, Chavarria will hang 20 prints at Alwun House, which…

Man, the Tiki gods must be angry at Scottsdale. Earlier this year, the owners of Drift Polynesian Lounge leveled this longtime Tiki hut to make way for their see-and-be-seen party pool, Spanish Fly. And now comes word that Trader Vic’s Scottsdale is sailing off into the sunset this Saturday, July…

In February of this year, NASCAR fans had the time of their life watching three-time Daytona 500 champ Jeff Gordon in action at Phoenix International Raceway — not in his heavily branded Chevy Impala, but in the driver’s seat of a backhoe. The highly recognizable racing figure had the honor…

When I walk into the ASU Art Museum to check out the video exhibition “By myself and with my friends . . . ” I have an immediate positive reaction to the show, which probably has to do with the closely framed shot of a 700 pound seal with round…

One hears ASU Art Museum curator John Spiak’s latest show before one sees it. From the landing above the stairwell leading down to the museum’s cool, dark, barely lit gallery room where “By myself and with my friends . . .” is exhibited, one can hear the slow, steady rhythm…

It’s said that the best way to deal with frustration, rejection, and quite possibly summertime blues, is to suck it up, dust it off, and try again. And now’s the time for no excuses, since a slew of opportunities for local artists are up and ready for entry.  1. Arizona Comedy…

At least that’s what the Grand Canyon state looks like through the eyes of the 16 member artists at Galeria de los Muertos. In its latest collaborative themed-exhibit, “Arizona,” starting Saturday at 6 p.m., these artists portray show just how multi-faceted (and weird) it is to live here.”This is an…

When local print-maker Kathleen Scott Moore first learned that her work was chosen for this year’s edition of the Arizona Biennial, it took her breath away. Widely venerated as one of the most preeminent modern art showcases in the Southwest, the Arizona Biennial features contemporary works by big names and…

After meeting in architecture school and completing a number of projects together, Cy Keener and Jay Atherton built a space of their own in uptown Phoenix. They called it the Meadowbrook Residence, which became well-known in the neighborhood for its unique use of material (cement, wood, concrete block, and outdoor…

​​The staff at Royale movie theater in Mesa is finding new ways to entertain lobby guests, including an old school VHS library, retro arcade games, and an art gallery.Opening tonight at 5 p.m. and curated by Victor Moreno, Now Playing will be a rotating exhibit and, Moreno hopes, a mainstay in…

Fixx Coffee tonight. The all-Arizona affair will include eclectic performances from Flagstaff’s Jerusafunk, Phoenix’s Instructions and Tucson’s Arcsin(100) and Whorticulture. And half of the show’s proceeds will go to Breaking Up Walls, a non-profit organization that sponsors local youth community art projects. “We’re hoping to raise enough money to do a…

It’s a hot, muggy July night — and still they come. A crowd of hundreds of mostly young adults, flashing acres of tattoos and ironic hairdos, cram the sidewalks of a section just north of downtown known as Roosevelt Row, where — even on this holiday weekend, when the rest…