What’s better than comic books? Free comic books. And this weekend, National Free Comic Book Day, which might as well be renamed “Pre-Phoenix Comicon Happy Fun Day” will be celebrated with tons of giveaways and festivities held across geek-filled shops across the Valley. Here are just five parties (and spots to…
According to comic book lore, Superman is blessed with an enormous arsenal of powers, including heat vision, superhuman strength, and the ability to leap tall buildings. A sense of good timing, however, apparently isn’t in his repertoire. Last week, the iconic DC Comics superhero made headlines when he renounced his U.S…
Time to get creative, cycle fans. The Tempe Bicycle Action Group (TBAG) is looking for artists to create a bike-oriented public art piece for Tempe’s Mitchell Park neighborhood. The deadline for proposals is June 6.TBAG is sponsoring a commission of up to $15,000 and will accept proposals from artists of…
For two months, Casebeer painted, collaged, and slept in her studio on Fifth Street in downtown Phoenix. The space is small, but comfortable. It’s easy to get lost in the piles of books, torn pages, oil sticks, and completed pieces that occupy almost every surface and wall. But it’s even…
Teresa Miró doesn’t own a car. The ASU intermedia art graduate student’s from Spain and says she’s always been a proponent of public transit. But the transition from using the public bus system here versus her experiences in in other countries has been an eye-opening ordeal. While adjusting to Phoenix, she says…
If you missed TEDxScottsdale, the independent TED speaker series in Scottsdale last week, you’re in luck — organizers will be posting videos of presentations on its website. The first release is a presentation by DOSE, a street artist known for his commissioned and illegal work throughout the Valley. In the…
Note: this post has been updated to include up-to-date tour information. If you check out any of the three different Jane’s Walks that will be taking place both in Phoenix and Mesa during the first Saturday in May, you might learn that the first buildings constructed in Sunnyslope in 1911…
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No matter what you think of Mesa, you won’t be able to deny that local videographer Michael Pearson’s new video makes it look super cool. Titled “Greetings from AZ Part 1: Mesa, AZ,” the six-minute video captures the historic sites and signs of this east Valley community. The video took…
Lalo Cota had been drawing sombreros long before SB 1070 was signed into law by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer on April 23, 2010. “We call it BS 1070,” he says. Cota was born in Navojoa, Sonora, Mexico. Long after moving to Phoenix, his skeletons and Mexican caricatures became painted icons…
When Ryan Gentry and Michael Witham first met at one of Gentry’s art shows in Tempe last year, the two had a lot to talk about. Gentry’s a Tempe-based artist and Witham just graduated with a management degree from ASU. The two were born and raised in Phoenix — a…
There is chatter all around. Near the ice-blue evening gown of silk satin with chinchilla cuffs, and the duo of gray Madame Gres day dresses, and by the case with the striking, gold metal comb looking like an ornamental piece of sculpture. This is “Fashion Independent: The Original Style of…
Allison Karow (aka Sunny Sealeopard) and Amalia Wilson (aka Amalia Ynternet) share a love for designing new concepts for art shows. Last year, the two hosted a show in Wilson’s kitchen where there art was tucked away in cabinets and drawers, encouraging visitors to hunt for and interact with pieces. On…
You should be done with your spring cleaning by now, which means you have plenty of time to get involved. Here are eight calls out for local creatives in a variety of formats/media, organized by deadline. Get going!1. Be a SMoCA Docent If you love contemporary art, learning, and talking…
Tempe artist Adam Dumper (aka Dumperfoo) has been swamped for the past several weeks. Not only has the 39-year-old been performing live painting at The Blunt Club and other hip-hop gigs around town, he’s spent hours working with local photographer Sol.Exposure on their collaborative art project, The Next Movement.”We’ve been…
The annual Arizona Governor’s Arts Awards recognizes local artists, organizations, educators, businesses, and individuals for contributions to the local arts and culture scene. The Arizona Commission on the Arts announced nominations for the 2011 awards in February and celebrated the winners last week. Awards were given to the following:Artist: Martin…
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Tonight, local abstract expressionist Kyle Jordre and conceptual painter and sculptor Jenny Ignaszewski will open the doors to their Poolside Gallery inside the Lexington Hotel. The two artists share the gallery and have their own studio spaces that face the hotel’s outdoor pool, which means you can expect a ton…
Several lots in the downtown Phoenix arts district may not be vacant for much longer. High-end retail developer Concord Eastridge recently bought up eight dusty properties along Fourth Street with the intent of building a multi-million dollar apartment and mixed-use project called Roosevelt Gateway. The properties, located south of Roosevelt Street…
If you stop by Downtown’s Warehouse District to check out Michael Levine’s latest effort on the Phoenix Seed & Feed Capitol Warehouse in downtown Phoenix, he might not be able to hear you. The local artist, historic preservation advocate, and operator of Levine Machine Development is currently on a scissor…
The Heard Museum will host a final installment of the Native + You (NU) series this Friday with an evening to “meet artists, enjoy dining and cocktails, and see new work” in the Berlin Gallery. The event will also include a panel of young Native American artists Dustinn Craig, Dallin…
