It was a banner year in metro Phoenix for exhibitions featuring works created or collected by some of the world’s most famous artists. Phoenix Art Museum presented exhibitions featuring works by Leonardo da Vinci, Andy Warhol, and Ai Weiwei. And the Heard Museum presented photographs from Frida Kahlo’s personal collection…
There’s a new reason to head to Grand Avenue’s arts district. Unexpected Art Gallery, located at 734 West Polk Street, opened during the Grand Avenue Festival on November 14. Since then, it’s hosted the annual exhibition of the ASU Sculpture Club, a one-night show held during First Friday on December…
In a couple of weeks, it’ll be time for everyone to wallow in shame over all the things they should have done in 2015 but never did. For those already starting to fervently wish they’d spent more time supporting local arts and culture, December’s Third Friday is a chance to…
There is a revolution happening in Phoenix, and it started in the unlikeliest of places. For the past decade, analog film photography — the method that involves physically loading a roll of film into a camera and waiting to see the shots until the film is developed — has been…
Casandra Hernandez has been named ASU Art Museum’s curator of Celebración Artística de las Américas, or CALA, Initiatives, according to a Monday, December 13, announcement from the Arizona Commission on the Arts. Hernandez had worked at the Commission as artists program coordinator since September 2014. One of her most notable…
Perhaps 2015 blew by. Or is it that the year flew by? To say that it sprinted, rushed, or flashed past feels more accurate. That’s because we’ve reached a point where, thanks to great and near constant programming at venues and institutions across the Valley, there’s almost too much to…
Bea Velazquez stands in the center of a small gallery on the second floor of Phoenix Center for the Arts. Friends mill about, directed from photograph to photograph, as Velazquez offers insight into each individual, each portrait, each intimate experience. The 27-piece, black-and-white exhibition is getting a lot of eyeballs…
If you’ve been wanting to get your home in the spotlight for all of the wrong reasons, you’re in luck. This Old House, the longtime PBS home remodeling show, is seeking Arizona homes for renovation. Give them your tired, your poor, and your stuccoed houses for consideration, but you’ll have…
Have you heard of this gal yet? You know, the one who made those Bob’s Burgers snails and got to quit her day job because of it? Turns out, she’s also a delight, and has plenty more to share. Simon Says Macy owner Macy McKenny, 30, is a full-time sculptor…
Artists with diverse styles took to exterior walls throughout metro Phoenix during 2015, creating a vibrant assortment of narrative, figurative, and abstract murals addressing themes from migration to desert wildlife. Here’s a look at the 10 best. For the Love of Color Phoenix artist Carrie Marill, an artist represented by…
December’s First Friday featured more exhibitions than anyone could possibly experience in a single outing. It’s a good problem to have, but it’s frustrating for those who want to really linger over the artwork or spend time in conversation rather than racing between destinations. Even with Third Fridays, which provide another…
If you’ve ever visited the Navajo reservation, then chances are, you’ve seen the work of Chip Thomas, a.k.a. Jetsonorama. His enlarged black-and-white photographic portraits are pasted on structures along the roadside. An artist, activist, and physician, Thomas has been living and working on the Navajo Nation since 1987. From December…
For the first time ever, color authority Pantone has given two colors the honor of color of the year. In 2016, Rose Quartz and Serenity will share the spotlight, serve as go-to trendy shades, and, according to Pantone, “reflect societal movements toward gender equality and fluidity.” Pantone officials describe Rose Quartz…
Ellen Nemetz knows animals. The youngest of seven children, she grew up on a small dairy farm in rural Minnesota. “I have always viewed animals as individuals,” Nemetz says by e-mail. For “Inquietude: A Humorous Take on Modern Anxieties,” Nemetz’s solo exhibition at Eye Lounge, the Phoenix-based artist paints realistic…
New Times picks the best arts and culture events and things to do from November 30 through December 3. ZooLights Your neighbor Carl and his Christmas display have nothing on ZooLights, the Phoenix Zoo’s annual showcase of flora and fauna dazzlingly constructed from millions of colorful bulbs. This year the zoo’s…
At a time in their lives when many families are shopping for their second house, the one with a media room and a guest suite, Paul and Keri Mosier have no plans of moving from their cozy home in the historic Coronado neighborhood. Built in 1928, the 914 square-foot Pueblo…
A mural once imbued with authentic local love has been transformed into an American Express ad. For several years now, people cruising down Central Avenue near Civic Space Park in downtown Phoenix have been greeted by a blast from the past —- a mural depicting a trio of local legends…
This time of year, people tend to fall into two camps: those dying to get out and find the perfect holiday gifts, and those who can’t quite fathom the fact that holidays are fast approaching. This month’s Third Friday has plenty to offer either way. For holiday shoppers, it’s a…
British artist Bruce Munro specializes in immersive large-scale light-based installations and has created works for several metro Phoenix settings, including Lisa Sette Gallery and Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. His installation for the Desert Botanical Garden opens Friday, November 20, and his installation for Scottsdale Public Art, already on view…
Aidan Ringo is an 11-year-old fan of Star Wars, tattoos, and hockey. He also happens to be the founder of CPForce. Starting a nonprofit organization might seem like too big of a task for someone Ringo’s age, but he was inspired to help others, particularly given his own constant battles…
The Arcadia neighborhood is wringing its collective hands again, as usual about the evil plans of that guy who bought the round house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright at the intersection of Exeter Boulevard and Rubicon. For anyone fortunate enough to have missed this never-ending saga up till now, it…
There’s a lot happening this week in Phoenix — and the good news is that a lot of it is free. We found some interesting talks, readings, exhibits, and more that will keep both you and your budget in check. November RadiatePHX: Downtown Residential Rental BoomRadiate PHX is hosting its…
