How do you make fine art and still make a living? It’s a query that artist and adjunct faculty member Jon Haddock poses to his students at Phoenix College and a topic that, he believes, we too often take for granted. Haddock had this theme in mind when he curated…
For just a few days, from a high point along Highway 2 in the Mexican town of Agua Prieta, the view looking north and south was particularly breathtaking. From there, people could see not only the desert landscape awash in various shades of green and gold, but also two lines…
A terrible Beach Boys song it is not. Instead, Docomomo is an internationally engaged group that supports the “documentation and conservation of buildings, sites, and neighborhoods of the modern movement.” (The name picks and chooses letters from its mission.) Each year, the Docomomo US tour day showcases and raises awareness of…
Everybody has their favorite comfort foods, the ones they return to time and time again when they want to feel safe and satisfied. Think mac and cheese, or ice cream eaten right out of the container. They’re beloved for their familiarity, or the memories they conjure. That same impulse to…
Surveillance. Militarization. Vigilantism. A trio of interdisciplinary artists known collectively as Postcommodity has seen it all during eight years working along the U.S.-Mexico border. The tangible fruits of their labor — a work of land art created with community members in Douglas, Arizona, and Agua Prieta, Sonora — will be…
Even as digital devices have made photographers of us all, a select few continue to excel in the sort of fine art photography that’s best appreciated by seeing the depth and breadth of its offerings — which capture, cajole, and create the many worlds we live in. If taking in…
Special events are getting a lot of attention from the Scottsdale City Council these days, fueled by gallery owners who say the nature, length, and timing of some events are hurting art galleries located along Main Street and Marshall Way, the section of downtown Scottsdale dubbed Old Town. It’s certainly…
The American Planning Association announced on Thursday, October 1, that Roosevelt Row Arts District has been named one of 15 great places in America. Roosevelt Row Community Development Corporation shared the news via Facebook that morning, with the message, “Thank you to all who have made this amazing community a great place…
There’s plenty to see in and around downtown Phoenix during this month’s First Friday, which promises everything from monsters to robots exhibited in venues including a former warehouse and a performing arts center. A couple of exhibitions open at 5:30 p.m., so it’s a good night to get an early…
From the outside, things look quiet over at the Icehouse, the former warehouse that’s been an on-and-off staple of the downtown Phoenix arts scene for 25 years. But behind the scenes, there’s been a flurry of activity — including efforts to sell the place. It’s currently owned by Icehouse Arts…
As Abigail Lynch and Bart Dangus pack up their belongings and ready themselves for a road trip with no set itinerary or destination, something rests heavy on their consciences: their cats. “I love the desert and am going to miss the landscape,” Lynch says, “but we talk so much about…
We all know that the West Coast is full of transplants from the Midwest and Atlantic fleeing the cold. But why settle for a shoe box in California when you can live it up like your favorite episode of Cribs in Arizona? Along with the Valley’s longstanding popularity as an…
“New Graduate Student Exhibition” Class is in session, and the graduate students at ASU’s Art School are busy as ever. How else could they present a gallery show a mere month after their first day? Working in media including paint, metal, fibers, and ceramics, 16 artists share their work in…
Arizona is filled with transplants. About half the people who live here, including plenty of artists, come from other places. Yet their work often reflects a strong sense of place and connection to the Sonoran Desert. Some draw inspiration from the desert, while others actually use desert materials as art…
Two of five galleries operated by the Arizona State University School of Art — which are used primarily to exhibit works by students, faculty and alumni — are undergoing significant changes. One has closed temporarily while ASU looks for a new gallery space, and the other just moved from the…
The lineup for this September’s Third Friday exhibitions is looking fabulously eclectic — featuring everything from walls dotted with plant art to an art installation that offers a visual dip into the deep end of a swimming pool. Check out these 10 exhibitions, which include art by an intriguing array…
Nearly six years ago, Joey Robert Parks came up with an idea: What if he paired writers and photographers to make an exhibit about Phoenix? Not just the major landmarks, but the inner city, the nooks and crannies, the regular buildings and side streets and open lots. “I had the…
What happens in the studio shouldn’t always stay in the studio. Studio Visit is a monthly series that profiles artists in their studios. We ask them questions, they provide answers, and then we have a nice discussion about their work. This month: Carolyn Lavender, whose work is currently featured in…
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art announced on Thursday, September 10, that Peter Bugg and Christina Davis will join the arts institution on September 15 as its new curator of programming and programming coordinator, respectively. Bugg is an artist and educator who has taught at Arizona State University and in the…
A glorious mix of visual and performance art infused September’s First Friday, with a cumbia dance night at Phoenix Art Museum, House of Cirque stilt-walkers activating the Shadow Play space in the heart of Roosevelt Row, and music by Native American high school students at Heard Museum. The entertainment combined with…
From the architecture inherent in a skilled fashion designer’s white shirts to the symbolism of cultural theft infusing a dozen animal zodiac heads, the fall line-up of art exhibitions in metro Phoenix has some intriguing fare. See artist-made inflatables in Chandler, videos channeling science fiction in Scottsdale, and photographs cherished…
Never fear if you sometimes feel torn during First Friday between making the art rounds and going to see a performance. Several First Friday venues are mixing it up on September 4, delivering not only intriguing art but cool dance and music offerings, too. There’s an awful lot going on,…
