7 Art Shows You Need to See in Metro Phoenix This Summer

Summertime doesn't have to be a drag here in metro Phoenix. Plenty of exciting things happen, and the fact that some people head to the coast just means that those who remain have more breathing room to explore. It's a great time of year to hit local arts and culture offerings, and we've got the details on seven intriguing exhibitions to help you get a foot out the door. 

"All Art Arizona"
Art Intersection
Through July 16

Get the lay of the Arizona arts landscape in this exhibition featuring works by artists from around the state, working in diverse media including painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, and ceramics. The exhibition features works by more than 60 artists, and among them are Karolina Adams, Alexandra Bowers, Mary Meyer, and Frank Ybarra. Meyer was recently awarded an Artist Grant from the Contemporary Forum at Phoenix Art Museum.

"Journey and Memory: Past the Rock, the Sun's Gates and the Land of Dreams"
Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum
Through August 7

For "Journey and Memory: Past the Rock, the Sun's Gates and the Land of Dreams," painter Christopher Jagmin and sculptor Patricia Sannit create "a dialogue between materials, historical vocabularies, and societal content" meant to serve as a metaphor for mankind's arduous journey to the present point in time. Both are Arizona artists, and Sannit was recently honored with the 2016 Scult Artist Award from Phoenix Art Museum's Contemporary Forum.

"SouthwestNET: Sama Alshaibi: Silsila"
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
Through September 18

Since 2009, artist Sama Alshaibi — who is based in both Tucson, Arizona, and Ramallah, West Bank – has been documenting 15 predominantly Muslim countries. With large-scale photographs and videos, the artist "presents the feminine form as a metaphor for humanity and the natural world." These works are being presented as part of the museum's ongoing SouthwestNET series exploring works by mid-career artists living in the Southwest region of the United States and Mexico.

"Edward Burtynsky: Water"
Phoenix Art Museum
July 1 to September 18

From 2007 to 2012, Canadian artist Edward Burtynsky traveled the globe to create "an ambitious representation of water's increasingly fragmented lifecycle." This exhibition features large-scale color prints of images that convey the essential role of water in modern life, and its roles in diverse cultural and religious rituals.


"Claudio Dicochea: Forbidden Futures"
Lisa Sette Gallery
July 5 to September 23

Drawing inspiration from childhood comic books, faux-scientific ethnographic charts, and science fiction, Claudio Dicochea creates "painterly visions of the contemporary culture and ideological morass" that prompt reflection on cultural constructs, media saturation, and cultural appropriation.

"Infinite Possibility: Art of Tomorrow"
Tilt Gallery
July 7 to August 25

Explore diverse takes on curiosity and innovation in art selected for this international juried show by Claire C. Carter, who serves as contemporary curator for Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. Carter’s curatorial forays include SMoCA’s "Covert Operations: Investigating the Known Unknowns" and the upcoming "Paolo Soleri: The City is Nature."

"Encounter: Better to Have Loved and Lost Than Never to Have Loved at All"
ASU Art Museum
July 30 to November 26

As part of the Encounter exhibition series that invites artists to re-image and re-contextualize the museum's collection, ASU Art Museum presents, "Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all," an exhibition and installation by interdisciplinary artist Alejandro Almanza Pereda, who explores works of still life and presents his own still-life video filmed inside a Phoenix swimming pool.