Sleisure 20th Anniversary
About 20 years ago, a brand launched in Phoenix that has woven its way into the very fabric that makes this desert city cool. You know Sleisure, even if you don’t realize it. Or, at least, you know the force behind it, Andrew Brown, a.k.a. SoldierLeisure.
Spend any time downtown Phoenix, and you’ll see shipping containers, buildings, and walls covered in his colorful, psychedelic creations, including the blue mural covering the Monarch Theatre, the sunset fence at Welcome Diner, and his smiling man near Garfield Street. On Friday, March 10, it’s time to celebrate everything that’s happened for the brand over the past two decades during the Sleisure 20th Anniversary Reception from 7 to 9 p.m. at Megaphone PHX, 4700 North Central Avenue. For more information, check out the Facebook event page. Evie Carpenter
Public Hour
So the office stifles your creativity, coffee shops are too noisy, and when you’re at home there’s zero motivation to tackle projects that aren’t related to bingeing Riverdale. How are you supposed to get any work done around here? Hit up Mod, of course. It’s a coworking space at 2828 North Central Avenue that you can try for free on Fridays from noon to 5 p.m. during Public Hour. Bring a friend, a project, and a few bucks for $4 beers or $6 glasses of wine. The afternoon session is open to both Mod members and nonmembers on March 10. For more information, visit Mod on Facebook. Becky Bartkowski
Grand Opening Art Expo
Get ready, West Valley. There’s a new comic shop in town. But honestly, it’s not even fair to call Dreadnought Comics just a comic book store. This culture haven also boasts a collection of toys and figurines, Magic the Gathering accoutrements, and an indoor airsoft shooting range. And you can take part in all of the above during Dreadnought Comics’ Grand Opening Art Expo on Saturday, March 11, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 2734 West Bell Road, #1346. In addition to more than 20 artists exhibiting their work, you’ll also get the chance to compete against ’68 Zombie co-creator, Jay Fotos, in an airsoft shoot-off, you know, to prove your supreme zombie-hunting skills. For all the information to this free-to-attend event, visit the Facebook event page. Evie Carpenter
Enrique Chagoya's Mindful Alien’s Guide to Reverse Anthropology (detail), acrylic and water based oil paint on de-acidified vintage paper, 11.25” x 93”, unique.
Courtesy of Lisa Sette Gallery
“Tell Me Why, Tell Me Why, Tell Me Why (Can’t We Live Together?)"
Conflict abounds in contemporary America, where it’s tough to navigate the rhetorical landscape. So gallerist Lisa Sette poses a question: What do we do when the news makes us cry?
Viewing art as “a source of solace, explanation, and surprise,” Sette presents an exhibition that explores the present moment in American life. The exhibition features work by 12 artists “addressing narratives of difference and resentment as well as hope and beauty.” It’s titled “Tell Me Why, Tell Me Why, Tell Me Why (Can’t We Live Together?).”
Featured artists include Enrique Cagoya, Angela Ellsworth, Mark Klett, Carrie Marill, and Ann Morton. Explore their work during the free opening reception for “Tell Me Why,” which happens from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 11, at Lisa Sette Gallery, 210 East Catalina Drive. “Tell Me Why” continues through Saturday, April 29. Visit the Lisa Sette Gallery website for more. Lynn Trimble
Read on for an off-the-wall light rail ride, a chance to bring the great outdoors home, and a celebration of local makers.
Brides of March
It’s wedding season, and while some are tanking their 401Ks for the special day, the 2017 Brides of March will be doing things different.
To participate, meet at Charlie’s, 727 West Camelback Road, at noon on Saturday, March 11. It is “absolutely mandatory” that all participants wear a white wedding gown. What follows is a day of drinking, challenges like the High Heel Race (you must wear at least 3-inch heels, and no, wedges are not allowed), and assumedly trashing that dress.
Some tips for the big day: Get an all-day light rail pass, have cash and canned food for St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance donations, keep your ID handy for this 21-and-over event, and bring comfortable shoes to wear after the race. Call 602-265-0224, and see the Facebook event page. Lauren Cusimano
Southwest Maker Fest
Creativity comes in a variety of forms, from visual art to engineering. On Saturday, March 11, all those forms will be celebrated, and a fair amount of them will be exhibited during the Southwest Maker Fest. In its fourth year, this one-day festival will aim “to celebrate, engage, and inspire the maker in each of us,” as the Fest’s mission states. Check out Stax3D’s exhibit to get hands-on 3D printing experience, chat with the team at Tripoli Phoenix to learn everything about high-power rockets, and get the details on the larger-than-life wings that Lady Gaga used at the Super Bowl from Alexis Noriega at the Crooked Feather. Plus, this year introduces the N-Compass Village, a concept meant to mix hands-on creativity with every subject area taught in the education system. It’ll all happen from noon to 7 p.m. at MacDonald and Main Street in downtown Mesa. For more details, visit the Southwest Maker Fest website. Evie Carpenter
2017 Spring Plant Sale
Wild about wildflowers? A sucker for succulents? Ready to just read about this event? Fine. The 2017 Spring Plant Sale offers all kinds of plants, trees, flowers, cactus, and herbs for sale, and more than a few good snapshots for the ’gram game.
You’ll also find landscaping advice from arboretum staff, lectures, guided tours, and weekend wildflower walks from March 10 to 26 at the 320-acre Boyce Thompson Arboretum, 37615 East US Highway 60 in Superior.
From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 12, the Spring Plant Sale hosts the Walk-In Terrarium Workshop for $15, which includes a glass fishbowl for DlY decorating. Adult entry to this Arizona State Park is $12.50 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 520-689-2723 or visit Arizona State Parks' website. Lauren Cusimano
