The Best Free Things to Do in Phoenix This Week

This week is all about the arts. Share your writing, check out the time related art at "Out of Time," or get a little bit of everything at the Grand Avenue Festival. The best part? It's all free. For more things to do, visit Phoenix New Times' curated calendar.

Cognate Collective
The binational group Cognate Collective fosters cultural exchange between border communities in Mexico and the U.S. And it’s coming to the ASU Art Museum Project Space, 821 North Third Street.

The collective comprises Tijuana- and Los Angeles-based artists and researchers Misael Diaz and Amy Sanchez, who explore the influence of economics, militarization, and other factors in the lives of migrant communities on both sides of the border.

The duo will host a talk from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, November 7. Presented by ASU Art Museum, ASU Performance in the Borderlands, and CALA Alliance, it’s a chance to learn more about ways popular and informal cultural and economic exchanges can shift borderland perceptions and realities. Visit the CALA Alliance website. Lynn Trimble

“Out of Time”
The human race is out of time. That’s the premise of a new exhibition called “Out of Time” at Harry Wood Gallery, located inside the ASU School of Art building, 900 South Forest Mall. The free art show includes print pieces, as well as interactive, video, and sound installations — created by international, national, and Arizona artists.

The exhibition is part of a conference being presented at ASU by the Society for Literature, Science, and Art, which explore time-related issues such as species extinction, digital temporalities, and bio-political time. Featured artists include Andy Brown, Mark Klett, Adriene Jenik, and David Tinapple, to name a few.

Check it out between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Wednesday, November 8. Visit the ASU Event page. Lynn Trimble

“Indigenous Binaries: Cultural Survival in Contrast”
Some creatives manage to master both storytelling and visual art. Eric Gansworth is among them, and he’ll be sharing his unique mix of storytelling and high-contrast art during a talk at the Heard Museum, 2301 North Central Avenue.

During his presentation, titled “Indigenous Binaries: Cultural Survival in Contrast,” Gansworth will explore the complexities of contemporary indigenous experience. It’s a chance to ponder the tensions between Native traditions and pop culture, between America’s past and present, and between the written word and painted image. The free event will be presented with the ASU Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing, and will start at 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 9. Visit the Virginia G. Piper Center website. Lynn Trimble

Touch(ed)
The space between touching and not touching is virtually microscopic, but it makes all the difference. Say you have a friend whose hand you happen to neve have held, and then something happens and you wind up holding it. Trippy, and fraught with possibilities.

Touch(ed) is a program of multimedia dance theater that brings together faculty, students, and guest artists of ASU West’s School of Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies to tell a tactile story from multiple perspectives. The brief production touches (ha ha!) on neurological matters, human rituals, and interpersonal contact through movement, text, and video components.

Performances commence at 6 and 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 9, in the University Center Building at 4701 West Thunderbird Road in Glendale. Admission is free. Visit the ASU events page. Julie Peterson

Cupcake! Kiss Kiss Fang Fang
Halloween’s over, but that doesn’t mean vampires have been laid to rest.

The long-running fetish party Cupcake! is throwing another dance night. And this time, it’s vampire-themed. On Friday, November 10, Kiss Kiss Fang Fang will feature resident bloodsuckers Self.Destrukt, Betty Blackheart, and Beautiful John will spin danceable electro and industrial beats all night long.

Sport your best vampy attire for the bash, which starts at 9 p.m. at Rogue Bar, 423 North Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale. Visit the Facebook event page. Lindsay Roberts

Crate Diggers Record Fair and After-Party
If you have the website Discogs bookmarked, chances are good you’re a vinyl junkie who never gets tired of hunting for another must-have record.

Get your flipping fingers ready. The popular site for buying and selling musical goodies is sponsoring the Crate Diggers Record Fair and After-Party, where more than 30 vendors will be on-site with records galore to help you expand your collection. By day, vendors will sell their wares. At night, local and national DJs will provide the party soundtrack. Out-of-towners include DJ Day from California, and Breakbeat Lou and Kenny Dope from New York.

Shop for records from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, November 11. Then, go home, alphabetize your purchases, and come back for the party from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Crescent Ballroom, 308 North Second Avenue. Admission is free. Call 602-716-2222 or visit the Crescent Ballroom website. Amy Young

Grand Avenue Festival
Downtown community members will converge on Saturday, November 11, for the 2017 Grand Avenue Festival.

The free event will be packed with things to do and see, including a fashion show with attire made of recyclables, hanging gardens and woven fence art installations, and tours of the area’s historic buildings. Art exhibitions, food vendors, children’s crafts, and live music will add to the fun, which will run from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The Phoenix Annual Parade of the Arts procession will kick off at 6 p.m. It’s a chance to strut your funkiest dress-up gear, or revel in the creativity of human-powered floats. And there’s an after-hours lineup for people who can’t bear to leave all that happiness behind before 10 p.m. Visit the Grand Avenue website for details. Lynn Trimble

“FLW150: Image & Influence”
Frank Lloyd Wright didn’t just design stunning structures. The architect inspired creativity in his students. And his work influenced artists around the world. On the 150th anniversary of his birth, the Gallery at Mountain Shadows is paying tribute to the architect with “FLW150: Image & Influence,” an exhibition of artists who have drawn inspiration from Wright.

The show, which is on view 24 hours a day through Saturday, December 30, also highlights work by contemporary artists from different parts of the country. Take a look at 5445 East Lincoln Drive. For more information, call 855-485-1417 or go to the Mountain Shadows website. Laura Laztko

Four Chambers Press’ Writing Group
It’s satisfying to combine our rampant need for discipline (settle down — not that kind of discipline) with mild socializing and, really, just getting out of the dang house. Hence the perfect storm of a writers’ group. Four Chambers Press’ Writing Group at Songbird Coffee and Tea House, continuing on the second Sunday of each month until at least next summer, furnishes just the right amount of structure and inspiration. Participants read what they’re working on, and the group discusses and critiques the pieces.

Meanwhile, buy yourself a fabulous beverage and snack. Heck, buy someone else a coffee — it’s cheaper than a cocktail. Admission is free to the scribefest from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Sunday, November 12, at 812 North Third Street. Visit the Four Chambers Press website. Julie Peterson