Spend Halloween Morning at "AM Art Show" at New City Studio in Downtown Phoenix

Looking to get some extra wear out of your Halloween costume this year? You're in luck.

Start the party early by visiting "am: An Art Show For Morning People," which will run from 8 to 11:59 a.m. on Saturday, October 31, at New City Studios, where curator Joshua Rhodes has organized a group exhibition about morning ritual and routine. (Because, among evidence that waking up early will apparently make you a better baseball player, not all creative types are night owls.) The pop-up show will feature new work by about 20 artists hailing from San Diego to New Jersey. Did we mention that the event will include a cereal bar and plenty of piping hot coffee?  

"I chose the theme because I love art, breakfast, and am a new parent," Rhodes says in an e-mail interview with the New Times. "Having two kids doesn't allow so much [time] for staying up late and going to events and openings. So I decided to make one in the morning that parents and morning people could (and would want to) check out." 

Rhodes is a local artist, designer, and all-around maker of things. This is the third group show he has organized in the Valley. His own portfolio ranges from illustrations, logos, animations, and paintings to custom wood furniture and cactus planters shaped like the state of Arizona. To get a sense of his personality, notice the fine print on his copyright stamp: "If you copy my work, you have to make it at least twice as good." 

Rhodes is also one half of a seriously creative couple. His wife, Sarah Rhodes, is a photographer at Arrow & Apple. The Rhodeses recently returned to Phoenix after being gone only a year, having left the Valley for their dream job: designing products for women's DIY lifestyle company A Beautiful Mess in Springfield, Missouri. "We missed the creative community, more than anything," Josh told New Times earlier this year. 

Each of the 20 artists in "AM Art Show" will present one work; among them will be paintings, sculptures, illustrations, and an installation piece. Artists include Aaron Nestor, Benjamin Braman, Ricky Carilllo, Ryan Darwin, Rebecca Green, Derrick Kempf, Sarah Rhodes, and Safwat Saleem. Rhodes describes his selection process simply: "I love art and bringing artists that I like together."

Don't worry, night owls. You still have time to trick yourself into being a morning person. If that fails, you will have a chance to see the exhibition at First Friday on November 6 from 7 to 10 p.m. 

In the meantime, check out some sneak peeks of the artists' work by searching the hashtag #artfortheAM on Instagram. New City Studio is located at 1300 N. Central Ave. in Phoenix. For more details, including a full list of participating artists, visit Rhodes' blog.