Visual Arts

Surviving a summer in Phoenix is easy and totally doable if you follow these three steps: 1. Drink water 2. Take a few summertime notes from Robrt Pela 3. Pack a New Times Summer Guide In this week’s print edition, you’ll spot our very own Summer Guide, a rundown on…

This Friday, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art will be a cool place to see and be seen. The museum will host its annual Summer Opening Celebration, marking the beginning of the season and offering local art lovers a chance to check out the museum’s newest exhibitions, as well as musical…

Village Voice Media commissioned artists associated with the Phoenix-based cultural collective Xico to produce a series of covers for its papers — each one is unique to each city — for its national story on Arizona SB1070, Crossing the Line. Founded in 1975, Xico is a nonprofit organization that promotes…

For months, the team of muralists and painters behind Calle 16 have gathered at their headquarters to paint a tribute to their neighborhood. Gennaro Garcia, Lalo Cota, Angel Diaz, Breeze, and others completed a 27-by-7-foot canvas that will be plastered to the wall in the Silvana Salcido Esparza’s airport satellite…

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Millions who witnessed yesterday’s annual solar eclipse raised their cameras skyward and snapped plenty of pics of the celestial event as the moon’s shadow obscured the setting sun. That includes the thousands of Arizona residents who watched the eclipse take place and used their cameras or cell phones to grab…

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When Isaac Caruso moved back to his hometown after getting an arts degree in Flagstaff, he says he had one goal: he wanted to show at monOrchid in downtown Phoenix. “Growing up, and coming to First Fridays when I was younger, it was my favorite gallery,” says Caruso. “It’s always…

The world of public art hangs on a fascinating balance between reflecting the artist’s intention, drawing the viewer’s attention, and complementing its surroundings – all while drawing the expected “is that art?” response from community members and visitors alike. Tonight, local artists Mary Lucking, Bob Adams, and Laurie Lundquist, as…

More than 11 years after Tempe artist Jessica Jordan opened up Wet Paint Artist Supply on Ash Avenue, she says she’s decided to change direction. “Due to increased corporate competition and their massive buying power, and more people buying online, it has been harder and harder to maintain this small…

If you’re sticking around for summer and looking for a few great excuses to get out and get creative, you’re in luck. We have seven … 7. Circus Workshop with 7 Fingers @ Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts There’s nothing for boosting creativity like a little exercise, and this…

If you’re lucky enough to snag a limited-edition by Phoenix painter Carrie Marill, you can thank New York gallery owner Jen Bekman, the name behind contemporary print sale website, 20×200. Bekman opened her gallery in 2003 with a goal to expose the work of emerging artists to collectors. Four years…

Last night, Phoenix Art Museum’s Contemporary Forum awarded eight local artists who’ve made a mark in the contemporary scene. The annual event recognizes up to seven emerging Arizona artists with $1,500 grants to purchase materials and one mid-career artist with $5,000 plus a special exhibition of his or her work alongside…

International Museum Day is right around the corner and a handful of museums in Phoenix have big plans. But the designated day has less to do with parties and deals and more to do with awareness — there are dozens of museums in the metro Phoenix area that host artwork…

The City of Phoenix is bringing in a star-studded cast of local artists and art experts to Burton Barr this summer to discuss their work and the city’s public art collection of more than 1,000 artworks. The series of five presentations includes talks from photographer Mark Klett, poet Alberto Rios,…

Emily Caldwell says Gallery Parallax has been a dream since February, when she drove through Phoenix on a trip from Portland to Los Angeles. She had just convinced a friend to open a gallery and start a new business, so, she thought, why not do the same for herself? The…

Nature becomes art in Kiki Smith’s photography exhibit, “I Myself Have Seen It,” currently on display at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. “This show gets the imagination swirling, even if it is an odd duck,” writes contributor Sativa Peterson in this week’s print edition of New Times. More than…

“I wish Kiki Smith had been my biology teacher.” That’s what I can’t help thinking as I take my first enthusiastic looks around “I Myself Have Seen It: Photography and Kiki Smith” at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. The experience of entering the first of three rooms (and the…