Burning Man 2011 in Photos

There was no shortage of spectacular and surreal art work at this year’s Burning Man festival in Nevada. Huge pirate ships, neon-covered Trojan Horses, and other mutant vehicles rolled around alkali flats of the Black Rock Desert during the annual event, which was held this past weekend. Meanwhile, an eclectic…

Phoenix Design Museum to Open in October

in downtown Phoenix since April. Come October, the oldest warehouse in Phoenix will host the city’s first Design Museum. Mark Dudlik, a local designer and the museum’s co-founder, says the project’s been in the works since 2009, and is an effort between himself and designer Tanner Woodford, with the help of copywriter…

Elise Deringer’s Perception & Passage at Harry Wood Gallery

​”It’s all about understanding that nothing is permanent,” says Elise Deringer, of her latest solo exhibition, Perception & Passage, opens tonight in the Harry Wood Gallery at ASU.Deringer’s handmade filters and containers (from silk and cotton nets) dangle from the gallery’s ceiling and walls. They’re filled and embedded with sand, salts,…

Conspire Hosts Ice Cream Anti-Social at First Friday

Painters James B. Hunt and Travis Vallance have a sure-fire way of getting people to beat a path to their show at Conspire: They’ll be dishing out ice cream.The pair will be hosting the Ice Cream Anti-Social at the vegan-friendly venue during the tonight’s First Friday art walk, where root…

“Grief: Sukiyaki” at Eye Lounge Bids Sayonara to Lost Love

The breakup gods are being summoned at eye lounge. As part of the installation “Grief: Sukiyaki,” Jenna Duncan has organized the west half of the Phoenix gallery into an informal pop-up Shinto shrine, with different “stations.” First, there is a Purification Station, in case one might want to use the…

Seven Calls to Phoenix Artists

Looking for something to keep your mind off the sweltering heat? Aside from a cold drink, here are a few suggestions to ensure that the only juices flowing are your creative ones: 1. Altar Submissions for Central Gallery: Burton Barr Central Library is seeking proposals for altars inspired by el Dia de…

Yuko Yabuki to Paint Live at Hell City Tattoo Festival

Artist Yuko Yabuki was born and raised in Japan, and studied at Tokyo Women’s Art College, but the painter, who’s been living in Phoenix since 1995, says she continually learns new things about Japanese art from tattoo artists.So it’s only fitting that Yabuki will be painting live at the Hell City…

Rose Johnson’s Prayer of St. Francis

Artist: Rose Johnson Medium: mural on the Mercer Mortuary building on 16th Street near Thomas Road. (Description below is written by Kathleen Vanesian in 2009. See her full story on the life of Rose Johnson here.)Painted by an artist named Rose Johnson in 1998, with the help of some school kids,…

Samurai Comics Opens Temporary Location in Mesa

Central Phoenix’s Samurai Comics opened a temporary location in Mesa this Wednesday — and it’s right next to Atomic Comics’ former Mesa location.”It’s been insane,” says Samurai owner Mike Banks.On Sunday night Banks got a call from Atomic Comics owner Mike Malve, who said Atomic was closing. Banks says he…

MONSTERS! at Cade Gallery

Whether it’s a three-headed dragon creature from Japan or a cuddly zombie bear, monsters have long terrified, fascinated, and influenced various artists. And through August 31, you can see a menagerie of monsters on display at Cade Gallery downtown. The gallery’s “MONSTERS!” exhibit features figures, paintings, and drawings of fantastical…

Irish Cultural Center Building Castle-Shaped Research Library

[jump] ​Current plans for the castle-like project include such design features as plenty of ramparts, parapets, and bulwarks, giving the library the appearance of a medieval-style fortress. (No word on whether or not they’re also planning on building a moat.) The three-story building, which will be finished in January, will…

Tommy Cannon Gets Political at Trunk Space

Between the debt ceiling crisis, a yo-yoing stock market and early campaigning for the next presidential election, it’s tempting to tune out of the 24-hour news cycle that chronicles — in painstaking detail — every cloud on the horizon in this volatile political climate. Opening at Trunk Space this weekend, Tommy…