Visual Arts

​If you take a drive down 16th Street in Phoenix, you might notice a few coats of fresh paint on sections of the Mercer Mortuary building at 1541 E. Thomas Road. The mural was originally painted by local artist Rose Johnson and a group of students in 1998. It’s in her signature…

For decades, art has shaped this state. Almost 100 years ago, brothers Ellsworth and Emery Kolb packed a few ropes and large-format cameras and set off to capture their backyard wonder, the Grand Canyon. Their efforts were published, archived, and followed by a few of the the best landscape painters,…

If you’ve been to any of the season openings at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, you likely have this Friday’s bash penned into your calendar. The museum’s spring opening is a celebration of new exhibitions and a guaranteed hot spot for local artists and art supporters who spend the evening…

For decades, art has shaped this state. Almost 100 years ago, brothers Ellsworth and Emery Kolb packed a few ropes and large-format cameras and set off to capture their backyard wonder, the Grand Canyon. Their efforts were published, archived, and followed by a few of the the best landscape painters,…

Phoenix’s SAS Fabrics by the Pound may be a staple for Valley seamstresses, but the textile barn is more than just a messy warehouse of glitter chiffon. One of SAS’s best-kept secrets is its ridiculously cheap stash of exotic fabrics, including a line of original African patterns. Home décor brands…

Safwat Saleem’s not afraid to use a couple expletives. The local designer used plenty of colorful language in A Bunch of Crock, a project born out of sayings, conversations, and stereotypes he gathered following 9/11. His latest project, Oh Expletive!, is a little bit different. Saleem says his latest series began…

It’s that time of year again: the time when Downtown’s Willo Historic District homeowners open their doors to strangers and let them gawk at their belongings. This year’s event, scheduled for Sunday, Februray 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., will feature homes in the neighborhood that were built in…

Somewhere between performers and photographers exists a group of artists who have a foot in both worlds. These creatives utilize performance as part of their process, and the result is equal parts what was happening while the photo was made and the physical photograph.  To see this phenomenon in person (and…

“Wouldn’t it be great if …” is often the start of an overheard conversation at any coffee shop in metro Phoenix. The City’s full of creatives and big thinkers — and now thruogh May 1, the Phoenix Urban Research Laboratory (PURL) is looking for ideas to “improve and Retrophx (pronounced…

Pack your bags, Phoenix. There’s never been a better time to escape to Palm Springs. Not only will Modernism Week be filling the desert city with 11 drool-worthy days of design-centric events, but the awesome duo at Modern Bear will also be opening a pop-up shop during the festival’s first…

Mike Kelley was a contemporary American artist who was known for his collaborations in collage, textile, found object assemblages, and performances. He was a student of John Baldessari, and his work is included in The Phoenix Art Museum’s contemporary collection (pictured above), as well as the upcoming 2012 Whitney Biennial…

When artists and longtime friends Pablo Luna, Thomas “Breeze” Marcus, and Lalo Cota signed a one-year lease for Por Vida, a soon-to-be-gallery on 16th Street, we knew (even more) creative energy was headed to the neighborhood. Cota says the three decided to open their own space to host more solo shows…

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inatas are fun to break, but this March, Beatrice Moore hopes you’ll have even more fun making one. Moore, who owns Kooky Krafts and operates the arts venue Bragg’s Pie Factory on Grand Avenue, announced she’ll be hosting the fifth annual Mutant Pinata Show and is currently looking for wacky creations…

​The noise isn’t coming from the boombox.The clanking, sanding, and chatter heard near Third Street and Roosevelt Road in downtown Phoenix is coming from behind the plywood that’s covered the entrance of what used to be a drag bar (and, for a short time, Phil Gordon’s reelection campaign headquarters) since…

A year ago, the Icehouse seemed destined for oblivion. As of last December, few events were taking place at the iconic downtown Phoenix gallery and performance venue, its proprietors were uncertain about its future, and thousands of dollars in back property taxes were owed to Maricopa County.  As a result, owner…

Southwestern décor doesn’t have to be all terracotta and turquoise. Just ask local blogger Jennifer Nestlerode, an ASU student and Phoenix transplant who’s determined to prove that you don’t have to stock up on cacti and cowboy hats to channel Arizona’s signature outlaw earthiness. Nestlerode’s latest home project, a Southwest-inspired…

During his recent visit to Vietnam, El Mac (who, full disclosure, we’ll always consider a local artist — no matter where he moves) recorded his artist statement for the Viet Nam The World Tour. Included in the short film are behind-the-scenes looks at one of his more recent murals in Ho Chi…

If you’re looking for the latest work by a few of the biggest international names in street and contemporary art, don’t bother looking at the walls. Instead, look south, down Interstate 10 past Tucson. It’s there, in the “boneyard” of retired aircraft, that a caravan of trucks and cranes is…

A new logo, a new map, and a big promise is coming from Artlink this week — Art Detour is back in action. The annual artwalk/gallery tour is like a First or Third Friday, in that galleries host art openings, but Artlink says Art Detour is meant to introduce people from…