7 Art Shows You Need to See in Metro Phoenix This Summer

Summertime doesn’t have to be a drag here in metro Phoenix. Plenty of exciting things happen, and the fact that some people head to the coast just means that those who remain have more breathing room to explore. It’s a great time of year to hit local arts and culture…

10 Best Artworks We Saw in Metro Phoenix During May 2016

May’s best artworks included photography, sculpture, painting, and video shown at art venues in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, and Gilbert. Several were created by artists working right here in the Valley. Even as one gallery showed works by Iranian artists, another showed works by an Israeli-born American artist. One artist explored…

Bar Flies Podcast Now Available on iTunes

Listen up. Bar Flies — New Times’ live reading series held monthly at Valley Bar in downtown Phoenix — is now available on the fly.  The first three episodes of Bar Flies: The Podcast are ready to be downloaded free on iTunes. We’ll release a new episode each month. The…

10 Free Art Shows You Should See in Metro Phoenix This Week

June’s First Friday is looking mighty eclectic, with exhibitions exploring stereotypes about American Indians, science fiction literature, water conservation, LGBTQ pride, pop culture, and divinity. During a night devoted to visual arts, you’ll also have the chance to watch live hip hop and contemporary dance performance. Here’s the rundown on…

How Meg McNiel Became One of Phoenix’s Go-To Tattoo Artists

Meg McNiel hunches over a small table in her Central Phoenix tattoo studio. Inside, the place is clean and virtually brand new, but it’s just another door in an old, beat-up strip mall from the outside. Although she’s only been in the space for months, the teal walls are smothered…

9 Best Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Week

New Times picks the best things to do in metro Phoenix from Monday, May 23, to Thursday, May 26. For more events, see our curated online calendar. Swipe Right for Awesomeness Gone are the days of choosing a date under the harsh light of last call. Instead, we spend endless seconds…

The Story Behind Such Styles’ Arizona-Themed Mural in Downtown Phoenix

Downtown Phoenix’s Roosevelt Row neighborhood has a new piece of public art. And it’s likely to be a lot less controversial than the Shadow Play sculpture installed just few blocks away last fall. Created by Tempe artist Such Styles, it’s a mural-style montage of iconic Valley of the Sun imagery from desert landscapes to…

10 Best Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Weekend

New Times picks the best things to do in metro Phoenix from Friday, May 20, through Sunday, May 22. For more events in the Valley, see our curated online calendar. “Reverberate Her Lines” There is no reading between here, as the message of the second annual “Reverberate Her Lines” graffiti exhibition…

Childsplay’s Pete, or The Return of Peter Pan Soars

There are no pyrotechnics to throw dazzle at Childsplay’s new Peter Pan. There are no Foys in the flies of Pete, or The Return of Peter Pan; no million-dollar special effects or scenic wizardry. None are needed: This comic adventure soars on skillful writing and clever performances.  The play by…

11 Free Art Shows You Should See in Phoenix This Week

There’s some serious woman power happening in the metro Phoenix arts scene, as evidenced by several exhibitions happening on May’s Third Friday. One artist uses her own body to explore issues of control, while another offers an immersive installation that challenges patriarchal narratives. Several more are using graffiti as a…

Arizona Artists Tackle Consumerism and Terrorism at Phoenix Art Museum

If you’ve passed through security at your local airport lately, it’s likely you’ll take special notice of a Nathaniel Lewis installation featured in the “2015 Contemporary Forum Artists Grant Winners” exhibition at Phoenix Art Museum. His Playland Security, created in 2016 with wood, metal, and fabric, sets the experience of…

WPA Building at the Arizona State Fairgrounds Will Be Restored

The state of Arizona recently granted more than $400,000 in funds for some major renovations of the iconic WPA Building at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. The partly state-owned building is also sometimes referred to as the Civic Building, the Floriculture Building, or State Fair Civic Building, In 2014, the Arizona Exposition and…

Touchstone Gallery Is Closing on Marshall Way in Old Town Scottsdale

Touchstone Gallery, 4168 North Marshall Way in Scottsdale, is getting ready to close up shop, says New Mexico-based gallery owner Joe Wilhelm. The gallery’s three other locations — in Sedona, Santa Fe, and Taos — will stay open, Wilhelm says. The gallery specializes in jewelry, minerals, and fossils. Merchandise is…

Here Are Phoenix Art Museum’s 2016 Contemporary Forum Winners

Phoenix artist Patricia Sannit received the 2016 Arlene and Morton Scult Contemporary Forum Award at Phoenix Art Museum on Wednesday, May 11.  Contemporary Forum is one of several Phoenix Art Museum support organizations. The membership-based group was founded 30 years ago, and has been providing grants to Arizona artists ever…

The Making of Saskia Jordá’s “Geography of Line” at Phoenix Art Museum

It’s been quite a year for Saskia Jordá, the Venezuelan-born, Scottsdale-based artist honored in May of 2015 with a prestigious award from the Phoenix Art Museum’s Contemporary Forum. She’s shown migration-themed works during festivals in Scottsdale and Mesa, and fire-related works at art venues in Flagstaff and Tucson. The Contemporary…