BEST Things To Do In Phoenix
The Event Oracle knows ALL the fun things to do in the land of the Phoenix sun. Select your date above then scroll down for all the Arts, Entertainment, and Events in my crystal ball...
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Carnival of Illusion
Arizona Biltmore Resort
2400 E Missouri Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85016
Carnival of Illusion is an evening of Old-World Magic in the style of classic entertainers such as Buster Keaton, Mae West, Gypsy Rose Lee, and Harry Houdini. The hosts have performed as house entertainers at the world's top resorts, Fortune 100 CEOs, to the 200 Most Powerful Women in America and operate the longest-running Arizona theater show. Carnival of Illusion is "Magic, Mystery, and OOOH La La."
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Intimate and Expansive Ceramic art by Tiffany C. Bailey
3800 E Sky Harbor Blvd
Phoenix, AZ 85034
Steep bluffs, fields of corn and herds of cows are some of the picturesque features ceramic artist Tiffany C. Bailey remembers about her hometown. Growing up in Southwestern Wisconsin, Bailey was raised in a rural community with an abundance of pastures, farmland and a population of only 300 people.
After moving to Arizona to continue her ceramic studies, she revisited her memories of the architecture and topography near her childhood home. Now, in her artistic practice, she distills those elements into small-scale artworks to interpret a landscape that is both intimate and expansive.
Bailey uses a slip-cast method to make her ceramic artwork. The process begins with a model that is either hand-sculpted or is a found object. From the model, a plaster mold is produced. Porcelain slip (liquefied clay) is poured into the mold, dried and then fired in a kiln. The plaster mold can be used repeatedly to replicate the form creating artworks in series. She embellishes the art object with ceramic stains, underglazes or graphite drawings, resulting in one-of-a-kind pieces.
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Cranes, Trains and Airplanes: Constructing Sky Harbor
3800 E Sky Harbor Blvd
Phoenix, AZ 85034
It all began with a farm field and a dirt runway in 1928. No one could have imagined the tremendous growth that would come to Phoenix, and as a result to the airport. In fact, City planners thought the state-of-the-art Terminal 2 that opened in 1962 would be sufficient for airline traffic until the year 2000. However, Terminal 3 was built in 1979, and a little over a decade later, Terminal 4. Through the years, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport continued expanding, improving and keeping pace with travel demand. It even became one of the busiest airports in the nation.
This exhibition captures Sky Harbor’s development with images of its design and construction throughout the past 90 years. Creating airport control towers, terminals and the PHX Sky Train® are major undertakings. Their immensity is matched by a multitude of people that help materialize ideas, from architects, engineers and designers to builders, installers and fabricators.
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Shaping Sound The Art of Guitar Making
3800 E Sky Harbor Blvd
Phoenix, AZ 85034
In our fast-paced, technological world of seemingly endless mass production, there are still some who desire to create with their hands. This is especially true for guitar players who design, build and repair their own instruments. The art of guitar-making, or Luthiery,allows skilled craftsman to turn raw materials into unique instruments.
The Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery, based in the heart of Phoenix, has supported aspiring guitar builders for over four decades. Students from around the globe come to attend North America’s oldest and only accredited guitar-making school. At Roberto-Venn, people that are passionate about music can learn the old-world craft of creating a guitar by hand.
From selecting wood to finishing techniques, students learn every aspect of guitar construction. They discover how the design and assembly of each element affects how the guitar will play as well as the instruments visual aesthetic and artistry. By merging tradition with innovation and creativity, students at Roberto-Venn are shaping sound.
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100 Years, 100 Ranchers, Photographs by Scott Baxter
3800 E Sky Harbor Blvd
Phoenix, AZ 85034
Wide open landscapes dotted with grazing cattle and sheep herded by the rancher on horseback have become an iconic symbol of our western culture. For more than 100 years the ranching tradition has been an integral part of Arizona’s history and growth. In celebration of Arizona’s Centennial in 2012, Scott Baxter photographed 100 Arizona ranchers whose families have been ranching for a century or more.
For more than 10 years Baxter has been traveling to ranches across the state, getting to know the individual ranchers and their operations. He chose to use large-format cameras, a traditional process which takes time and allowed him to engage his subjects in a personal manner. Using black and white film Baxter captures a sense of timelessness and directs the viewer’s full attention to the subject in the frame.
The strength and independent nature of this unique group of Arizonans is apparent in their portraits. Baxter’s collection of photographs is a tribute to Arizona’s ranching legacy by preserving an important piece of Arizona character and history.
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My First Time
11445 N Saguaro Blvd
Fountain Hills, AZ 85268
In 1998, a website became a phenomenon as stories about ‘First Times’ poured in. Now, these stories and the unique characters in them are brought to life in this hysterical and heart-breaking comedic play.
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Legacy of Landscapes: The Art and Archaeology of Perry Mesa
3711 W Deer Valley Rd
Phoenix, AZ 85308
Featuring the artistry of ASU alumnus photographer Pat Gorraiz, this exhibit explores the landscapes of Perry Mesa and the legacies left behind by the Ancestral People who lived there over a period of several hundred years.
Archaeologists from Arizona State University and federal agencies began researching the mesa in the early 2000s, and that work continues today with School of Human Evolution and Social Change archaeologist David Abbott, retired National Forest Services archaeologist Scott Wood, and many others. Learn more about past research and publications.
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Still Life No. 3: Raven Chacon
Heard Museum
2301 North Central Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85004
In the summer of 2019 the Heard Museum will produce a solo exhibition of contemporary artist Raven Chacon. Still Life No. 3: Raven Chacon presents a singular work of the same title comprised of sound installation, timed light, and text. Installed in the Museum’s Jacobson Gallery, the exhibition will open July 5th, 2019 and run through November 3rd, 2019.
Still Life No. 3 retells the Diné Bahaneʼ, the Navajo story of creation and emergence into the current world. The piece is comprised of sound, speakers, text and timed colored light which scrolls through several hues over a 24-hour cycle – relating to colors referenced in the Diné origin story. By doing this, the artist creates ambiguity in the gallery space and narrative of the Diné emergence story. The voice of a Diné woman is amplified through speakers that are set on a delay causing parts of the story to overlap, creating a non-linear situation to the narrative while illuminating past, present, and future all in one singular moment. The exhibition will allow for an immersive and metaphysical space within the confines of the gallery to create room for pensive reflection, sense of place, and situationality.
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Color in Play
5005 E Camelback Rd
Phoenix, AZ 85018
A juried exhibition that features outdoor sculptures combining color and whimsy with a touch of sophistication!
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The Timeless Landscape: Recent Gifts from the Papp Family
Phoenix Art Museum
1625 N. Central Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85004-1685
Classical Chinese ink paintings traditionally focused on the beauty of the natural world, depicting insects, birds, flowers, and fruit, or trees, clouds, and mountains on paper or silk. Featuring gifts from The Papp Family Foundation, this exhibition showcases large hanging scrolls, horizontal scrolls, and album leaves distinguished by their structured ink brushstrokes and soft touches of color. Complementing these paintings are examples of classical Chinese ceramics donated by Gail and Stephen Rineberg.
The Timeless Landscape: Recent Gifts from the Papp Family is organized by Phoenix Art Museum. It is made possible through the generosity of The Papp Family Foundation, Gail and Stephen Rineberg, and donors to the Museum’s annual fund.
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Crickets, Tea, and Snuff: Chinese Intellectual Pursuits
Phoenix Art Museum
1625 N. Central Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85004-1685
In traditional China, the literati, or educated class, set the standards for aesthetic taste and leisurely pursuits, many of which are still practiced today. Through a diverse selection of objects, this exhibition introduces viewers to a number of these preferences and interests.
Crickets were the ideal pet for members of the Chinese upper classes and imperial court because of their soothing sound and their ability to be transported in elegant, portable cages. Viewers will have the opportunity to examine various gourd cricket cages donated to the Museum by Amy S. Clague.
The beverage of connoisseurs in China and still widely consumed today, tea is considered beneficial, stimulating the mind, cleansing the blood, and aiding in digestion. As a result, tea vessels hold a special significance. For centuries, the town of Yixing was known as the central producer of unglazed teawares, and a collection of Yixing teawares, donated to the Museum by James T. Bialac, is showcased in the exhibition.
The practice of inhaling snuff, or aromatic tobacco ground into a fine powder, for a jolt of nicotine originated in the Americas but took hold in China during the 17th century. Made of stone, porcelain, lacquer, and other materials, snuff bottles were symbols of status, wealth, and taste in China. The exhibition features a selection of Chinese snuff bottles, donated to the Museum by Deborah G. Carstens.
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Agnes Pelton
1625 N. Central Ave. Central Avenue and McDowell Road
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Agnes Pelton: Desert Transcendentalist is the first survey on the obscure American painter in more than 24 years. A graduate of the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, she began experimenting with abstraction in the early 1900s in New York, eventually exhibiting in the Armory Show of 1913 at the invitation of Walt Kuhn. She painted conventional desert landscapes to make a living, but it was her abstract studies of earth and light, biomorphic compositions of delicate veils, shimmering stars, and atmospheric horizon lines, that distinguished her work.
A believer in numerology, astrology, and faith healing, Pelton’s abstract compositions propelled her into an esoteric world epitomized by the Transcendental Painting Group (1938-1942), a short-lived group that promoted abstract, non-objective art. Although Pelton received some attention during her lifetime, she has been relatively unknown within the field of American Art. Approximately 40 – 45 works will comprise this exhibition shedding light on Pelton’s artistic contribution to American Modernism.
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Particle and Wave: PaperClay Illuminated
ASU Art Museum
51 E. 10th St.
Tempe, AZ 85281
"Particle and Wave" is a groundbreaking exhibition of 45 works created by international artists who incorporate paper pulp and organic fibers into their clay bodies, with the result of increased strength and lighter weight. The exhibition showcases a wide range of visual forms, which would not be possible with traditional methods, as the artists utilize this technique to express contemporary social and cultural ideas.
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Change Agent: June Wayne and the Tamarind Workshop
ASU Art Museum
51 E. 10th St.
Tempe, AZ 85281
“Change Agent” highlights June Wayne’s legacy as an artist, printmaker, educator and activist. Wayne refused to follow a signature style, taking on a variety of themes such as personal history, modern science and social issues. In the Dorothy Series, she narrates the life of her mother, a Russian Jewish immigrant and traveling saleswoman for a garter company. In the Stellar Winds and Solar Flares Series, she mines natural phenomena as metaphors for the human condition.
Wayne was a catalyst for the revival of fine art lithography in the United States, a medium which had all but vanished by the 1950s. She championed lithography as an art form as vital as painting after studying the technique in Paris with the printer Marcel Durassier. With a grant from the Ford Foundation, Wayne founded the Tamarind Lithography Workshop in Los Angeles in 1960. The experimental workshop created a pool of printers and apprentices, as artists from across the country were invited to master the process of lithography. Now known as the Tamarind Institute of the University of New Mexico, it continues Wayne’s visionary plan as a major training center for fine art printers.
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Saturday Animal Adoptions
2784 W. Peoria Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85029
Come to Petco each Saturday to meet your new best friend. Adoptions will be held by All About Animals Rescue from 1pm to 5pm and then Kneading Kitty's Rescue will take over from 3pm to 7pm. Dogs, cats, puppies, kittens are all waiting for you.
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Wagging and Purring into the New Year
2784 W. Peoria Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85029
Join All About Animals Rescue at one of our Petco locations to adopt a wonderful new family member for the new year. And announcing our new Mobile Adoption Bus that will be coming to the entire Valley soon. The unit is ours and just getting "freshened up." Then we will be off to do a Petco Store Tour. For more information on our animals - http://www.allaboutanimalsaz.com
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Four Peaks Brewing Company's 8th Street Brewery Tours
1340 E. 8th Street Ste. 104
Tempe, AZ 85281
Tour the original Four Peaks brewery. Housed inside a 100-year-old former creamery and ice factory, 8th Street is the original Four Peaks location and the best place to find all of our specialty beers as well as some of the tastiest brewpub food you'll ever stick in your mouth. This place has a lot of history—and we want to share that history with you.
Join us every Saturday for complimentary tours of the 8th Street brewery. Each tour, led by an experienced Four Peaks guide, offers insight into our operations, showcases our history and gives an in-depth overview of the brewing process. Tours will also cover aspects of our laboratory testing, water treatment, barrel-aging program and more.
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Mesmerica 360: A Visual Music Journey
Arizona Science Center
600 E. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85004
In these fast-paced, and often challenging times, music and art can provide us with relief from stress, and provide us with a sense of peace, tranquility, and renewal.
Experience the magic of this 360 degree immersive art and music cinema experience in the Arizona Science Center Dorrance Planetarium on these extended summer dates.
Mesmerica is a visual music journey that brings the mesmerizing music of Grammy-nominated composer and percussionist, James Hood together with visually-hypnotic, 3D animated art curated from artists around the world to create an immersive, transcendant experience designed to soothe the mind and stimulate the senses.
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Flashlight Tours
1201 N. Galvin Parkway
Phoenix, AZ 85008
At Desert Botanical Garden, summer nights shine with flashlight tours. All ages will have a blast getting hands-on during this self-guided nocturnal adventure through the garden. Check out the night blooming plants, animals that come out after-dark plus grab some food and drink and chill out.
