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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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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Guru Nanak: Founder of Sikhism
Phoenix Art Museum
1625 N. Central Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85004-1685
Guru Nanak (1469–1539) was the founder of Sikhism, and his concept of oneness includes spiritual, sociological, and humanitarian insights that have formed the cornerstone of Sikh writings and practices. Guru Nanak: Founder of Sikhism celebrates the 550th anniversary of Guru Nanak’s birth and explores his fundamental beliefs through historical and contemporary images that tell stories of his life.
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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. -
Color Riot! How Color Changed Navajo Textiles
2301 North Central Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85004
The Heard Museum presents Color Riot! How Color Changed Navajo Textiles. The exhibition explores the Navajo culture, individualism and flair for experimentation in textiles from the last quarter of the 19th century.
The textiles reflect ideas and events the weavers experienced between 1863 and 1868, the hard years of their imprisonment in the Bosque Redondo, and their subsequent return to a reservation. During this time, weavers saw examples of the design system of Hispanic textiles and acquired new materials such as aniline dyes and Germantown yarns that touched off their experiments with color and design. During this time of great change, as the Navajo rebuilt their flocks and repaired the devastation of Bosque Redondo, weavers had an unprecedented opportunity to experiment. The resulting textiles were not only appreciated by collectors and traders at the time, but future collectors and artists such as Josef Albers. The Heard Museum is simultaneously presenting Albers’ work in the Josef Albers in Mexico exhibition; visitors have a rare opportunity to explore the visual similarities in the use of color, repetition and design between Navajo textiles from the last quarter of the 19th century and the iconic paintings of Josef Albers.
Change has always been a hallmark of Navajo textile design, with the weavers’ individualism tied to a continuing theme of innovation. Color Riot! How Color Changed Navajo Textiles exhibition celebrates the timeless Navajo textiles and is an opportunity to see examples of these colorful and symbolic items that are considered true works of art. The exhibition will feature more than 80 Navajo textiles from prominent private collections including those of Carol Ann Mackay, Steve Getzwiller of Nizhoni Ranch Gallery and the Tony Berlant Collection.
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Gaman: Enduring Japanese American Internment at Gila River
300 S Chandler Village Dr
Chandler, AZ 85226
During World War II over 16,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from the west coast to Gila River Internment Camp, near Chandler, simply because they looked like the enemy. This poignant exhibit demonstrates how the Japanese value gaman, enduring the seemingly impossible with patience and dignity, guided these American citizens, through loss and incarceration in the Arizona desert. See the photos, hear the stories, read the names of incarcerees, and view the community contributed paper cranes in this transformative exhibition.
