Oct, 27, 2026
Asian ArtMedia AlertsSpecial Events and Programs
Phoenix Art Museum offers The Color of Noir film series; hosts artist Pala Pothupitiye and curator Dr. Tushara Bindu Gude in conversation; celebrates Art of Asia for Family Funday
PHOENIX (October 27, 2026) – This November, Phoenix Art Museum (PhxArt) invites you discover The Color of Noir, a film series. Join Sri Lankan artist Pala Pothupitiye and guest curator Dr. Tushara Bindu Gude for a conversation about Pala Pothupitiye: Mapping a Sri Lankan Consciousness, the inaugural exhibition in the Nagendran Gallery for the Art of Sri Lanka and South Asia. Bring the whole family to Family Funday, our free, all-ages day featuring hands-on art-making activities and cultural performances. Additional event details and ticket links are provided below.
FEATURED EVENTS
Family Funday
Sunday, November 15 | 10 am–5 pm
Free event
Twice a year, Phoenix Art Museum hosts PhxArt Family Fundays, offering complimentary admission to every gallery. This all-ages, free-access day features arts-engagement programming suitable for visitors of all interests and abilities. This Family Funday celebrates the exhibition, Kim Chong Hak, Painter of Seoraksan. Known for his vivid, abstract expressions of monumental landscapes and the changing seasons, Kim’s work inspires a day of nature-themed art-making activities and cultural performances throughout the Museum.
* All materials provided; first come, first served while supplies last.
Make it! | 10 am–4 pm
- Create a mixed-media collage inspired by the work of artist Pala Pothupitiya
- Traditional embroidery connected to Korean folk art with Sunshine Craft Co.
- Nature-themed mandala crafting with Rosa Phoenix
- Puzzle purse activity with PhxArt Archivist, Aspen Reynolds
- Korean Hanji paper craft inspired by the abstract style of Kim Chong Hak
- Create a paper sculpture garden and collaborative mural with Desert Doodle Art
Participate! | 10 am–4 pm
- Explore the Art of Asia through a scavenger hunt
- Learn about butterflies and insects with Jon Douglas, Professor of Biology at Phoenix College
- Learn about Ikebana, the traditional art of Japanese flower arranging, from Museum Docents
- Young visitors can enjoy soft play and hands-on art making with Playhouse AZ
- Young visitors can experience sensory play and watercolor painting with Leo and Luca
- View traditional Korean garments and enjoy a fashion-inspired art making activity
- Pick up a mini bouquet provided by Arizona State Flower Association as you exit the Museum
Performances!
- K-Pop performances by UnderSkore at 11 am | 1 pm | 2 pm | 3 pm | 4 pm
- Traditional Korean folk dance performances sponsored by Phoenix Sister Cities from 10:30 am and 12 pm
- A Storytime reading of Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert, presented with Desert Botanical Garden at 11:30
Tickets are available here.
Family Fundays are made possible in part by The Discount Tire Endowment for Children’s Art Programs, William Randolph Hearst Endowed Fund for Education Programs, and Carolyn Dunkin Schulte Educational Endowment Fund.
The Color of Noir
Free for Members | $10 for Non-Members
Last year, we celebrated “Noirvember” at the Museum with screenings of black-and-white classics like Double Indemnity and Sunset Boulevard. This year, we’re adding a vibrant new palette to the shadows with our “Color of Noir” series. Explore the seedy underbelly and mean streets of the neo-noir landscape—now in color. Featuring both undisputed masterworks and breakthrough debuts from some of cinema’s best directors, the lineup kicks off with the quintessential color noir, Chinatown. The series continues with the Coen Brothers’ stunning debut, Blood Simple, and Christopher Nolan’s early, mind-bending hit, Memento, before concluding with the pulse-pounding neon-noir, Drive, starring Ryan Gosling.
| Chinatown Saturday, Nov 1 1 pm Tickets are available here. | Blood Simple Wednesday, Nov 4 6 pm Tickets are available here. | Memento Saturday, Nov 7 1 pm Tickets are available here. | Drive Sunday, Nov 8 1 pm Tickets are available here. |
In Conversation: Pala Pothupitiye and Dr. Tushara Bindu Gude
Saturday, November 14 | 12 pm
Free for Members | Included in General Admission
Join us for midday conversation to celebrate the inaugural installation of the Nagendran Gallery for the Art of Sri Lanka and South Asia, featuring a solo exhibition by celebrated Sri Lankan contemporary artist Pala Pothupitiye. Hear from Pothupitiye and guest curator Dr. Tushara Bindu Gude, as they discuss the artist’s practice and exhibition.
Tickets are available here.
OPENING SOON
Opening November 6, 2026
Discover three new installations that showcase historical and contemporary works from the Museum’s collections of Chinese and Japanese art.
Craft/Art Continuum
A showcase of intricate bamboo baskets from Japan illustrating the continuum between craft objects and fine art and the evolution from vessels for ikebana flower arrangements to contemporary abstract sculpture.
Scrolls of Nature and Imagination: Literati Art from China and Japan
This installation explores the world of gentleman scholars from China and Japan, including elegant scrolls, installations of a Chinese scholar’s desk and groupings of Japanese assorted media that provide a view into the refined elegance of the literati lifestyle.
Phoenix and Dragon: Blessings in Bronze from China
Discover how mythical creatures and timeless designs convey blessings of longevity and good fortune through Chinese bronze artworks from the 12th through the 21st century.
These installations in the Nagendran Wing for the Art of Asia are organized by Phoenix Art Museum and curated by Colin Pearson, Curator for Art of Asia. All exhibitions at Phoenix Art Museum are underwritten by the Phoenix Art Museum Exhibition Excellence Fund, founded by The Opatrny Family Foundation, with additional major support provided by Joan Cremin.
Sarkar-i-Khalsa: Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Sikh Empire
Opening November 6, 2026
Ranjit Singh’s (1780-1839) reign as Maharaja of the Sikh Empire began in 1801, when much of the Punjab was occupied by foreign invaders. Singh founded a secular empire and surrounded himself with advisors of varied faiths and backgrounds to secure the Punjab and promote a just society. This exhibition in the Khanuja Family Sikh Art Gallery takes viewers into the Maharaja’s court in Lahore, showcasing exquisite armor, swords, and jewelry alongside historical and contemporary paintings that depict Singh’s life and influence.
Sarkar-i-Khalsa: Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Sikh Empire is organized by Phoenix Art Museum and curated by Colin Pearson, Curator of Asian Art. It is made possible through the generosity of 5 Rivers Sikh Museum. All exhibitions at Phoenix Art Museum are underwritten by the Phoenix Art Museum Exhibition Excellence Fund, founded by The Opatrny Family Foundation, with additional major support provided by Joan Cremin.
Pala Pothupitiye: Mapping a Sri Lankan Consciousness
Opening November 13, 2026
Pala Pothupitiye: Mapping a Sri Lankan Consciousness features works by acclaimed contemporary artist Pala Pothupitiye, whose practice draws from diverse visual, cultural, and mythological sources to interrogate the whole of Sri Lankan history. The exhibition highlights Pothupitiye’s most well-known body of work—cartographic paintings in which the artist deploys various maps of the island as fields for his imaginative portrayals of imperial and national ambitions, colonial desires, religious and ethnic identities, and modern-day conflict.
Pala Pothupitiye: Mapping a Sri Lankan Consciousness is organized by Phoenix Art Museum and curated by Tushara Bindu Gude, PhD, Curator, Foundation for Spirituality and the Arts. It is underwritten in part by Dr. Sukumar Nagendran and the Excellence Fund for Sri Lankan and South Asian Art at Phoenix Art Museum. All exhibitions at Phoenix Art Museum are underwritten by the Phoenix Art Museum Exhibition Excellence Fund, founded by The Opatrny Family Foundation with additional major support provided by Joan Cremin.
NEW ON VIEW
Colorwear: A Kaleidoscope of Fashion
Through August 8, 2027
The unveiling of a newly commissioned gown by Christian Siriano for the PhxArt Fashion Collection will hold prominence in the Colorwear: A Kaleidoscope of Fashion exhibition. This installation will coincide with the launch of Colorwear, an original PhxArt publication that explores the history and highlights of the institution’s fashion collection and features Siriano’s PhxArt commission on its cover.
Colorwear: A Kaleidoscope of Fashion is organized by Phoenix Art Museum and curated by Helen Jean, the Jacquie Dorrance Curator of Fashion at Phoenix Art Museum and Summer Rye, Fashion Curatorial Assistant & ACI Liaison. The exhibition is made possible through the generosity of Jacquie and Bennett Dorrance and Arizona Costume Institute. Additional support provided by Fan Association of North America (FANA). All fashion exhibitions at Phoenix Art Museum are underwritten by The Kelly Ellman Fashion Endowment Fund and The Thomas Carlton Rogers II Fashion Exhibition Fund. All exhibitions at Phoenix Art Museum are underwritten by the Phoenix Art Museum Exhibition Excellence Fund, founded by The Opatrny Family Foundation with additional major support provided by Joan Cremin.
For a full list of exhibitions on view now at Phoenix Art Museum, visit phxart.org/art/exhibitions/
OTHER NOVEMBER EVENTS
PhxArt Book Club: L.A. Confidential by James Ellroy
Wednesday, November 4 | 6:30 pm
Free event
Location: The Lemon Art Research Library, located inside the Museum Administration Building
For more information, click here.
Storytime
Thursday, November 5 | 10:30 am
Free for Members | Included with General Admission
For more information, click here.
Storytime is made possible by First Things First, the Angela and Leonard Singer Endowment for Performing Arts, The Discount Tire Endowment for Children’s Art Programs and the William Randolph Hearst Endowed Fund for Education Programs.
Friday, November 6 | 5–8 pm
Voluntary Donations | Special Exhibition Tickets Sold Separately
For more information, click here.
First Fridays are made possible through the generosity of APS, with additional support from Arizona Community Foundation.
Object of the Month Presented in Memory of Cheryl Fine: Hiding in the City #69 by Liu Bolin
November 5, 7, 19 | 11:30 am
Free for Members | Included with General Admission
For more information, click here.
Object of the Month is Presented in Memory of Cheryl Fine.
Saturday, November 7, 14, 21, 28 | 11 am–3 pm
Free for Members | Included with General Admission
For more information, click here.
Create Playdate is made possible by The Discount Tire Endowment for Children’s Art Programs, and the William Randolph Hearst Endowed Fund for Education Programs.
Curator Tour: Veteran Artists in Focus
Wednesday, November 18 | 6:30–7:30 pm
Free during Pay-What-You-Wish Wednesday
Tickets are available here.
OTHER DISCOUNTED + FREE-ACCESS PROGRAMS
Pay-What-You-Wish Wednesdays
Every Wednesday | 3–8 pm
Voluntary Donations
Free for Museum Members | $10 special exhibition
Pay-What-You-Wish Wednesdays are made possible by SRP and the City of Phoenix – Office of Arts and Culture, with additional support provided by Arizona Community Foundation and the Arizona Commission on the Arts.
Active-duty U.S. military personnel and veterans enjoy $5 off general admission tickets. A valid ID is required for on-site redemption.
About Phoenix Art Museum
Since 1959, Phoenix Art Museum (PhxArt) has engaged millions of visitors with the art of our region and world. Located in Phoenix’s Central Corridor, PhxArt creates spaces of exchange and belonging for all audiences through dynamic exhibitions, collections, and experiences with art. Each year, 300,000 guests on average engage with critically acclaimed national and international exhibitions and the Museum’s collection of more than 21,000 works of American and Western American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern, and contemporary art and fashion design, along with vibrant photography exhibitions made possible through the Museum’s landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona in Tucson. PhxArt also presents live performances, outstanding examples of global cinema, arts-education programs and workshops, a monthly live-music series, and more for the community. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit phxart.org, or call 602.257.1880.
Image Credits: Courtesy of Phoenix Art Museum. Photo: Airi Katsuta; Pala Pothupitiye portrait, courtesy of the artist; Dr. Tushara Bindu Gude, Courtesy of Dr. Bindu; Pala Pothupitiye, Taprobone, 2024. Acrylic on canvas. Collection of Dr. Sukumar Nagendran. Photo: Katie Jones-Weinert; Censer in the form of a seated qilin, Ming dynasty, first half of 17th century, China (detail). Bronze. Museum purchase, Robert H. Clague collection. Photo: Ken Howie; Punjab School, Maharaja Ranjit Singh seated with Dhian Singh and Kharak Singh, North India, Punjab Plains, Lahore, c. 1830 (detail). Khanuja Family Collection; Pala Pothupitiye, Taprobone, 2024. Acrylic on canvas. Collection of Dr. Sukumar Nagendran. Photo: Katie Jones-Weinert; Christian Siriano, Gown, 2025. Cotton and silk tulle. Museum commission with funds provided by Arizona Costume Institute. Installation view of Colorwear: A Kaleidoscope of Fashion, 2026. Phoenix Art Museum. Photo: Airi Katsuta.
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