Press RoomPhoenix Art Museum launches evening hours + bilingual Docent tours; free First Fridays + Indigenous Peoples’ launch event return; Charles Gaines special-engagement exhibitions open in October
Phoenix Art Museum launches evening hours + bilingual Docent tours; free First Fridays + Indigenous Peoples’ launch event return; Charles Gaines special-engagement exhibitions open in October
Sep, 11, 2024
Media Alerts
Phoenix Art Museum launches evening hours + bilingual Docent tours; free First Fridays + Indigenous Peoples’ launch event return; Charles Gaines special-engagement exhibitions open in October
PHOENIX (September 11, 2024) – Beginning in opportunity, Phoenix Art Museum expands its evening hours of operations to increase accessibility to the exhibitions for the community. Monthly First Friday programming also returns, with voluntary-donation general admission, resident DJs, and food and drink experiences. The Museum will additionally host Indigenous Peoples’ Day Phoenix Fest Launch Party and offer free general admission for all Indigenous peoples from October 11 – October 18. Active tribal IDs and CDIB cards are not required for admission. In celebration of Hispanic + Latinx Heritage Month, Museum Docents begin offering bilingual tours in English and Spanish.
Effective October 2, 2024, the Museum’s hours of operation will be as follows:
Monday – Tuesday // Closed
Wednesday – Friday // 10 am – 8 pm
Saturday – Sunday // 10 am – 5 pm
First Fridays // 5 – 8 pm
Pay-What-You-Wish Wednesdays // 3 – 8 pm
FEATURED FREE-ACCESS PROGRAMS
Pay-What-You-Wish Wednesdays Every Wednesday | 3 – 8 pm Voluntary-donation general admission SPECIAL-EXHIBITION TICKETS: $7 for adults | $5 for youth under 17 | FREE for Museum Members and Maricopa County Community College students*
Pay-What-You-Wish Wednesdays are made possible by SRP and City of Phoenix.
Free Admission for Maricopa County Community Colleges Students All Maricopa County Community Colleges students enjoy free general admission to PhxArt, including admission into special-engagement exhibitions. Active student ID required. The Maricopa County Community College District program at Phoenix Art Museum (MC3@PAM) is made possible through the generosity of Men’s Arts Council.
Military Discount PhxArt now offers discounted admission to active-duty U.S. military personnel and veterans throughout the year. Qualified members must show a valid ID on-site to receive $5 off general admission tickets.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day Free Admission In honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, general admission to PhxArt for all Indigenous peoples will be waived from Friday, October 11 – Friday, October 18 during regular Museum hours. Active tribal IDs and CDIB cards are not required for admission.
FEATURED EVENTS
First Friday October 4 | 5 – 8 pm Voluntary-donation general admission SPECIAL-EXHIBITION TICKETS: $7 for Adults | $5 for Youth (6-17) First Fridays at PhxArt are back, activated by free general admission, live music, art programming, and specialty food and drink experiences. Programming includes:
Music by resident DJs Jaime Lee (@jmelee) and Alex Castles (@alexcvstles)
Specialty food and beverage experiences with ARTenders, and El Fogón de Joy (@elfogondejoy)
First Fridays at PhxArt are made possible through the generosity of APS and Lexus.
Hispanic + Latinx Heritage Month Tours October 1 – 15 Free for Members | Included with general admission for the general public In celebration of Hispanic + Latinx Heritage Month, PhxArt launches bilingual art tours with Los Guías, a cohort of Spanish-speaking Docents. Explore the work of Hispanic and Latinx artists in the Museum’s galleries every Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday and First Friday from October 1 – 15.
Tour times:
Sundays @ 12:30 pm (English + Spanish)
Wednesdays @ 7 pm (English + Spanish)
Saturdays @ 12;30 pm (English + Spanish)
First Fridays @ 7 pm (English) + 6 and 7 pm (Spanish)
Hispanic + Latinx Heritage Month programming is presented by JPMorgan Chase.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day Phoenix Fest Launch Party October 11 | 5 – 9 pm Free for Members | Free for Indigenous peoples | Included with general admission for the general public Each year, Indigenous Peoples’ Day (IPD) Phoenix Fest brings together more than 4,000 attendees to uplift and amplify the work of nearly 1,000 individuals representing Indigenous-owned businesses and organizations, Indigenous artists and creatives, and non-Indigenous Valley partners and supporters who help plan the multi-day celebration. Kick-off this year’s IPD Phoenix Fest with Local Matriarch, an Indigenous womxn-led social enterprise that focuses on empowering Indigenous womxn, at a Launch Party hosted in partnership with Cahokia Phx and at Phoenix Art Museum. Programming includes:
Opening ceremony and blessing by Grupo Coatlicue
Premiere of a new community art installation Reflections of Us by La Morena + Marcos De Niza High School student artists
Nourishment by The Rez, an Urban Eatery, and El Fogón de Joy
Performances, music, art activities, and more.
The Indigenous Peoples’ Day Phoenix Fest 2024 Launch Party is organized by Local Matriarch in partnership with Cahokia Phx and Phoenix Art Museum. Reflections of Us is made possible through the generosity of Men’s Arts Council.
WORKSHOP // Saturday Studio: Family Edition October 12 | 9:30 am – Noon $25 for Members/$10 for youth (8-17) | $45 for the general public/$20 for youth (ages 8-17) Presented in the classroom located in the admin building. Limited capacity. Advance registration required. Join artist educator Meg Gizzi, for a hands-on workshop inspired by Kelly Akashi’s artwork Polar Vista (1993 – 2023). Participants will explore the intricate relationship between people and art, creating sculptures that reflect their own meaningful moments and evoke themes of transformation and memory.
Saturday Studio: Family Edition is a collaborative workshop designed for children ages eight and up, along with their parents or caregivers, to experience and create art together. Each session includes a conversation in the galleries, followed by a hands-on studio art activity. The workshop includes all art-making materials, instruction, and general admission to the Museum. All children must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver. More information available soon at phxart.org.
Saturday Studio is made possible by Jane A. Lehman and Alan G. Lehman Foundation.
OPENING SOON
Greatest Fits (Vol. 1): The Art of Archiving Fashion October 9, 2024 – February 8, 2026 Greatest Fits (Vol. 1): The Art of Archiving Fashion features more than 80 garments and accessories that offer the first major investigation into the formation of the renowned PhxArt fashion collection. The exhibition begins with an overview of the impact of Arizona Costume Institute on the collection’s expansion. Iconic silhouettes from the 18th century through the present and vignettes illustrating significant themes and historical moments demonstrate the collection’s ability to explore and educate about the larger history of fashion, showcasing the breadth and depth of the Museum’s fashion holdings.
The Collection: Greatest Fits (Vol. 1): The Art of Archiving Fashion is organized by Phoenix Art Museum and curated by Helen Jean, the Jacquie Dorrance Curator of Fashion Design at Phoenix Art Museum. It is made possible by Arizona Costume Institute and the Kelly Ellman Fashion Endowment 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
Charles Gaines: 1992–2023 October 30, 2024 – March 9, 2025 A preeminent figure in conceptual art, Charles Gaines is widely known for converting images and text-based documents into numerical structures, musical notations, and other sign systems through rigorous translation mechanisms. Charles Gaines: 1992–2023 features a selection of works from numerous series that Gaines has worked on since 1992, when his practice underwent a pivotal shift. At the time, Gaines began to replace non-descript images with critical theory frameworks, ranging from the writings of Franz Kafka and Frantz Fanon to the manifestos of the Black Panthers and the American Indian Movement. The artist converts these types of text-based documents into numerical structures, music, and other sign systems. Resulting artworks offer multisensory experiences that elicit reflection on themes of race, politics, global climate change, and other urgent contemporary topics.
Charles Gaines: 1992–2023 is organized by the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, and curated by Gean Moreno, Director of ICA Miami’s Knight Foundation Art + Research Center. Major support is provided by Hauser & Wirth, the Nicoll Family Fund, and The Steven and Kathy Guttman Family Foundation. Additional support is provided by Funding Arts Network and by the State of Florida through the Division of Arts and Culture. Thanks to ICA Miami’s Leadership Partner Cartier for their support of this exhibition. The presentation of Charles Gaines: 1992–2023 at Phoenix Art Museum is coordinated by Olga Viso, the Selig Family Chief Curator of Phoenix Art Museum. It is made possible through the generosity of Men’s Arts Council, Carl and Marilynn Thoma, the National Endowment for the Arts, Ellen and Howard Katz, and Ten Figures. Generous support provided by Hauser & Wirth. In-kind support provided by Kimpton Hotel Palomar Phoenix. 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.
Charles Gaines: Numbers and Trees (Arizona Series) October 30, 2024 – July 20, 2025 Charles Gaines: Numbers and Trees (Arizona Series) debuts the complete series of Gaines’ most recent body of work, Numbers and Trees: Arizona Trees 1 (2023). The image of the tree has been central to Gaines’ practice since the 1970s, and since then, he has examined a variety of species, including California walnuts and palms to southern pecans. This new series features eight large-scale triptychs depicting cottonwoods that were photographed along the San Pedro River outside Sierra Vista, AZ. The trees were then plotted with specific colors and a numbered grid, before their images were sequentially overlayed. The exhibition’s large-scale works uncover the precarious nature of the waterways that nourish the resilient cottonwood.
Charles Gaines: Numbers and Trees (Arizona Series) is organized by Phoenix Art Museum and curated by Olga Viso, the Selig Family Chief Curator. The exhibition is made possible through the generosity of Men’s Arts Council, Carl and Marilynn Thoma, the National Endowment for the Arts, Ellen and Howard Katz, Jane and Mal Jozoff, and Ten Figures. Generous support provided by Hauser & Wirth. 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.
NOW OPEN
The Collection: Art of Asia Ongoing Exchanges East and West Drawn primarily from the PhxArt Collection, Exchanges East and West explores a rich period of cross-cultural exchange within Asia and with Europe and the Americas from the 16th through the 20th centuries through ceramics, paintings, prints, and more.
Divinity and Devotion in Tibet Divinity and Devotion in Tibet explores the art forms that distinguish Tibetan Buddhist art from similar art forms of other regions. Featured works include bronze sculpture of sacred manifestations of deities, ornamented manuscripts, masks worn for religious theatrical events, and objects of personal adornment and protection. These historical works are presented in dialogue with a selection of contemporary photographs taken in the Tibetan region by Han Chinese-American artist and photographer Dr. David Leiwei Li, Professor Emeritus at the University of Oregon. The photographs offer intimate portraits of the Tibetan people, as well as revealing the region’s natural landscapes, unique architecture, and the majesty of its temples and religious practices.
The Collection: Art of Asia is organized by Phoenix Art Museum and curated by Colin Pearson, consultant curator for Asian art. Divinity and Devotion in Tibet is made possible through the generosity of the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation. 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.
Chardi Kala: Rising Above Adversity Ongoing The Punjabi phrase chardi kala expresses the concept of unwavering optimism, even in the face of hardship. This idea of maintaining a positive mindset is a crucial tenet of the Sikh faith, but that positivity is not meant to be a passive state of being, but rather a never-ending opportunity for believers to shape the world around them through service. This installation explores the concept of chardi kala through contemporary artworks depicting some of the collective hardships endured by Sikh communities and the ways that they continually work to improve the society they live in.
Chardi Kala: Rising Above Adversity is organized by Phoenix Art Museum and curated by Colin Pearson, Adjunct Curator for Asian art. 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.
Multiple Realities: Experimental Art in the Eastern Bloc, 1960s-1980s is organized by the Walker Art Center with major support provided by Martha and Bruce Atwater. Exhibition research was supported by a curatorial fellowship from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. The exhibition is curated by Pavel S. Pyś, Curator of Visual Arts and Collections Strategy, at Walker Art Center. Its presentation at Phoenix Art Museum is coordinated by Rachel Sadvary Zebro, associate curator for collections. The presentation of Multiple Realities: Experimental Art in the Eastern Bloc, 1960s-1980s at Phoenix Art Museum is made possible through the generosity of The Opatrny Family Foundation, Joan Cremin, Men’s Arts Council, and Diana and Mark Feldman. 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. In-kind support provided by Kimpton Hotel Palomar Phoenix and KJZZ/KBACH.
KIDS // Storytime October 3 | 10:30 am Free for Members | Included in general admission for the general public Advance registration recommended. For more information, click here.
Storytime is made possible by the Angela and Leonard Singer Endowment for Performing Arts, The Discount Tire Endowment for Children’s Art Programs, the William Randolph Hearst Endowed Fund for Education Programs, and Legacy Traditional Schools.
FILM // National Theatre Live: Frankenstein October 20 | 1 pm $10 for Members | $15 for the general public Presented in Whiteman Hall. Limited capacity. Tickets available for reservation here.
Performing Arts Programming at Phoenix Art Museum is made possible in part by the generosity of the Angel and Leonard Singer Endowment for Performing Arts.
Films@PhxArt is made possible by Fit Via Vi Films.
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, an art+music festival, and more for the community. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit phxart.org, or call 602.257.1880.
