Phoenix Art Museum partners with Eric Fischl, Phoenix College to host 2023 Eric Fischl Series featuring guest artist Scott Avett

Mar, 13, 2023

Special Events and Programs

Phoenix Art Museum partners with Eric Fischl, Phoenix College to host 2023 Eric Fischl Series featuring guest artist Scott Avett

The evening includes an exhibition of artwork by Phoenix College students, the Vanguard Awards presentation, and a conversation between Fischl and the co-founder of Grammy-nominated band The Avett Brothers

PHOENIX (March 13, 2023) – This spring, Phoenix Art Museum (PhxArt) hosts the 2023 Eric Fischl Series in partnership with contemporary painter, sculptor, author, and Phoenix College (PC) alumnus Eric Fischl. The event includes a student art exhibition and reception in Cummings Great Hall, followed by the Vanguard Awards presentation and a conversation between Eric Fischl and guest artist Scott Avett in Whiteman Hall. The 2023 Eric Fischl series will be hosted on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 from 5:30 – 8:30 pm. Tickets are $5 for the public and free for Museum Members and are available here.

Each year, the Eric Fischl series hosted by Phoenix College and held at Phoenix Art Museum draws students, artists, and community members for engaging conversations about art. The 2023 Eric Fischl guest artist is Scott Avett, an accomplished painter and printmaker best known as co-founder of the Grammy-nominated folk-rock band The Avett Brothers. Avett earned a BFA in studio art in 2000 from East Carolina University and explores life in the American south in large-scale figurative paintings with vibrant palettes.  His work is described on Artsy as “psychologically charged and emotionally intense, featuring at times intimate, vulnerable and honest portrayals of his family and himself.” 

Although Avett grew up in the rural south and is now raising a family there, his work is also influenced by the cultural and artistic influences he encountered in the years he spent on the road touring with his band.  His art-making has been a solitary creative pursuit compared to his life as a musician, singer, and songwriter. After decades of creating visual art, free of exhibition deadlines or audience expectation, Avett had his first museum exhibition in October 2019 at the North Carolina Museum of Art, which highlighted his work across 20 years spanning multiple disciplines, including painting, printmaking, and sculptural objects. An extensive catalogue, Scott Avett INVISIBLE, accompanied the exhibition. Avett is represented by the Hexton Gallery.

The celebration on April 12 will begin with an exhibition of artwork by Phoenix College students on view in the Museum’s Cummings Great Hall. As part of the 2023 Eric Fischl Series, Fischl and Avett will also present the prestigious Vanguard Awards to students whose works are selected as “Best in Show” from pieces submitted to the annual exhibition. Fischl created the Vanguard Award in 2005 to recognize emerging student talent in the fine arts, establish Phoenix College as a center for the arts in downtown Phoenix, and create life-changing opportunities for students. Recipients of the award receive $2,500. To date, more than 62 students have been presented with the Vanguard Award.

The evening will close with an engaging conversation between Fischl and Avett in Whiteman Hall, during which visitors will learn about Avett’s visual art practice and the parallels to his songwriting and music development.

The 2023 Fischl Series is made possible with support from Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix College, Varitec Solutions, Blick Art Materials, Lisa Sette Gallery, DL Withers Foundation, Matt Young Photography, and Art Solutions & Installation, LLC.

For more information, high-resolution photography, or a copy of this news release in Spanish, contact the Communications Office at 602.257.2117 or samantha.santos@phxart.org.

About Phoenix Art Museum
Since 1959, Phoenix Art Museum has provided millions of guests with access to world-class art and experiences in an effort to ignite imaginations, create meaningful connections, and serve as a brave space for all people who wish to experience the transformative power of art. Located in Phoenix’s Central Corridor, the Museum is a vibrant destination for the visual arts and the largest art museum in the southwestern United States. Each year, more than 300,000 guests engage with critically acclaimed national and international exhibitions and the Museum’s collection of more than 20,000 works of American and Western American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern and contemporary art, and fashion design. The Museum also presents a comprehensive film program, live performances, and educational programs designed for visitors of all ages, along with vibrant photography exhibitions made possible through the Museum’s landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit phxart.org, or call 602.257.1880.

About Phoenix College
Phoenix College is the flagship of the Maricopa County Community College District, one of the largest community college districts in the nation. Established in 1920, PC offers academic courses leading to associate degrees, university transfer, certificates and short-term job training.

The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is an EEO/AA institution and an equal opportunity employer of protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or national origin. A lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission and participation in the career and technical education programs of the District.  The Maricopa County Community College District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age in its programs or activities. For Title IX/504 concerns, call the following number to reach the appointed coordinator: (480) 731-8499. For additional information, as well as a listing of all coordinators within the Maricopa College system, maricopa.edu/non-discrimination.