Phoenix Art Museum premieres new major contemporary Cuban art exhibition; hosts Cuba-inspired and free in-person programming in May

Apr, 26, 2023

Media AlertsSpecial Events and Programs

Phoenix Art Museum premieres new major contemporary Cuban art exhibition; hosts Cuba-inspired and free in-person programming in May

PHOENIX (April 26, 2023) – This May, Phoenix Art Museum will open for free on Sunday, May 28, for PhxArt Family Funday, with complimentary admission to every gallery and exhibition, live music, art-making workshops, and specialty food and drink experiences inspired by the newest special-engagement exhibition, Juan Francisco Elso: Por América. PhxArt will also premiere complementary exhibitions and installations Lo que es, es lo que ha sido/What It Is, Is What Has Been: Selections from the ASU Art Museum’s Cuban Art Collection,Migration Stories: Arizona Collects Cuban Art,andReynier Leyva Novo: Methuselah.Additional May programming inspired by the exhibition includes a series of artist talks and curator interviews, sessions of the Lemon Art Research Library Book Club, Storytime in the Garden, and much more.

For a full list of exhibitions on view now at Phoenix Art Museum, visit phxart.org/art/exhibitions/.

FREE-ACCESS EVENT
PhxArt Family Funday
May 28 | 10 am – 5 pmComplimentary admission | Free-access event
Enjoy free Museum admission all day from 10 am – 5pm, including access to special-engagement exhibitions Juan Francisco Elso: Por América and MOVE: The Modern Cut of Geoffrey Beene. Beginning at noon, the Museum will host live performances in the galleries, art making, demonstrations, and hands-on experiences for visitors of all ages and abilities, including:

• Performances from Los Cabezones, live music by Arroz Con Mango (@arrozconmangomango), and mini mambo dance lessons with Ballet Folklórico Queztallí (@bfqaz), presented by Cultural Coalition (@culturalcoaz)
• A clay portrait workshop with artist Gabriel Vinas (@gabrielvinasart)
• Collagraph printing with artist Estrella Esquilín (@estralala)                                                                                                                                               
• Music by DJ Big Rube (@esparza_entertainment)
• Live in-gallery sketching with artist Aileen Martinez (@look.see.draw) and the ASU Art Museum (@asuartmuseum)
• An investigation of the new installation Reynier Leyva Novo: Methuselah and the annual migration cycle of Monarch butterflies with specialists from Desert Botanical Garden (@dbgphx)
• Cuban-cooking demonstration with Chef Patricia Espinosa (@patriciaespinosart)                                                                                                                     
• A Lemon Art Research Library pop-up featuring special collections and rare books inspired by exhibition Juan Francisco Elso: Por América
• Specialty food and beverage experiences with ARTenders, Palette Restaurant, Cubanitas Kitchen (@cubanitas_kitchen), and Cuba My Heart (@patriciaespinosart)
• A special scavenger hunt, Storytime in the Galleries, activities for early learners + much more!

Visitors will also experience the public unveiling of a new mural in the Museum’s community art gallery. The large-scale work was created by Arizona-based artist Giovannie (@justcreateit) with students from Camelback High School, through a collaboration between the artist, Camelback High School, Phoenix Art Museum, and Men’s Arts Council, who funded the project.

PhxArt Family Fundays are made possible through the generosity of Presenting Sponsor Men’s Arts Council.

OPENING SOON
Juan Francisco Elso: Por América
May 6 – September 17, 2023
Juan Francisco Elso: Por América explores the significant career of the late Cuban artist, whose sculptures and installations examine the complexities of contemporary Cuban, Caribbean, and Latin American identities. Fashioned from natural, organic materials, featured works draw influence from Indigenous traditions, Afro-Caribbean religious beliefs, and the traumas of colonial oppression and are placed in conversation with paintings, sculptures and more by a group of 30 multigenerational artists active in the Caribbean and throughout North, South, and Central America. Through this contextual approach, the traveling survey illuminates Elso’s legacy and articulates a more expansive idea of the Americas, free of geopolitical borders and boundaries.

Juan Francisco Elso: Por América is organized by El Museo del Barrio and guest curated by Olga Viso, curator-at-large at Phoenix Art Museum and senior advisor at Arizona State University’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, in collaboration with Susanna V. Temkin, curator at El Museo del Barrio. The exhibition is made possible thanks to major support from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Commissions are made possible by VIA Art Fund and the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation. Its presentation at Phoenix Art Museum is made possible through the generosity of Partner Sponsors Sue and Bud Selig and Supporting Sponsors Men’s Arts Council, The Opatrny Family Foundation, the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Exhibition Endowment Fund, and the Joan Cremin Exhibition Endowment, with additional support from Kimpton Hotel Palomar.

Lo que es, es lo que ha sido/What It Is, Is What Has Been: Selections from the ASU Art Museum’s Cuban Art Collection
May 6 – September 17, 2023
Lo que es, es lo que ha sido/What It Is, Is What Has Been: Selections from the ASU Art Museum’s Cuban Art Collection features artworks created during Cuba’s “Special Period” to explore artistic expression during times of humanitarian crises and social upheaval. The exhibition is the first collaboration between PhxArt and ASU Art Museum in more than a decade.

Lo que es, es lo que ha sido/ What It Is, Is What Has Been: Selections from the ASU Art Museum’s Cuban Art Collection is organized by Phoenix Art Museum and ASU Art Museum and curated by Olga Viso, curator-at-large at PhxArt and senior advisor at Arizona State University’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, and Julio César Morales, executive director and co-chief curator of MoCA Tucson. The exhibition is made possible through the generosity of the Museum’s Circles of Support and Museum Members.

Reynier Leyva Novo: Methuselah
May 6 – October 1, 2023
Methuselah (2021–2022) by Cuban artist Reynier Leyva Novo is a mixed-reality artwork that follows a butterfly avatar along its journey from Mexico, across the United States, and into southern Canada as part of the species’ annual reproductive cycle. On-site visitors will experience the Monarch’s movements and behaviors in a shared environment using a holographic device. Additionally, Methuselah is hosted and reproduced in real-time on a dedicated website so that users across the world with internet access can experience the work at any time.

Methuselah is commissioned by El Museo del Barrio through the generous support of VIA Art Fund. The project is presented in relation to the exhibition Juan Francisco Elso: Por América, which is organized by El Museo del Barrio and made possible thanks to major support from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

ON VIEW NOW
Migration Stories: Arizona Collects Cuban Art
Ongoing
Migration Stories: Arizona Collects Cuban Art draws from the collection of Phoenix Art Museum and other regional collections to shine a spotlight on the complex histories of Cuban migration marked by periodic waves of departure since the 1959 Revolution. Many artists featured in the exhibition emigrated at different moments along this historical trajectory, and their works explore themes of loss, discrimination, and struggled passage.

Migration Stories: Arizona Collects Cuban Art is organized by Phoenix Art Museum. It is made possible through the generosity of the Museum’s Circles of Support and Museum Members.

MOVE: The Modern Cut of Geoffrey Beene
Through July 23, 2023
MOVE: The Modern Cut of Geoffrey Beene celebrates the dynamic fashions of the late designer renowned for revolutionizing American sportswear and for his trailblazing runway ballets. Featuring garments drawn from the institution’s Geoffrey Beene Archive, the exhibition showcases a wide array of jumpsuits, jackets, dresses, and more, along with materials and ephemera from Beene’s personal archive, on loan from Authentic Brands Group and on view publicly for the first time.

MOVE: The Modern Cut of Geoffrey Beene is organized by Phoenix Art Museum with the support of Authentic Brands Group, LLC. It is made possible through the generosity of Major Sponsors Ellen and Howard C. Katz, Partner Sponsor The Virginia M. Ullman Foundation, Contributing Sponsors Miriam and Yefim Sukhman, and Media Sponsor KJZZ/KBACH.

Additional support provided by Arizona Costume Institute, the Kelly Ellman Fashion Design Endowment Fund, and Kimpton Hotel Palomar.

FEATURED MAY EVENTS
Preview: Reynier Leyva Novo’s Methuselah in collaboration with MediatedX Research Lab at the ASU Media and Immersive eXperience Center (MIX)   
May 5 | 7:13 pm (sunset)
Free for the general public
Presented at the ASU MIX Center
Arizona State University’s Media and Immersive eXperience Center
Experience Reynier Leyva Novo’s digital Monarch butterfly projected on the 70-foot jumbo screen of the ASU MIX Center in Mesa. The piece will launch at sunset during “golden hour” and continue through May 14, 2023. The artist will be present for the unveiling. More information available here.

Art Talk: Dr. Erica Moiah James with Juan Francisco Elso: Por América participating artists Albert Chong, Reynier Leyva Novo, and Tiona Nekkia McClodden
May 6 | 1 – 2:30 pm
Free for Members | $5 for the general public
Presented in Singer Hall
Juan Francisco Elso’s art conjures a blend of European, African, and Indigenous artistic and cultural traditions to offer a unique perspective on the life and culture of Cuba in particular and the Americas in general. Join PhxArt for a dynamic conversation among artists whose creative efforts resonate with Elso’s own practice and affinities. Tickets are available here.

Art Talk is made possible in part by the generosity of the William Randolph Hearst Endowed Fund for Education Programs.

Butterflies, Connectivity, and Resilience: Artist Reynier Leyva Novo in dialogue with Desert Botanical Garden research and exhibit experts
May 7 | 1 – 2:30 pm
Presented at Desert Botanical Garden, Binn’s Wildflower Pavilion
Hear from Reynier Leyva Novo in conversation with Senior Director of Exhibits Laura Spaulding Best; Natalie Melkonoff, Plant and Insect Ecology Program Coordinator; and Elaine McGinn, Chief Experience Officer of the Desert Botanical Garden, as they come together to consider the fascinating life of the Monarch, the diplomacy of butterflies, and the species’ connectivity to humans. Tickets are available here.

Arizona Costume Institute Cocktails and Fashion Conversation with Hermann Plank
May 17 | Reception @ 5:30 pm /// Lecture @ 6:30 pm
Free for ACI Members | $5 for the general public
Hear from guest speaker Hermann Plank, Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of METAXFASHION Inc., about taking fashion digital. The presentation will discuss NFTs in detail, provide a first glance at how fashion designers and brands can mint their own designs, and share how customers can buy and trade fashion NFTs. Tickets are available here.

This event is made possible by the generosity of Arizona Costume Institute.

OTHER EVENTS
Storytime in the Garden
May 3 | 10:30 am
Free for Members | Included in general admission for the general public
Advance registration recommended.
Designed for our youngest PhxArt visitors (ages 0-5) and their parents or caregivers, Storytime in the Garden is a wonderful opportunity to share the joy of early literacy, art-inspired play, and hands-on learning with family and friends. The Storytime in the Garden series is offered on the first Wednesday of each month in the Dorrance Sculpture Garden. Tickets are available for reservation here.

Storytime in the Garden is made possible in part by 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.

Object of the Month: Dress and Gloves by Geoffrey Beene
May 4, 6, 18, 25 | 11:30 am
Free for Members | Included with general admission for the general public
Inspired by prima ballerinas, Geoffrey Beene’s Flora Dora gown, with its voluminous flocked tulle, organza, and lace, appears suspended in motion. Join Museum Docent Janine Loiselle-Newbern to explore the energy and vibrancy of Beene’s imaginative creations and his ballet-inspired runway shows showecased in exhibition MOVE: The Modern Cut of Geoffrey Beene. More information available soon at phxart.org.

Lemon Art Research Library Lecture: Latin American Art Books from the Cathie Lemon Collection
May 20| Noon
Free for PhxArt Members | Included with general admission for the general public
Presented in Singer Hall
For more than 40 years, Museum supporter and library advocate Cathie Lemon has gifted more than 1,500 publications to the Lemon Library’s collection of contemporary Latin American Art Books, sourced from across the Americas. These rare and esoteric works in Spanish, Portuguese, and English reference diverse artists and art-movements. Join Librarian Jesse Lopez for a presentation on some of the highlights of this important collection, with a focus on Cuban art books in celebration of the opening of special-engagement exhibition Juan Francisco Elso: Por América. More information available soon at phxart.org.

Lemon Art Research Library Book Club: Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent
May 20 | 1:30 pm
Free for Members and the general public
Presented in the Lemon Art Research Library
Join librarian Jesse Lopez for the next installment of the Lemon Art Research Library Book Club, featuring Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent by Eduardo Galeano. The selection of this book is inspired by the opening of special-engagement exhibition Juan Francisco Elso: Por América. More information available soon at phxart.org.

National Theatre Live: The Seagull
May 21 | 1 – 4 pm
$15 for Members | $20 for the general public
Simulcast presented in Whiteman Hall. Limited capacity.
A young woman is desperate for fame and a way out. A young man is pining after the woman of his dreams. A successful writer longs for a sense of achievement. An actress wants to fight the changing of the times. In an isolated home in the countryside, dreams lie in tatters, hopes are dashed, and hearts broken. With nowhere left to turn, the only option is to turn on each other. Rated PG-13. Estimated runtime: 3 h. Tickets are available here.

National Theatre Live screenings are made possible in part by the Angela and Leonard Singer Endowment for Performing Arts.

Night at the Museum: The First Monday in May

Fashion Meets Film Presented by FashFilmFete
May 24, 2023 | 6 – 8:30 pm
$5 for Members and the general public
Presented in Whiteman Hall. Limited capacity.
Join PhxArt and FashFilmFete for a night at the museum when fashion meets film. Quarterly screenings will feature films in which fashion is a pivotal component to the storytelling. Each screening will include a discussion panel with an audience Q&A after the film.

The First Monday in May offers an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at two of New York’s premiere cultural events, including the creation of China: Through The Looking Glass, the most attended fashion exhibition in the history of The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the 2015 Met Gala. Rated PG-13. Estimated: 1.5 h. More information available soon at phxart.org

FREE-ACCESS PROGRAMS
Pay-What-You-Wish Wednesdays
Every Wednesday | 3 – 9 pm
Voluntary-donation general admission
SPECIAL-EXHIBITION TICKETS: $6 for adults | FREE for Museum Members, Maricopa County Community College students*, and ASU students**
From 3 – 9 pm every Wednesday, the Museum offers voluntary-donation general admission and reduced rates to view special-engagement exhibitions.

Pay-What-You-Wish Wednesdays are made possible by SRP and City of Phoenix.
*The Maricopa County Community College District program at Phoenix Art Museum (MC³@PAM) is made possible through the generosity of Presenting Sponsor Men’s Arts Council.
**Arizona State University Students will enjoy free general admission to PhxArt from May 6 through September 17, 2023, including admission into special-engagement exhibitions. Visitors must present an active student ID at the time of admission.

PhxArt AfterHours
September 1 /// December 1, 2023
5 – 9 pmComplimentary admission | Free-access eventAt select times throughout the year, Phoenix Art Museum opens for free after dark for PhxArt AfterHours, activated by live music, art-making workshops, specialty food and drink experiences, and other performances and entertainment. Visit the Museum during an AfterHours event to expand the way you interact with art.

PhxArt AfterHours are made possible through the generosity of Partner Sponsor APS.

PhxArt Family Fundays
July 30 /// October 29
10 am – 5 pmComplimentary admission | Free-access dayAt select times throughout the year, Phoenix Art Museum hosts PhxArt Family Fundays, an all-ages, free-access day with complimentary admission to every gallery and exhibition and arts-engagement programming suitable for visitors of all ages, interests, and abilities.

PhxArt Family Fundays are made possible through the generosity of Presenting Sponsor Men’s Arts Council.

Free Admission for Maricopa County Community Colleges Students
Through the MC³@PAM program at PhxArt, all Maricopa County Community Colleges students who attend any of the 10 colleges or affiliated skill centers will enjoy free general admission to PhxArt, including admission into special-engagement exhibitions. Visitors must present an active student ID at the time of admission.

The Maricopa County Community College District program at Phoenix Art Museum (MC³@PAM) is made possible through the generosity of Presenting Sponsor Men’s Arts Council.

Educator Arts Day
August 26
9 am – 4 pmComplimentary admission for Arizona educatorsJoin us for a free day of celebrating arts integrated learning at Phoenix Art Museum’s Educator Arts Day + Cultural Resource Fair. We are thrilled to welcome educators back on campus for this beloved event. Tickets include engaging professional development workshops, access to a cultural resource fair featuring more than 30 organizations, opportunities to network with educators across Arizona, continuing education credit certificate, and much more! More information available soon at phxart.org.  

SCHOOL AND ADULT TOURS
On-site school and adult tours have returned to Phoenix Art Museum. To learn more about school-tour offerings and planning a school visit, click here. For adult and college group tour requests, click here.

In addition, Phoenix Art Museum offers live virtual presentations for school classrooms and community organizations. For more information on Virtual Classroom Visits, click here. For more information on Virtual Presentations for Adults, click here.

School Tours and Virtual Classroom Visits are made possible in part by Carolyn Dunkin Schulte Educational Endowment Fund, The Discount Tire Endowment for Children’s Art Programs the and William Randolph Hearst Endowed Fund for Education Programs.

PHXARTIST SPOTLIGHTS
Presented by Phoenix Art Museum, PhxArtist Spotlight is a monthly series that explores what inspires and motivates Valley creatives, while leveraging the Museum’s reach in its community to support and expand awareness of working artists. Each month, the Museum highlights a different artist working in Arizona, posting a Q&A with the artist and images of their work on the Museum’s Instagram and Facebook channels and on the Museum’s bilingual blog. The artist is also highlighted in a monthly email sent to Museum Members, Circles of Support donors, and a subscriber list of more than 65,000 followers.For more information on the series, click here. For recent spotlights on Selina A. Scott and Blaise Danio, click here.

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.