FROM FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT’S TALIESEN WEST IN SCOTTSDALE TO THE PUEBLO GRANDE MUSEUM IN PHOENIX, THE VALLEY OF THE SUN IS FULL OF ARTISTIC AND ARCHITECTURAL ADVENTURES.
BY MARGOT CARMICHAEL LESTER
“The most important thing to know about the art and architecture scene here is that it is extremely rich, but very spread out,” says Nan Ellin, PhD, director of the Urban & Metropolitan Studies Program at Arizona State University in Tempe. “It is not concentrated in one area, though there are several interesting hubs of activity that visitors can focus on.” In her opinion, the best time to visit downtown Phoenix is on the first Friday or third Friday of the month from 7pm-10pm, when many galleries and studios are open to the public. Make your next visit to the Phoenix area a constructive one.
KNIGHT RISE AT THE SCOTTSDALE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
On a tight schedule? Then don’t miss one of only three skyspaces by internationally acclaimed artist James Turrell, located in the sculpture garden at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and commissioned in 2001 by the Scottsdale Public Art Program. Featuring an elliptical shaped oculus, the skyspace is a viewing chamber with benches along its walls and an opening in the ceiling. Once inside, you feel like you’re sitting in a sea of space—a serene, meditative experience. 7383 E 2nd St in Scottsdale www.scottsdalepublicart. org/collection/knightrise
DAVE MCGARY SCULPTURES AT CAMELBACK INN
This 70-year-old resort, nestled at the base of Mummy Mountain, is legendary for more than just luxury. The grounds are host to 10 Native American sculptures carved in bronze by renowned artist Dave McGary. The sculptures portray inspiring figures on a grand, larger-than-life scale. Likenesses include an ancient medicine man accompanied by a macaw, a Lakota couple and Chief Rain in the Face (a renowned Hunkpapa Sioux chief) atop his horse. Guests are free to wander the lushly landscaped grounds and take in this special piece of history.
5402 E Lincoln Dr in Scottsdale www.camelbackinn.com
THE ARIZONA BILTMORE RESORT & SPA
Opened in 1929, The Arizona Biltmore is known as the “Jewel of the Desert.” The only existing hotel in the world with a Frank Lloyd Wright-influenced design, the building features indigenous materials in the construction, including the “Biltmore Block.” Designed by Emry Kopta, with a shape inspired by palm trees, these pre-cast concrete blocks were formed on-site. The Wright Bar, which features piano entertainment and an outdoor terrace with views of Squaw Peak Mountain, is an ideal place to enjoy a drink.
2400 E Missouri Ave in Phoenix www.arizonabiltmore.com
SCOTTSDALE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
Get your art and architecture fix in one place at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. The museum’s global focus creates an eclectic array of art displayed in the permanent collection and in traveling exhibitions like “Celebrity.” This exhibit, which runs through April 29, takes a look at the impact of our celebrity-obsessed culture, and the impact we have on celebrities. It’s a show fit for a former movie theatre—architect Will Bruder designed the minimalist five-gallery museum out of an old film house.
7383 E 2nd St in Scottsdale www.smoca.org
ASU ART MUSEUM
Named “the single most impressive venue for contemporary art in Arizona” by Art in America magazine, the ASU Art Museum presents art to stimulate, challenge and delight. Its focus is on global contemporary art, with a rapidly growing collection of Latin American art. The museum also focuses on new media—with an extensive print collection—and contemporary crafts, including one of the best collections of ceramics in the United States.
51 E 10th St in Tempe http://asuartmuseum.asu.edu
PHOENIX ART MUSEUM
With more than 17,000 works of American, Asian, European, Latin American and Western American art, the Phoenix Art Museum is a can’t-miss stop for any art lover visiting the Valley. Works by Monet, Picasso and Georgia O’Keeffe grace the walls, clothing from around the world and across the ages hangs in the fashion design gallery, and kids big and small can try their hand in the interactive ArtWorks Gallery. “Rembrandt and the Golden Age of Dutch Art: Treasures from the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam” will show through May 6.
1625 N Central Ave in Phoenix www.phxart.org
TALIESIN WEST
Taliesin West, a national historic landmark in Scottsdale, was the home and studio of Frank Lloyd Wright, acclaimed as the greatest architect of the 20th century. Wright discovered the Arizona desert in the late 1920s—and by 1937, he had designed and built Taliesin West on 600 acres of the rugged Sonoran Desert at the foothills of the McDowell Mountains. Taliesin West is the international headquarters for the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, the site of the Frank Lloyd Wright Archives, and the winter campus for the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. Public and private tours are available.
12621 North Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd in Scottsdale www.franklloydwright.org
THE HEARD MUSEUM
For a glimpse of outstanding contemporary and traditional American Indian crafts, fine art and fashion, head to the downtown location of the Heard Museum of Native Cultures and Art. Ending in June, the museum is featuring jewelry in the exhibition “Shared Images: The Jewelry of Yazzie Johnson and Gail Bird.” The Heard also hosts cultural events highlighting Native American dance, theatre and music.
2301 N Central Ave in Phoenix www.heard.org
PUEBLO GRANDE MUSEUM
Check out what remains of the art and architecture of a 1,500-year-old Hohokam Indian village. The 102-acre park includes the ruins of an 800-year-old platform mound that served as a ceremonial site or an administrative center; an excavated ballcourt; and full-scale reproductions of prehistoric Hohokam homes.
4619 E Washington St in Phoenix www.phoenix.gov/parks/pueblo.html
ORPHEUM THEATRE
After a 12-year, $14 million renovation, the Orpheum Theatre has been restored to its 1929-era glory, with all the modern amenities required for a working stage. It is the last remaining example of theatre palace architecture in Phoenix. It’s only open during show times or for special events, but definitely worth checking out from the outside.
203 W Adams St in Phoenix www.phoenix.gov/STAGES/orpheum.html