Events & Activities
Lectures and Talks
Learn more about the Museum's collection and exhibitions through our lectures and half-hour informal ArtBreak Gallery Talks.
Lectures
An Evening with Sara Cochran
October 14, 7pm
Meet Sara Cochran, Ph.D., the Museum’s new curator of contemporary art! Dr. Cochran comes to Phoenix with experience from California (Los Angeles County Museum of Art), London (Courtauld Institute of Art) and Paris (University of the Sorbonne). Seize this opportunity to meet our newest staff member, and hear about what is on the horizon for modern and contemporary art at the Museum.
Co-presented by Contemporary Forum; sponsored by Bentley Gallery/Bentley Projects.
A New Vision for Men’s Fashion
October 21, 7pm
Edgy New York designer Adam Kimmel, christened “the future of menswear” by Bergdorf Goodman, discusses his unique design philosophy, surprising fabric choices and fascination with the jumpsuit.
"Adam Kimmel channels the old avant-garde of American art (Wallace Berman, Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock) for inspiration, and dressses new American artists like David Armstrong, Nate Lowman, Ryan McGinley and Jack Pierson in the tough, utilitarian clothes this creative thinking produces.." 10 Men Magazine
"....one of our favorite designers, Mr Kimmel, from New York City..." GQ Magazine
Tiffany Style
October 28, 7pm
In his latest book, John Loring, Tiffany & Co.’s design director, traces the evolution of American taste as seen through the eyes of the country’s preeminent purveyor of luxuries. With in-depth knowledge of America’s design and social heritage, and an insider’s grasp of Tiffany’s history, the author will share the fascinating story of the milestone events and personalities that set Tiffany & Co. on the road to international renown.
John Loring, design director since 1979, is the author of Abrams' Tiffany Jewels, Tiffany's 20th Century, Magnificent Tiffany Silver, and ten other books on Tiffany style and entertaining. He lives in New York City.
Lace: The History of a Single Thread
October 29, Noon
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA)
Stage 2 Theater
Made from the complex manipulation of a single thread, lace is one of the most luxurious textiles. In this illustrated lecture, Dennita Sewell, Phoenix Art Musuem's Curator of Dashion Design, reveals the history and development of lace from its beginnings to today's fashion. You are invited to bring antique lace for show-and-tell and discussion following the talk.
Dennita received her MFA in design from the Yale School of Drama, New Haven, Connecticut and was the collections manager at the Costume Institute, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, prior to joining Phoenix Art Museum.
This discussion is held in conjunction with SMoCA's fall exhibition Radical Lace & Subversive Knitting.
Free event.
Honoring Our Veterans
November 11, 4pm
The Museum celebrates Veteran’s Day with a talk by ASU’s Anthony Gully, Ph.D., on the depiction of war and patriotism in art. We invite veterans to wear a hat to identify their branch of service. Followed by a light reception.
Co-presented by Friends of European Art.
India Night
November 11, 7pm
Contemporary Forum continues its architectural series with an evening dedicated to the architectural heritage of India. The program presents not only hidden examples of India’s architectural heritage but also modern structures by Le Corbusier and Louis I. Kahn. A group of talented local architects displays and discusses how a recent visit to India influences their current work.
Panel:
• Amit Upadhye, principal, AU Design Studio, LLC
• Eddie Jones, AIA, principal, Jones Studio
• Marlene Imirzian, principal, AIA, Marlene Imirzian & Associates, LLC, Architects
• Douglas Sydnor, AIA, president, Douglas Sydnor Architect & Associates
Co-presented by Contemporary Forum; sponsored by Bentley Gallery/Bentley Projects.
Durable Denim Design
November 25, 7pm
On May 20, 1873, Levi Strauss and his partner Jacob Davis received a U.S. patent for the first blue jeans. Since then, their sturdy fabric and versatile design may be found everywhere from work sites to the fashion runway. Lynn Downey, historian for Levi Strauss & Co., discusses the company’s founding and the creation of jeans – with examples from its vast archives in San Francisco – as well as the story of the jumpsuits currently on display in One for All, and All for One.
A Universe in Glass
December 2, 7pm
Artist Josiah McElheny discusses his wide-ranging ideas about modernism, cosmology and the metaphoric potentials of glass as embodied in The Last Scattering Surface. This work, recently donated to the Museum, re-imagines dense physical and conceptual complexity by using cosmological theories to determine the placement of each physical element of the sculpture. With additional contributions by David Weinberg, Ph.D., professor of cosmology, Ohio State University.
Co-presented by Contemporary Forum in partnership with FAR@ASU; sponsored by Bentley Gallery/Bentley Projects.
ArtBreak
Gallery Talks
Informal half-hour gallery talks. Included with Museum general admission.
The Scholar’s Desk
October 1, Noon
Sherrell Miller, master docent, discusses works in the Arts of Asia Gallery.
Contemporary ArtBreak Series
Advanced art-history graduate students from ASU engage the stunning, thought-provoking and sometimes controversial artworks currently on view in the Katz Wing.
• October 14, 6pm (note time): Color-field painting by Robert Gordon, M.A. candidate
• October 28, 7pm: Abstract Expressionism by Justin Germain, M.A. candidate
• November 4, 7pm: Latin-American art by Shannon Stemm, M.A. candidate
Painting from the Artist’s Perspective
November 5, Noon
Chun-yi Lee, artist and Ph.D. candidate at ASU, discusses works in the Arts of Asia Gallery.
Cult of the Buddha’s Relics in Sri Lanka
December 3, Noon
Sherry Harlacher, Ph.D. candidate at ASU, discusses works in the Arts of Asia Gallery.
Presented by the Museum’s Asian Arts Council.
Assemblage
December 9, 7pm
John-Michael Howell Warner, M.A. candidate at ASU, engages the stunning, thought-provoking and sometimes controversial artworks currently on view in the Katz Wing.
Director’s Choice: Elihu Vedder
December 13, 11am
Jim Ballinger, the Museum’s Sybil Harrington Director, chats about Vedder, one of his favorite artists, and the haunting works on display in the special exhibition.
Public Art: Pretty (or) Provocative?
December 16, 7pm
The concept of what artworks are acceptable to display in public changes from time period to culture. Celina Chiarello, Education intern, uses examples from the Museum’s European collection to follow the evolution of attitudes towards public art from the medieval period through the early 20th century.
Object of the Month
Learn more about key works in the Museum’s collection in these focused ArtBreaks by Museum docents every Tuesday at 11:30am.
Heavenly Pond and Stone Cliff
September 30, 11:30am
How did one of the most highly regarded connoisseurs of Chinese painting become an acknowledged innovator in Chinese art? Join Docent Judy Dunham to learn how C. C. Wang revitalized Chinese ink painting.
An Aged Apostle
October 7, 14, 21 & 28, 11:30am
Docent Pari Banko explores this ceramic sculpture created by the renowned Florentine sculptor Andrea della Robbia more than 500 years ago.
The Mermaid
November 4, 11, 18 & 25, 11:30am
Complete your visit to Elihu Vedder’s Drawings for the Rubáiyát with Master Docent Ilene Gross as she discusses this unusual, turn-of-the-century American painting, its unique frame and the history of mermaid folklore.
Guided Tours
Daily one-hour tours are led by Museum-trained volunteer docents and are included with Museum general admission.
Featured Exhibition Tour - 1pm
Museum Masterworks Tour - 12pm and 2pm
Both tours repeated - Tuesdays, 6pm
Group tours for 10 or more people must be scheduled at least 5 weeks in advance; cost per person is regular general admission to the Museum. To schedule or for more information, call (602) 257-4356 or send e-mail to education@phxart.org. For information on school tours, click here