10 art exhibitions to see in Phoenix right now

There’s something for everyone at the Phoenix Metro galleries and museums this summer, whether you’re into social justice, self-enlightenment, or space exploration.

Here’s a quick look at 10 exhibits where you can see works by over 100 artists, including dozens based right here in the Phoenix subway.

Flagstaff-based artist Rodrigo de Toledo has spent over 10 years creating a shared personal mythology through visual iconography that reflects the influence of personal experience, ancient symbolism, and mass media. Take a good look during his solo exhibition at Mesa Museum of Contemporary Art.

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Until August 13
See the works of more than three dozen artists, many of whom create with unexpected materials such as glitter, hook-and-eye closures, lava, mylar, and accumulated smoke. The summer exhibition at Bentley Gallery presents an intriguing mix of predominantly abstract artwork.

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See the work of Daniel Friedman (left) and Kimberly Harris in the Five15 Arts exhibit.

Cinq15 Arts

The artists of the Cinq15 Arts present the latest iteration of a long-standing tradition, a group exhibition that includes their own works as well as works by artists they have invited to show alongside them. Expect an eclectic assortment of ceramics, paintings, photographs and other mediums.

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Check out the “Explore: Go Boldly” exhibit in Tempe.

Tempe Arts Center

Go in The Tempe Center for the Arts gallery, you will see Star Trek figures created by Devorah Sperber suspended near an interactive sound sculpture by Joe Willie Smith. There’s also Roy Wasson Valle’s installation rooted in the imaginations of humans living on Mars, as well as additional works united by the themes of space and exploration.

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Merryn Omotayo Alaka and Sam Fresquez, Double take, 2021. Kanekalon hair clips and braids, steel, wire, 81 × 59 × 59 inches.

Lisa Sette Gallery

See how three artists explore identity and self-expression on Lisa Sette Gallery. Angela Ellsworth used thousands of bodice pins to create sculptures influenced by her Mormon upbringing. Collaborators Merryn Omotayo Alaka and Sam Fresquez used synthetic hair and braided cuffs to meet the public’s expectations of women of color.

Until September 26
This small-scale art exhibit features jewelry and other artifacts from the Museum heardcollection of. Created with silver, gold, and a variety of gemstones, these works are beautifully crafted. Several rings, brooches, and earrings feature animal designs, and there is a selection of silver miniatures ranging from a yo-yo by Daniel Sunshine Reeves (Navajo) to a teapot by Darrell Jumbo (Navajo).

August 3 to September 30
Through woven tapestries, videos and found and manufactured objects, artist Erika Lynne Hanson considers the possibilities of the place. For this exhibition at The gallery at Mountain Shadows, it will present works exploring the climate, ecology and life in the desert in relation to human temporality.

Until November 14
The works of more than 50 Arizona-based artists are on display in public spaces throughout FOUND: RE Phoenix, where the “XSCAPE: Landscapes, Cityscapes and Mindscapes” line includes Fausto Fernandez, Jill Friedberg, Hyewon Hong, Marilyn Szabo and Chris Vena. Expect a mix of sculpture, mixed media, photography, painting, and more.

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Marion Palfi, Los Angeles, Anti Klan Meeting Where Klan Did Strike, 1946-1949. Gelatin silver print. Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona: Marion Palfi Archive / Gift of the Menninger Foundation and Martin Magner.

© Center for Creative Photography, Arizona Board of Regents.

Phoenix Art Museum and the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson organized this exhibition of photographs by Marion Palfi, who used her camera to document economic, racial and social inequalities after immigrating from Germany to the United States during World War II. These photographs are part of the archives of the University of Arizona center.

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Installation view of “Voice-Over: Zineb Sedira” at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art.

Claire A. Goalkeeper

See how Zineb Sedira, an Algerian artist of French descent, based in London, recreated her living room inside Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art for this exhibition that sheds light on the ways in which culture can serve as a form of protest. Themes covered in his work include migration, hybrid identities and the environmental impacts of globalization.