Phoenix Art Museum
I don’t know why it’s taken me to long to bring you guys with me to the Phoenix Art Museum, but there’s no time like the present! Lovingly referred to as the “PhArt”, by my dear friend, Ava Strichartz and I — it has been a fixture in my life for as long as I can remember. However, I didn’t really begin to appreciate the art museum until a few years ago. By no means am I a great artist, so I really like getting to see the ways people express their emotions, interpretations, and outlooks on themselves or the world around them.
Yesterday, I realized that I was missing a piece to post in the Entertainment category, so I scurried down to the Phoenix Art Museum to take in some art and culture, disconnecting from my laptop for a bit. My family has a membership to the museum, but they do offer “Pay-What-You-Wish Wednesday” after 3pm. I didn’t have much of an agenda, so I headed in and began looking around. Unfortunately, some galleries are closed for renovations, one of which contains my favorite exhibit: the Thorne Rooms. The enclave contains 20 miniature rooms (dining, living, bedroom, etc.), representative of certain time periods in Europe and the Americas. Most, if not all, of my visits to the museum have been with my mom. Every time we head down to the Phoenix Art Museum, we always make a stop at this permanent exhibit; picking our favorite rooms from the line-up. The exhibit is a fun, unique way to view the architecture and design of different eras. It encourages one to think about the level of detail and precision that must have been required to construct the series of rooms. More of them can be found in museums across the country, and I’d be really interested in seeing them!
The art museum was pretty busy on this Wednesday afternoon, which can be explained by their weekly admission promotion available. It’s a super neat way to make the museum accessible to everyone, and I love that people can come down to enjoy the art and spend quality time together! When wandering around, I always seem to stumble across a work that I’m particularly attracted to — today it was an entire special exhibit! The Unrequited Love Institute is a satirical, interactive exhibit that mimics an office. The fictional institute claims to “refine” immigrants, showing all the ways one is asked to erase themselves to fit in. As you begin to understand your surroundings, you get a glimpse at the artist’s lived experiences as an immigrant to the United States. I love anything interactive at the art museum, but I especially enjoyed this one. The artist, Safwat Saleem, does an incredible job portraying his experiences in a unique and poignant way. I highly recommend catching this exhibit before it leaves on January 23; or read more about it on Saleem’s website (linked below). I’m also a huge fan of the rotating photography exhibit, this time it was Funny Business, an exhibit highlighting the crossroads between humor and photography. Attached below is a photo of my favorite piece — the Baseball-Photographer Trading Cards, something I feel perfectly embodies the exhibit’s theme.
The Phoenix Art Museum has much more to offer than what I have described, but I thought it would be more fun to highlight some of the unique and special pieces you will find on your journey. The expansive, yet intimate museum offers an escape from the world outside. Be prepared to slow down, quiet your mind, and see some really cool pieces! The gift shop is ALWAYS on the agenda for me, I don’t usually buy anything, but they have such fun offerings that it’s worth a gander at what’s available. I ride for the PhArt, and I think you will too! If you haven’t been, definitely add this one to your list, I guarantee you’ll see something interesting!
