Less Obvious Places to Explore the Arts

Most of us are already familiar with the heavy hitters in Phoenix’s arts scene, like the Phoenix Art Museum, Heard Museum and Phoenix Symphony to name a few. However, the arts and culture scene in Arizona is more expansive than ever, with plenty of smaller organizations you might not even be aware of. This fall is a great time to visit at least one new spot, so we put together a list of our top less obvious places to explore the arts.

1. Shemer Art Center and Museum

The Shemer Center was converted from a historic building in 1984 into an art education center for the residents of Phoenix. In 1992, it was named one of the 21 Points of Pride for the City of Phoenix. Today, the center still provides plenty of art classes features several exhibits each year — ranging from photography to sculpture.

2. Modified Arts

Modified Arts was opened in 1999, and in 2010 it transitioned into a full-time contemporary art gallery with musical performances. It hosts monthly exhibits featuring local, national and international artists of all media, including painting, sculpture, photography and more.

3. The Monorchid

The Monorchid is a dynamic, multi-purpose space in the heart of downtown Phoenix, and while it houses work spaces and a studio, those elements only add to the charm of its art galleries. It first opened in 1999 and was one of the first galleries of its size in the area and was instrumental in the inception of the now incredibly popular First Fridays.

4. Arizona State University Art Museum

While it’s unlikely that any Phoenicians aren’t familiar with Arizona State University, many may not know about its robust art museum, which opened nearly 70 hours ago and now spans three locations and hosts 12,000 pieces. Its specialties include contemporary art, post World War II ceramics, southwest art, art of the Americas and historic and contemporary prints.

5. Chandler Center for the Arts

The Chandler Center for the Arts has a variety of arts activities — from full exhibits to theatre activities for kids and music performances — like concerts by local and national artists.