Spring Summer 2012 Isetan Mitsukoshi promotion featuring Frida Gustavsson. Image © Sofia Sanchez and Mauro Mongiello (photo courtesy of Phoenix Art Museum).
Valley families are invited to escape the heat and find enrichment opportunities this summer by exploring the wide array of art housed within the cool spaces of Phoenix Art Museum (PhxArt).
To support access to the arts for everyone, the museum hosts Pay-What-You-Wish Wednesdays, every Wednesday from 3-8 p.m., and PhxArt First Fridays, free events held 5-8 p.m. the first Friday of each month that include live DJ music, art activities and food and drink vendors. Another free-access day, PhxArt Family Fundays, welcomes younger visitors. The events present art engagement programming suitable for visitors of all ages, interests and abilities. Upcoming dates are Sunday, June 19, and Sunday, Sept. 14, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.
In addition, all Maricopa County Community Colleges students enjoy free general admission to PhxArt, including admission into special-engagement exhibitions. An active student ID is required. And Active-duty U.S. military personnel and their families enjoy free admission from Armed Forces Day (May 17, 2025) through Labor Day (Sept. 1, 2025) as part of the Blue Star Museums program.
Exhibits open this summer include the rock-and-roll inspired fashions of Anna Sui, which will be on display in “The World of Anna Sui,” open through Sept. 28. Blending rock and roll with romanticism, Sui taps into the timeless nostalgia of fashion’s earlier days and pairs it with her rocker aesthetic. Since premiering her first runway show in 1991, Sui has launched more than 80 collections of ready-to-wear garments, accessories, cosmetics and fragrances through her independent brand. Through head to toe looks, she has created a graphic, imaginative universe inhabited by alter-egos that draw inspiration from the worlds of cowgirls, grunge girls, hippie chicks, hula girls, Mods, pirate rock stars, Pre-Raphaelite maidens and surfer nomads.
Phoenix Art Museum is located at 1625 N. Central Ave. For additional information, call 602-257-1880 or visit www.phxart.org.
