Repellent Fence It’s a truth that comes in many forms to the border areas between the United States and Mexico: If you can’t reach through the fence, reach over it. That same concept drives Postcommodity, a long-term social collaboration between artists and activists Raven Chacon, Cristobal Martinez, and Kade L…
Everybody has their favorite comfort foods, the ones they return to time and time again when they want to feel safe and satisfied. Think mac and cheese, or ice cream eaten right out of the container. They’re beloved for their familiarity, or the memories they conjure. That same impulse to…
Michael Shannon isn’t a stickler for rules. In his career, he’s ignored most of them, especially the mandate that a theater-trained, Oscar-nominated actor should shun the large roles in dumb movies that let him afford the smart ones. (See: Kangaroo Jack, Bad Boys II, Premium Rush, Man of Steel.) Shannon’s…
Seductive vampires writhed their way around the stage last week as Scorpius Dance Theatre opened its 12th annual run of A Vampire Tale — a show conceived, choreographed, and directed by Lisa Starry, the company’s artistic director. It’s being performed at Hormel Theatre, located on the Phoenix Theatre campus, through Saturday, October…
The Bureau of Land Management has a big job: It has to oversee 245 million acres of public land, track herds of wild horses, deal with forest fires, and patrol the wilderness for smugglers. Last week, they added another checkbox to their task list: Map the sweetest mountain bike trails…
You’d have to be a monster not to be sniffling by the end of Peter Sollett’s Freeheld, a weepy/rousing retelling of real-life gay rights triumph that serves as a helpful reminder that the dark ages were just, like, 10 years ago. It’s love that lights up that darkness, of course,…
There’s much to sadly shake your head at in Pan, a sort of Peter Pan Begins that manages the unlikely feat of making battles between flying pirate ships a crushing bore. Most miserably, there’s the great heap of action set pieces that are easier to wait out than to track…
Right up into the 1960s, the Hays Code demanded that criminals in American movies face punishment by the final reel, a stricture that, however well-intentioned, served to propagate our national myth: that the only route to success is hard work and decency. Crime still doesn’t pay, exactly, onscreen. The code…
Those of us who have been waiting forever for Joseph Gordon-Levitt to make a musical now have the next best thing: In Robert Zemeckis’ The Walk, this breezy Puck of an actor plays high-wire artist Philippe Petit, who walked the space between the World Trade Center’s twin towers in 1974…
Surveillance. Militarization. Vigilantism. A trio of interdisciplinary artists known collectively as Postcommodity has seen it all during eight years working along the U.S.-Mexico border. The tangible fruits of their labor — a work of land art created with community members in Douglas, Arizona, and Agua Prieta, Sonora — will be…
Even as digital devices have made photographers of us all, a select few continue to excel in the sort of fine art photography that’s best appreciated by seeing the depth and breadth of its offerings — which capture, cajole, and create the many worlds we live in. If taking in…
Special events are getting a lot of attention from the Scottsdale City Council these days, fueled by gallery owners who say the nature, length, and timing of some events are hurting art galleries located along Main Street and Marshall Way, the section of downtown Scottsdale dubbed Old Town. It’s certainly…
You work hard for your money, and you shouldn’t have to spend it all just to have a good time. This week, metro Phoenix offers plenty of options for those looking to socialize and save, including talks, presentations, yoga, and poetry. Take some time to relax your mind, spirit and…
On September 30, Phoenix took a walk with the latest edition of New Times’ reading series, Bar Flies. Now, the conversation will continue on Tuesday, October, 6, at the opening reception of “Talking Walking,” an exhibition from the Museum of Walking. Museum of Walking founder Angela Ellsworth explains: “At the…
Was this the best edition of Phoenix Fashion Week yet? We think yes. However, that certainly doesn’t mean the 2015 edition of the runway event at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale. Designers were more together than ever, but they also seemed more repetitive than ever. Here’s a look back at…
Sophia Amoruso If BossyPants made you want to Lean In, maybe you should add #GIRLBOSS to your nightstand. And if you have no idea what we’re talking about, maybe you should spend more time at Changing Hands Bookstore, 300 West Camelback Road. That’s where Sophia Amoruso will be signing her…
I was relieved to read that authorities have arrested a man they believe to be responsible for all those awful freeway shootings in Phoenix. Now if only we could track down and punish the desperado who’s cursed us with the man bun, justice would truly be served. Of course, apprehending…
It was a good year for returning to the Phoenix Fashion Week emerging designer of the year competition. In 2015, three brands — Charmosa Swimwear, Medium Apparel Co., and Hues of Ego — that had competed previously and lost were re-admitted to the program, which involves a rigorous bootcamp-style educational…
Day one of Phoenix Fashion Week 2015 was off to an exciting, if imperfect, start, but day two quickly lost that momentum. Thursday night’s emerging designers made an effort to create a spectacle, with Charmosa hosting a fire dancer and Medium Apparel Co.’s runway show started with a performance from…
At Phoenix Fashion Week 2015, change is in the air — and not just backstage. Thursday, October 1, marked the start of some major changes for the fall runway event, now in its eighth year, including nightly awards for emerging designers and a dedication to showcasing a range of work…
It’s actually kind of amazing that Sophia Amoruso took the time to sit down and write a book. Not because she’s too cool for school (though she is), or because she doesn’t care what people think about her rise to fame (though she doesn’t). It’s because she is just too…
Just what does 22,000 square feet look like? This is about half an acre. A typical suburban lot. A cozy swathe. Of course it’s what you do with 22,000 square feet that matters, and DIG IT Urban Gardens has some fertile plans: From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday,…
