Member Spotlight: Phoenix Art Museum
Integral to The Scout Guide Phoenix & Scottsdale’s mission is telling the stories behind the small businesses Scouted in each Volume. The story begins in print and continues online, after all. As you peruse Volume 3, discovering or rediscovering the faces behind the places that define the Valley, we are thrilled to deepen your connection to them — and the community — through Member Spotlights.
The latest installation of The Scout Guide Phoenix & Scottsdale represents our commitment to telling the story of the Valley’s vibrant art scene, at the center of which, you will find Phoenix Art Museum.
The largest art museum in the southwestern United States, Phoenix Art Museum offers an encyclopedic collection spanning seven collecting areas of Asian, American, European, Latin American, modern, and contemporary art and fashion design. Each year, Phoenix Art Museum presents up to ten exhibitions and special installations, complemented by robust arts education and engagement programming, including artist talks and panels, film programs, and community access events that remove economic barriers to access the museum.
Phoenix Art Museum is, in short, a space of exchange and belonging for audiences of the increasingly diverse and ever-evolving Greater Phoenix Metro Area. To understand how Phoenix Art Museum convenes the community to celebrate, connect, and find common ground, we chatted with The Sybil Harrington Director and CEO, Jeremy Mikolajczak.
TSG Phoenix & Scottsdale: Before diving into the present work of the museum, can you tell us about Phoenix Art Museum’s origins?
Jeremy Mikolajczak: Phoenix Art Museum (PhxArt Museum) was the brainchild of volunteers. In 1915, the Phoenix Women’s Club had a dream for an art museum in Arizona, and they raised the funds to purchase the first work of art and cornerstone of the PhxArt Museum’s collection. That work, Egyptian Evening by Carl Oscar Borg, is still on view in our American art galleries. Over the years, city bond elections provided significant support to grow Phoenix Women’s Club’s dream, and during the Great Depression, WPA funding brought artist Philip C. Curtis to the Valley to open the Phoenix Federal Art Center, the first iteration of the museum. In 1959, after several years of large and small gifts from local donors — what we would now call crowdfunding — the Phoenix Art Museum we know today opened its doors. Since then, the museum has enjoyed numerous expansions through the support of individual donors and families. We are very grateful for the continued support and generosity that makes everything we do possible.
TSG Phoenix & Scottsdale: How has PhxArt Museum influenced the art scene in and around Phoenix?
Jeremy Mikolajczak: Since 1959, Phoenix Art Museum has brought landmark exhibitions to the Valley, including major exhibitions of work by Claude Monet, Rembrandt, Paul Cézanne, Kehinde Wiley, and more. The PhxArt Museum has also helped expand the public’s understanding of what art is through exhibitions of vintage race cars and fashion design.
TSG Phoenix & Scottsdale: We understand that PhxArt Museum’s fashion-design collection is somewhat unique…
Jeremy Mikolajczak: Yes, PhxArt is one of only seven museums in the U.S. with an active fashion-design program. And, with nearly 9,000 objects of historical and contemporary dress and arts-education opportunities, the museum has broadened perspectives of creative expression.
TSG Phoenix & Scottsdale: What role does PhxArt Museum presently take in shaping Phoenix’s cultural landscape?
Jeremy Mikolajczak: One of the museum’s chief efforts is to support the thriving and dynamic artist community not just in the Greater Phoenix Metro Area, but the entire state of Arizona. PhxArt Museum has an enormous platform, which we can use to bolster individual artists and collectives who might not receive attention for their incredible practices otherwise. Part of our mission is to bring regional and national awareness to Phoenix as a significant contemporary art destination. These efforts are led by our curator of contemporary and community art initiatives.
TSG Phoenix & Scottsdale: In addition to such outward-facing initiatives, we saw at our launch party that PhxArt Museum is also undertaking projects within its walls…
Jeremy Mikolajczak: Yes, we are thrilled to fully renovate our on-site restaurant in partnership with Conceptually Social, a Phoenix-based food and beverage solutions company. You’ll recognize their other concepts, including Kaizen and The Larry. The new restaurant concept is slated to open in 2024, and will feature an entirely new menu, design aesthetic, and indoor and outdoor space.
TSG Phoenix & Scottsdale: What can museum-goers expect in the interim?
Jeremy Mikolajczak: With our new partners at Conceptually Social, we have opened Temporary, a cafe experience in our Orientation Gallery featuring grab-and-go salads, sandwiches, pastries, coffee, and beverages visitors can enjoy on-site.
TSG Phoenix & Scottsdale: How aptly named! For those who have not visited Phoenix Art Museum yet, what can they expect?
Jeremy Mikolajczak: Fantastic art, friendly and welcoming staff, and knowledgeable Docents. Speaking of which, for those who haven’t enjoyed the free tour with our volunteer educators, I highly recommend!
TSG Phoenix & Scottsdale: What are your tips for experiencing PhxArt Museum?
Jeremy Mikolajczak: With 285,000 square feet of gallery and gathering space, the museum has so much to offer.
TSG Phoenix & Scottsdale: Let’s start with those visiting with limited time…
Jeremy Mikolajczak: For anyone visiting the PhxArt Museum with limited time, I’d suggest checking out our collection spotlights, specifically our Yayoi Kusama Infinity Mirror Room next to our Art of Asia wing, our James Turrell light installation in Cummings Great Hall, and Julian Opie’s “Julian and Suzanne Walking,” which you can see from a hidden overlook in our Katz Wing for Modern Art. I’d also suggest visiting the Ullman Center for the Art of Philip C. Curtis to see paintings by the artist who helped establish the museum. And, of course, the works of Claude Monet, Frida Kahlo, and Georgia O’Keeffe in our Art of the Americas + Europe galleries.
TSG Phoenix & Scottsdale: What about for families?
Jeremy Mikolajczak: For families with children, our Thorne Miniature Rooms are a favorite, as well as Yayoi Kusama’s immersive installation “You Who Are Getting Obliterated in the Dancing Swarm of Fireflies” and Sui Jianguo “Jurassic Age” (lovingly known as “the dinosaur”). Creative Saturdays and Family Fundays are also great opportunities for kids to explore art-making, movement, and creative expression. I like to bring my kids to those events because it’s an accessible way for the entire family to engage with art in a welcoming and creative environment.
TSG Phoenix & Scottsdale: Anything after hours?
Jeremy Mikolajczak: Of course! For folks looking for a fun and creative night out, maybe for a date or an evening with friends, PhxArt AfterHours has its own vibe, activating our galleries with music, dance, art experiences, and more around a specific theme. We also recently relaunched our popular film program, presented on select Wednesday evenings. View the calendar here…
TSG Phoenix & Scottsdale: You’ve just described a mere sample of PhxArt Museum’s offerings. The breadth is incredible. What informs the curation, especially of visiting exhibitions?
Jeremy Mikolajczak: We strive to have a thoughtful flow to our season schedule, simultaneously featuring different types of exhibitions to attract audiences of varying interests and backgrounds. We always like to present exhibitions anchored by the museum’s collecting areas of American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern, and contemporary art and fashion design. Though we also look to present exhibitions with popular appeal among a mass audience that likes art but doesn’t necessarily have an education or background in art history. These exhibitions might feature major artists and household names like Georgia O’Keeffe, or they might connect visual art concepts with larger cultural phenomena like custom-car culture, lowriders, and skateboards as we did in Desert Rider. Each year, we also present exhibitions of work by Arizona-based artists who receive the museum’s annual Arlene and Morton Scult Artist Award and Sally and Richard Lehmann Emerging Artists Award as part of our ongoing commitment to elevating artists from our state.
TSG Phoenix & Scottsdale: Can you speak more to PhxArt Museum’s awards?
Jeremy Mikolajczak: It’s a way for the museum to show its support of local artists. Each year, the museum presents two artist-award opportunities. The Arlene and Morton Scult Artist Award recognizes a mid-career artist in Arizona and the Sally and Richard Lehmann Emerging Artist Awards recognize emerging artists from our state. The Scult Award recipient receives a monetary prize, a solo exhibition at the Museum, and a lifetime Museum Membership. Lehmann awardees receive a monetary prize, the opportunity to present work in a group exhibition, and a lifetime Membership.
TSG Phoenix & Scottsdale: From exhibitions with mass appeal to Arizona Artist Awards, Pay-What-You-Wish Wednesdays to AfterHours, it’s clear that PhxArt Museum is committed to connecting the community. Can you speak to these efforts to bring the Valley together through art?
Jeremy Mikolajczak: To reduce economic barriers and ensure the broadest possible audience can experience our exhibitions and galleries, we offer a range of community-access programs. Four times a year, we open for free for PhxArt AfterHours, an evening event that features live music, dance performances, art-making, specialty food and cocktail experiences, and other activities that encourage creative expression and engagement with the arts in unique ways. We also offer free Family Fundays four times a year, made possible through the generosity of the Men’s Arts Council. This full-day event features art-engagement activities, live performances, and more, all suitable for intergenerational audiences and visitors of every interest and ability. Finally, guests can join us on Pay-What-You-Wish Wednesdays from 3:00– 9:00PM, when admission is a voluntary donation.
TSG Phoenix & Scottsdale: Last, but certainly not least, PHX Art Museum hosts events. We absolutely loved hosting our Volume 3 launch party at the museum, the Cummings Great Hall was the perfect space. Can you speak to the museum’s broader venue opportunities?
Jeremy Mikolajczak: We have many unique indoor and outdoor spaces that can accommodate events of all kinds, from corporate meetings and award banquets to cocktail hours and weddings. Depending on the scope of the event and the area you’re interested in renting, we can help you host anywhere from 150 to 600 guests. We have various multi-purpose spaces equipped with A/V capability, and our preferred catering and beverage partners will make sure your event is truly unforgettable.
Phoenix Art Museum is open to the public Wednesday (10:00 to 9:00) and Thursday – Sunday (10:00 to 5:00). The Museum offers Pay-What-You-Wish Wednesday from 3:00 to 9:00 to ensure everyone in our community can enjoy their world-class art and exhibitions. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, including their upcoming exhibition schedules, membership, and opportunities to get involved, visit phxart.org. To learn more about hosting an event at the museum, reach out directly to [email protected]. Don’t forget to tell them Scout sent you!
As Featured In: ART LOVER’S GUIDE TO PHOENIX & SCOTTSDALE
