Phoenix Art Museum

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For our Friday night date last weekend, J and I participated in First Friday. During the first Friday of every month, many of the museums in the valley are free, with a large scale Art Walk downtown that includes closed off streets, local artists, and trolleys that shuttle people to and from all the smaller art galleries.

In all the years that we've lived here, I'm ashamed to say that I've never been to the Phoenix Art Museum, so it became our number one stop on First Friday, and I was pleasantly surprised. {I loved the huge sputnik chandelier in the lobby.}

While this is a terrible photo, the installation was stunning in person. Wood from a burned out building was suspended by clear thread. The pieces would rotate slowly with drafts-- it was like standing in the midst of a Matrix-like explosion.

The Diving Lady, via

J was particularly pleased to see that the iconic Diving Lady sign from Mesa's Starlight Hotel had been restored and put on display {after crashing to the ground last year in a microburst.}

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One of my favorite exhibits was called You Who Are Getting Obliterated in the Dancing Swarm of Fireflys. It was a darkened, mirrored room with tiny, shifting LED lights suspended from the ceiling. Walking into it was like becoming weightless. It was disorienting and thrilling at the same time.

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And when we accidentally ended up downstairs, we stumbled upon a room full of pieces that examined the life of a Sister Wife. I thought the bonnets made out of needles were beautiful and complex. 

It was an exhilarating night, made more so by the rain that chased us away from the outdoor venues and into a local ice cream shop at the end of the evening. {I swear, ice cream is a Mormon couple's wine.} 

One thing is certain: I'm loving our Friday night dates. :)