Phoenix Art Museum

When I think of paintings in this arid part of the country, I think of Wile E. Coyote painting a fake tunnel into a mountain… but apparently this is the largest art museum in the southwest.
It doesn’t feel like it. I mean, it’s pretty big, though very spread out. Though it’s the biggest, I doubt it has the biggest collection. In other words, a big truck doesn’t always mean a big penis.
It’s likely the nicest thing in Phoenix, and worth a visit. Especially if, like me, you go on some free day (Super Second Sunday, Cheapskate Saturday, something like that. With nine departments (American, Western American, Asian, European, Latin American, Fashion, Modern, Contemporary, and Photography), there was a lot to see, and a few surprises. There was a small wing dedicated to the art produced by the staff. I think they should create a huge fake fridge and post them on that.
Speaking of a huge fake fridge, I’m primarily a fan of modern art, and I found quite a few installations that would be fitting in the Broad or LACMA (and even a science museum, in regards to one involving a mirror and light). The rotating 3D tree silhouette was intriguing, as was a hanging rock explosion that looked like Alderaan after Darth Vader’s visit, but the star of today’s visit was «You Who are Getting Obliterated in the Dancing Swarm of Fireflies», which is not a Fiona Apple album but a very dark room with lights that resemble a dancing swarm of fireflies to a Japanese artist, at least. It’s actually very disorienting, and after a while I realized the perimeter of the dark room was full of people who had adjusted to the darkness and I was the doofus in the dark, moving my hands around Jodie Foster at the end of Silence of the Lambs.

«Stuck» in Phoenix due to the Blizzard pummeling the East Coast — decided to check out the Michelangelo exhibit currently showing at the Phoenix Art Museum. Wow, what an exhibit! Not only are the drawings on display wonderful, the exhibit layout was very simple and clean, which helped the flow of viewers continue to move. Highly recommend!

As a Chicago native, I’m a bit spoiled as the Art Institute of Chicago is what I use to compare fellow art museums that I visit around the country. However, the Phoenix Art Museum does a nice job of presenting its variety of regular and special exhibitions. It’s definitely a great place to spend a hot summer and/​or rainy afternoon. Also appreciate that they give membership discounts to teachers like myself.

The Phoenix Art Museum (PAM) is such a gem and the exhibits are getting better and better. Under the leadership of Amada Cruz, the museum is taking some risks and I trust that museum visitors are rewarding them for doing so. It is a terrific atmosphere just to unwind and enjoy. At the moment, there is both the White Shirt exhibit — who knew that white shirts could be displayed as architecture that is truly stunning. Michaelangelo is also there — a very first in AZ! The drawings are centuries old and packed with detail.
Palette, the PAM café, also does a terrific lunch. Their menu is somewhat seasonal but also attempts to reflect the current exhibits in some way. The museum shop is also a terrific place to get a unique gift.
Check out their website for exhibits, special shows, discussions and free days. They do a great job. The staff is friendly.
One criticism? That Phoenix area residents need to provide more support to PAM. It’s a jewel in our midst.

I can’t wait to go back and enjoy this place all by myself. I took my three kids and didn’t make it all the way through. I was surprised and impressed. I’ve lived here over 15 years and never came down to see the works of Claude Monet, Gilbert Stuart and Georgia O’Keefe, who knows what else is in there! Never knew all that history and creative expression made it’s way into the middle of the desert. Studying the brush strokes of Frida Kahlo and learning the history of cameos was nice for me. My kids enjoyed the contemporary art, the interactive light mazes, watching video art and peering into the miniatures exhibit. There’s something for everyone here. It’s up close and personal and by that I mean everything’s pretty accessible. The staff is friendly, helpful and informative. Large outdoor garden to take a break. There’s a beautiful fashion exhibit on the white T-​shirt and designs by Gianfranco Ferre. You better go.

This is my go to happy place when I just want to relax and walk around absorbing some creative and mindful representations of people sharing their gift of artistic expression. I have seen several exhibits here, Body World, Hollywood Costumes, Photography of the 1940s-​present, etc…
The exhibits are always well thought out, intelligently represented, and fun to experience. The grounds are beautiful and the building is comfortably temped. The noise levels are appropriate and I have even enjoyed a Frieda Kahlo sandwich at the café.
Pricing is usually fine and the lines move quickly for entry. Museums are a dying house in a world of internet and the ability to Google nowadays. But there is still nothing like walking into a museum and seeing the real thing in person on display. At least not for me. I much prefer this old method of experiencing beauty form someone else’s thoughts and hands.

A colleague and I were in town for a convention and found that the museum was walking distance from our hotel. We’re always up for exploring new places and the weather was nice the day we decided to take the walk so it was actually quite pleasant.
We had our student IDs with us, so we paid the student price of $ 10, which turned out to be a great bang for your buck. The museum is a pretty big place with a variety of art. We especially enjoy contemporary and modern art and we were quite impressed with their collections.
The flow of the museum itself was nice. I always like to appreciate the architecture and design of the museum as an art piece in itself. Their display of Gianfranco Ferre Designs’ «White Shirt» was great. Another piece that stuck out to me was Cornelia Parker’s «Mass», a multi-​dimensional display of charred remnants of a Texan church that was struck by lightning. I had seen this piece previously as Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art and it was a nice surprise to stumble upon once again here in Phoenix.
There was little to no restriction on photography of the art pieces. The staff was also very nice and helpful.

Wow! I was very impressed by the Phoenix Art Museum’s collection and their diverse eclectic exhibits. They allow you to take pictures on about 90% of their pieces. I attended a docent’s tour and had a great time listening to the stories behind each piece he shared. It was absolutely outstanding and I learned so much in one hour. For the rest of the time, I wandered around on my own allowing myself to get lost in the beauty of art.
I saw a giant red toy dinosaur entrapped in a cage, the painting by Jean Leon which helped inspired the movie Gladiator, charred remains of a Texas church made into a beautiful hanging display, Georgia O’Keefe’s paintings, Yayoi Kusama’s infinite mirrored room, beautiful impressionism artwork, and so much more!
«Blessed are those who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing.»

Rather living in Phoenix or visiting, the Art museum is a must. A great experience and great flow of traffic in the facility.
The exhibits were always a onder to my eye and the dark room exhibit was pretty awesome as well. I like the option to use lockers.
I was inspired to visit Jerome AZ because of an exhibit I seen on the first floor. It too was wonderful.
Lastly, the option to sit amd reflect is consistant and everchanging.

Ohhmygosh, I loved it here. The museum is just the right size to get through everything and not be tired out and also to not be bored too quickly. I think the curators have done an excellent job of selecting and organizing these works of art.
Personally speaking, I’m really glad the contemporary art isn’t too out there and is actually relateable. When my parents come to visit, I shall take them here. Overall, a good place to recommend for any visitors.

Wow they have so many different exhibitions in one building.
They are very interesting too. You should at least visit this place once if you live in greater phoenix :)

Since my review a year ago for the Phoenix Art Museum I have attended many of their special exhibits and special events. I am still overwhelmed by how much they do and how perfect it all is. Each visit is new and enlightening. Go with friends, go with family, go alone. It is never disappointing. Each exhibit, each event has been carefully planned and coordinated so that visitors will get the very best from the time they spend here.
Whether you attend «Devoured», the Costume Institute’s Salon Series, the monthly coffee, the Andy Warhol Portrait exhibit, Read My Pins, the Hollywood Costume exhibit, a Gallery Talk of the Object of the Month, or one of the National Theatre Live performances, you will come away with a little piece of your soul blooming. Life is good. .. and art helps make it that way.
Check out the First Friday «free to all visitors» schedules. There is absolutely no excuse not to enjoy this little piece of heaven in our city.

I wish they had a lil bit more art but not really complaining since they put on special exhibitions on a regular basis so you get to see a lot of cool stuff like Ansel Adam photographs, most recently Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Leicester manuscripts, Hollywood costume, Egyptian treasures, Andy Warhol Portraits and many more. For most of the special exhibitions there is a fee but I don’t mind since a lot of times there are fees to enter other museums state side and abroad. I don’t know if they still rent out the space for private parties but my old job had its Xmas party here and it was by far the coolest place to have it.
If you are in the area, it’s worth a quick stop.

Went with a friend to see the Andy Warhol portrait exhibit which was very good. The museum is modern and has plenty of parking. It is well-​airconditioned and offers free wifi but it doesn’t work well in some areas. They have a wide variety of art including fashion, photography, ceramics, Native American, Latin American, modern, contemporary, European art etc. It would be easy to spend an entire day here. They open at 9 am but are closed on Monday and Tuesday. Most nights open until 5 pm but later on Wednes and first Friday of the month. They have a very nice museum shop that has a nice variety of books, jewelry and other items. It is well worth a visit.

For such a big city you expect more. Price is right though. And they do have some nice pieces and get in some good exhibitions but didn’t seem like they have much of a collection on their own. We liked the American impressionists that held their own next to Monet Arches and Pissaro. Very helpful descriptions but I did find the layouts in some of the galleries confusing and didn’t flow well. The Warhol was there at the time and was extensive, interesting place in history (was he the first selfie!) but not a huge fan.

I finally scored a culture pass from the Tempe Public Library for 2 free adult admissions to the Phoenix Art Museum (Adult admission is now $ 15 per person). I took my son-​in-​law and 4 grandkids with me. Kids 5 and under are free (so the 5 year old, 2 year old, and 9 month old were free) and my 8 year old grandson was a $ 6 admission. So, the 6 of us were able to enjoy the museum for just $ 6 with our culture pass. Woohoo!
We spent a lot of time in the miniatures room. The 5 year old and 2 year old girls thought these scenes would be really great for their doll house and the 8 year old was filling out the treasure hunt paper work provided by the museum for a prize at the end of our visit and many of the items to be found were in the miniatures room.
We also enjoyed the Asian exhibits (the kids thought the wood oriental saddle for horses looked very uncomfortable) and the American, European and Native American art triggered questions and conversation with the kids. There is a small kids exhibit with art materials for the kids to use. The gift shop was typical of most museums. We did buy postcards of the miniatures room to remind the kids of our visit.
The staff was helpful and the check in process went smoothly and quickly. Parking is across the street from the museum and there is a ramp for strollers and the mobility impaired.
Compared to the art museums of my youth (the Cleveland Art Museum) this is still not quite a 5 star experience, but they sure are moving in that direction.

Took the family to the museum, wasn’t that impressed with it at first. Went through a bunch of rooms, seen a lot of different types of art. Yes they had Andy Warhol paintings there. But not what I was looking for. When I thought we were done, we found a stair case that took us up stairs. There we found the paintings that I was looking for. All old classic oil paintings. They were amazing! That was worth it. Glad we went.

A work by Leonardo da Vinci on display in this country is quite rare. An exhibition of Leonardo da Vinci’s notes on paper is a must-​see.
I drove to Phoenix to see this manuscript called the Codex Leicester. Comprising 72 pages, the double-​sided sheets of paper are filled with his writing and small drawings allowing the viewer to see how this genius thought through complex problems.
This is the first exhibition at which I had to go through a metal detector and that’s an indication of the importance and value of these documents (now owned by Bill Gates). I entered the darkened gallery to a display of upright vitrines in which each double-​side page is suspended between glass. We are all familiar with da Vinci’s artistic ability but it’s riveting to see his small drawings that illustrate solutions to problems upon which he spent time. Like a diary of sorts, it’s a revealing window into someone’s thoughts.
There is a cool interactive computer screen — a la Microsoft — where you can select an image of one of the pages and, as you move your finger across the screen, it translates the section you’re viewing. It adds greatly to the exhibition experience.
I last saw this manuscript in 1997 but this exhibition presents it all much more effectively. Go. Now.

Always fun times at the Art museum.
Employees are always friendly and helpful.
We go to the museam often and it is always a pleasent expiriance.

An excellent art museum: it’s full of impressive art, it’s beautiful, and it’s vast. Who could ask for anything more?
Coming from Philadelphia, I foolishly assumed that an Arizona art museum wouldn’t have anything that exciting to offer — and that snobbery cost me years of enjoying the extensive permanent collection at this museum.
Since I realized what I was missing, I’ve seen some wonderful exhibits here, including some phenomenal Japanese animé art, a fantastic and extensive exhibit on video games (think pre-​Atari through today), some incredible photography, and more.
There are breathtaking pieces throughout. For something a little out of the ordinary, check out the Thorne Rooms, a collection of diorama-​like miniature rooms. A lot of the furniture, rugs, etc. were commissioned from the same craftsmen that made the luxurious large ones.
My husband and I became members because it’s that amazing! There are wonderful benefits, like seeing the exhibits early, discounts, etc.