Arizona's unique art culture has been influenced by various cultures, namely by the region's Native Americans. Many of Arizona's art museums and events are devoted exclusively to Native American culture, while those museums and events with a more general scope still heavily feature Native American works. Even the Phoenix Art Museum, the state's largest collection, devotes a substantial portion of its exhibit space to Native American and Southwestern art.
In general, the northern and the eastern regions of the state are the best areas to find Native American arts and culture. In the south, closer to the Mexican border, Latin American culture becomes heavily influential on the state's culture. In the middle of it all is Phoenix, a huge, multi-cultural city landscape reminiscent of southern California and unique desert metropolis. The mixing of cultural elements, along with the state's extensive wildlife areas help make Arizona an interesting state for art.
The Museum of Northern Arizona, founded in 1928, is a locally-oriented facility in Flagstaff. Created as a repository for Native American cultural items, the museum is now home to over five million artifacts, including art, crafts, and other historically significant pieces. In addition to these year-round exhibits, the museum also hosts traveling exhibitions and several annual festivals -- the Hopi Festival of Arts and culture (late June), the Navajo Festival of Arts and Culture (early August), the Zuni Festival of Arts and Culture (May), and the Celebraciones de la Gente (late October).
The Heard Museum is another great place to learn about Native American arts and culture. The museum, with locations in Scottsdale, Surprise, and downtown Phoenix, hosts both permanent and traveling exhibitions. The downtown branch hosts the annual Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair and Market, which takes place during the first weekend of March. Here, you can browse exhibits of authentic Native American textiles, pottery, jewelry, beadwork, baskets, and more.
Another fun festival is the Native American Art Festival in Lakeside. The show takes place in July, and focuses on handmade items, and exhibits work from over 80 Southwestern artists. Both traditional Native American art and non-traditional works are shown. A pre-show event takes place at the nearby Hon-Dah Resort and Casino, where a select group of artists have works for sale.
The Smoki Museum, in Prescott, has a more historical focus and exhibits ancient artifacts made by Southwestern Native peoples, along with modern Native American arts and crafts. Exhibitions include prehistoric pottery, beadwork, blankets, and sculptures. The museum also hosts many special events, including the annual Southwest Indian Arts Festival in May.
Established in 1893, the Arizona State Museum is the largest and oldest anthropology museum in the Southwest. The Tuscan-based museum has an anthropological focus, and holds permanent and traveling exhibits of photography, pottery, masks, paintings, and more. In February, the museum hosts the Southwest Indian Art Fair. With over 200 artists and craftspeople, the festival also has food, music, performances, and activities.
The Tlaquepaque (pronounced Tla-keh-pah-keh) Arts & Crafts Village, in Sedona, is not only a beautiful place to view Southwestern art, but it's also a fun place to explore. Originally designed as an artists' colony, with authentic Mexican architecture and street design, the village is now a popular destination for arts and crafts loving tourists. Home to dozens of galleries for painting, photography, handcrafts, and other forms of arts and crafts, the village also contains public sculptures, fountains, and flower gardens. For visitors who want to stay a while, the village offers restaurants and lodging.
During the fall season, the annual Sedona Arts Festival is scheduled for early October. The event welcomes over 110 regional and international artists and craftspeople, and offers live entertainment and fun activities. The proceeds of this charitable festival benefit community artists and area youth.
Twenty miles outside of Phoenix, the small town of Fountain Hills hosts the Fountain Festival of Arts and Crafts. Occurring in Arizona's mild November weather, the event welcomes over 100,000 people each year, and hosts over 500 arts and crafts booths. Music, food, and a daybreak hot-air balloon armada make this is a fun, family-friendly, outdoor event during one of Arizona's most pleasant months.
For a huge collection of exhibits in all mediums of international art, the Phoenix Art Museum is the largest such facility in the state. The museum's holdings include over 17,000 works from all over the world, spanning centuries of art history. Located in downtown Phoenix, the museum has extensive collections of Asian, European, and Latin American art, including paintings, sculptures, and photography. Also, while the museum has an impressive number of general American works, its specifically Western American collection is unmatched. Works in the Western American collection include landscape paintings, cowboy sculptures, and works depicting pioneer life.
As an extra draw, the Phoenix Art Museum keeps its climate controlled, maintaining its interior at 72 degrees Fahrenheit and 50 percent humidity. The museum also has fun events, activities, music, and movies, creating a great opportunity for visitors to take a break from the heat. For art aficionados, Arizona has a wide variety to offer.
