Phoenix Art Museum will re-open to members on October 1 and to the general public on October 14 with comprehensive safety procedures developed in line with recommendations from federal and state public-health officials. The Museum has extended popular exhibitions such as Ansel Adams: Performing the Print and India: Fashion’s Muse and will premiere new exhibitions, including Stories of Abstraction: Contemporary Latin American Art in the Global Context and Teresita Fernández: Elemental, the presentation of which was delayed due to the Museum’s closure necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Museum’s on-site store and restaurant will also re-open in a limited capacity, while in-person events and tours remain suspended until further notice.
“After nearly seven months, Phoenix Art Museum is ready and excited to welcome back Museum Members and the Valley community,” said Tim Rodgers, PhD, the Museum’s Sybil Harrington Director and CEO, who began in the role July 1. “During this time of uncertainty and increased social isolation, art can offer much-needed inspiration, joy, and connection. When visitors come back to see us again for the first time, our vibrant, newly installed galleries will feature exhibitions that explore a diversity of thought and experience through outstanding displays of Latin American and Latinx art, special installations showcasing ancient Asian burial artifacts and Chinese blue-and-white porcelain, and old favorites like the work of Arizona artist Philip C. Curtis. This is a momentous occasion in the history of the Museum, and we are eager to continue serving our community during the time of COVID-19 by offering valuable and safety-conscious opportunities to enjoy art from around the world.”
Effective October 1, Phoenix Art Museum will be open five days a week with updated hours, providing exclusive access to Members for two weeks before opening to the general public on October 14. The Museum will also implement a 600-person cap on the number of guests permitted into the Museum each day and will offer visiting periods exclusive to seniors. Additional safety measures include continuous disinfecting and cleaning practices and required masks for both staff and visitors. Guests are also encouraged to purchase their tickets to the Museum in advance of visiting to ensure a low-touch experience; if paying on-site, visitors must use a debit or credit card, as the Museum will not be accepting cash upon re-opening. Tickets for the general public will be available for purchase on October 1 at phxart.org. Members will not be required to reserve tickets in advance of their visit but will be required to present their Membership ID cards upon arrival at the admissions desk. For more information on what community members can expect during their visit to the Museum, click here. These procedures are subject to change based on recommendations from state and municipal public-health officials.
The Museum Store and Palette Restaurant will also re-open in a limited capacity on October 1, while the Museum’s Lemon Art Research Library will remain closed until further notice. All in-person Museum events, tours, and programs will additionally remain suspended until further notice. The Museum will continue to offer virtual events and opportunities for engagement, including biweekly, themed Virtual Visit emails featuring artworks from across the institution’s collection areas.
Beginning October 1 for Members and October 14 for the general public, every gallery in the Museum will be open, the majority of which will feature new exhibitions and special installations. Guests exploring commonly visited spaces in the Museum, including Greenbaum Lobby, Morrell Promenade, Rineberg Gallery, Lyon Gallery, and Cummings Great Hall, will also see a range of objects on view from the Museum’s Latin American, Asian, modern,
and contemporary art collections that were hand-selected by Rodgers, the Museum’s new Sybil Harrington Director and CEO. Along with these works, visitors will enjoy the following exhibitions and special installations:
Stories of Abstraction: Contemporary Latin American Art in the Global Context
Featuring rarely seen artworks by some of Latin America’s most innovative contemporary artists
Teresita Fernández: Elemental
Featuring large-scale sculptures and immersive installations that reinterpret the relationships between nature, history, and identity
India: Fashion’s Muse
Exploring western fashion’s centuries-long love affair with the riches of India
Ansel Adams: Performing the Print
Drawn from the Ansel Adams Archive at the Center for Creative Photography and featuring prints by the 20th-century’s foremost American photographer
Selections from the Schorr Collection
Featuring works from one of the most important collections of Old Master and 19th-century paintings in the world
Seeking Immortality: Ancient Artifacts
Featuring ceramics and other burial objects from China, Japan, and Korea
Colors of Sky and Clouds: Chinese Blue-and-White Porcelain
Featuring porcelain objects with illustrations of natural landscapes and narrative scenes from Chinese literature
Mountains and Rivers, Flowers and Birds: Gifts from the Papp Family Collection
Featuring classical Chinese ink paintings, including hanging and horizontal scrolls, albums, and fans
Clay and Bamboo: Japanese Ceramics and Flower Baskets
Featuring an array of modern Ikebana ceramics and basketry
Guru Nanak: 550th Birth Anniversary of Sikhism’s Founder
Exploring the life and teachings of the First Sikh Guru
Emily Eden: Portraits of the Princes and Peoples of India
Offering a view of 19th-century India through the eyes of British novelist and artist Emily Eden
Sweet Land of Funk
Featuring examples of Funk art, Abstract Expressionism, Bay Area Figuration, and Dude Ranch Dada
Joseph Cornell: Things Unseen
Exploring surrealist concepts of memories, fantasies, dreams, and non-linear time
Philip C. Curtis and the Landscapes of Arizona
Featuring magical realist landscapes by the beloved Arizona artist
American Scenes/Americas Seen
Featuring artworks by Diego Rivera, Alfredo Ramos Martinez, Alice Trumbull Mason, and other celebrated muralists and abstract artists
American Abstraction During the Thirties and Forties
Featuring American abstract paintings created during the Great Depression through World War II
Still Life: Ordinary Pleasures
Featuring works by Georgia O’Keeffe, Pablo Picasso, Helen Torr, and others
Sublime Landscapes
Featuring scenic views of the Grand Canyon, Yosemite Valley, the Sierra Nevadas, and other natural landscapes
[Re]Purposed
Featuring artworks made from plastic toys, leftover food, and other unconventional materials
On October 1, Phoenix Art Museum will also open free of charge to all U.S military veterans, active-duty personnel, and their immediate family members with ID courtesy of the Military Access Program at Phoenix Art Museum (MAP@PAM).
For a full breakdown of general admission prices beginning October 14, including a new, reduced admission option for youth aged 6–17, click here.
