Some of the best off-the-beaten-path art offerings in metro Phoenix happen beyond First Friday art walks and annual Art Detour happenings. Here’s our eclectic Phoenix art guide.
Field Report: Eclectic Metro Phoenix
Elevation: 1,086 feet
Population: 4.8 million (including 1.6 million in Phoenix proper)
Town Etymology: Phoenix might have been named for Confederate general Stonewall Jackson had one of its early settlers gotten his way. Instead, founders took inspiration from the mythical firebird associated with rebirth, reflecting the fact that the area was home to the ancient Hohokam civilization that created the region’s first elaborate system of canals. The S’edav Va’aki Museum, which is dedicated to Hohokam culture and its continuing influence, provides important context, as do works by several local artists including Thomas “Breeze” Marcus (Tohono O’odham), whose mural Phoenix Rising (2012) still brings the fire to the local arts scene.
Fun Fact: Phoenix is the fifth-largest city in the U.S.
Phoenix exists in a perpetual state of flux—shaped by urban sprawl, a steady stream of newcomers, and an odd mix of optimism and despair that stems from trying to bloom under an unrelenting sun.
Geographically, the city is situated relatively close to both Los Angeles and the U.S.-Mexico border, which explains the prevalence of Phoenix artists who describe feeling overshadowed by the bustling LA arts scene, but also energized by living and working near the borderlands.
They’re all elements impacting the city’s arts landscape, with its vibrant blend of emerging and established artists, creative spaces strewn across the Valley of the Sun, and art reflecting complex relationships with the desert and the diverse cultures in its midst.
Monthly First Friday art walks, launched in the mid ‘90s, and the annual Art Detour, which started in 1989 and has morphed into a monthlong celebration of arts and culture throughout the state, may be Phoenix’s best-known art traditions.
Metropolitan Phoenix also boasts an eclectic assortment of off-the-beaten-path art destinations that amplify the many ways creativity and community intersect here.
Arts + Culture
Phoenix is home to cultural institutions like Phoenix Art Museum and the Heard Museum, flagship exhibition spaces such as Lisa Sette Gallery and Bentley Gallery, and architectural environments including Taliesin West and Cosanti. But you’ll get a better feel for the breadth and depth of Phoenix’s creative life by hitting a wide range of additional options in hyperlocal mode.
Oak Street Alley
Phoenix
When they’re looking for mural art, most people flock to the Roosevelt Row arts district in the Evans Churchill neighborhood just north of downtown. However, murals also abound at Oak and 14th Streets in the Coronado neighborhood, where the annual Oak Street Alley Mural Festival typically takes place in March. The hood is also home to the studio of the late artist Ed Mell, whose skateboard deck show organized with the Molten Brothers nearly two decades ago created ripple effects local artists still talk about today.
The Sagrado
Phoenix
It’s been more than two decades since the city launched its effort to create a Latino Cultural Center, which remains ongoing. Meanwhile, community art spaces including Xico and the Sagrado have been centering the work of Latino and Indigenous artists through exhibitions, cultural events, and more. The Sagrado sits along a new section of the Valley Metro Rail in South Phoenix scheduled to open this year, where public artworks will include numerous pieces by Phoenix-based Latino and Indigenous artists.
Art One Gallery
Scottsdale
Galleries, eateries, and retail shops dot the streets of Old Town in this city east of Phoenix, where the best-known offerings include Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West. But don’t overlook tucked-away art spaces on Marshall Way—including Udinotti Gallery and Art One Gallery. At Art One, you can comb through affordable canvases and other works by talented artists in high school or college, plus art in diverse media and styles by established artists based in metro Phoenix.
Cattle Track Arts Compound
Scottsdale
Big names in Arizona art, from Fritz Scholder (La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians) to Philip C. Curtis, lived and worked at this creative hub just north of Old Town, where about a dozen artists have studio space today—including Brent Bond, whose Santo Press has printed editions for dozens of Phoenix-based artists, and Mary Meyer, whose ongoing installation The Leaf Connection (2024) at the Desert Botanical Garden explores Phoenix geography through nature. Cattle Track presents studio tours, artist talks, and other events that draw a fun mix of art scene old-timers and newcomers.
Danelle Project
Tempe
There’s a robust alternative arts scene in this city southeast of Phoenix, where hundreds of artists have participated in the Danelle Project, launched in 2016. Today the grassroots project that’s been anchored by murals, storefront installations, exhibitions, and pop-up art experiences is adapting amid evolving redevelopment plans at the Danelle Plaza strip mall, which once served as a temporary site for Tempe City Hall. Watch social media for fresh news of Danelle Project art happenings. When you’re in Tempe, make time for more traditional art spaces too, such as the ASU Art Museum on the campus of Arizona State University and Tempe Center for the Arts, or the expansive Art Resource Center brimming with donated art supplies and books.
Stay/Rest
The Phoenix Hostel and Cultural Center near Roosevelt Row offers budget-friendly lodging, a beautiful plant-rich setting, and compelling conversations. For 2025, the center’s socially engaged programming will include a climate justice film series, a Palestinian book club, and more. Try the mid-century modern Hotel Valley Ho if you’re exploring art in Old Town Scottsdale or the boutique 1950s Egyptian Motor Hotel if you’re heading to Grand Avenue in Phoenix.
Sustenance
Grand Avenue
Feed your cravings for funky art, fabulous food, and unexpected finds along Grand Avenue, a diagonal street within this city built on a grid. It’s anchored by Bragg’s Pie Factory, a historic building that houses galleries, artist studios, and more. Our favorites include Bacanora restaurant with its changing menu of Sonoran cuisine, Pueblo Life with its curated collection of desert plants and wares, and the Puppet Pie studio by Stacey Gordon, a Phoenix-based puppeteer who performs Julia (a character with autism) on Sesame Street. Check out Hazel and Violet if you want to try a letterpress printing workshop or the new Como Art Space if you’d like to expand your photography skills.
Literary Hubs
Linger over literature at the Palabras Bilingual Bookstore inspired by Pablo Helguera’s 2014 exhibition Librería Donceles in Phoenix. It’s located at the Casa Caracol (“snail house”) collective space, formerly Nurture House, and is focused on art, storytelling, and reconnecting with land and lineages of care. Or head to Wasted Ink Zine Distro, which specializes in uplifting voices of historically marginalized creators. Both small businesses offer a wide range of community events with a creative focus.
Public Art
Enjoy serendipitous encounters with art in airport terminals and galleries when you pass through Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. There’s also abundant public art installed at stops along Valley Metro Rail routes. You’ll find remarkable public art by local artists and big-name talents such as Janet Echelman, Louise Nevelson, and James Turrell in Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tempe.
Unexplained Phenomena
Most people have heard of the 1997 Phoenix Lights UFO sightings. But did you know that Phoenix creatives have a strong presence at Burning Man gatherings, or that there’s a regional “burner” event called Saguaro Man 2025, scheduled for April 23–27 southeast of Phoenix in Wilcox, Arizona? This year’s theme is “Parallel Universe.”
