CUSD 2022
2022-04-20 - 2022-05-12 | Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler, AZ, 85225
Chandler Unified School District’s most gifted artists put their work on display for the community to experience in this annual showcase. The burgeoning artists from Basha, Hamilton, Perry, Arizona College Prep, Casteel and Chandler high schools display their talents and viewpoints through paintings, drawings, sculptures, jewelry, and photographs. With over 100 works on display, there is always something for everyone in this exhibition.

Images from left to right: Jacy Fuller, ACP; Jacquie Augustine, Hamilton High; Macine Johnson, Perry High; Emily Shields, Perry High; Brielle Edwards , Basha High; Abbey Alevizon, Hamilton High; Elizabeth Kearney, Chandler High; Anjali Shenoy, Perry High

Moving through Grief with Art
2022-04-21 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Phoenix) | Vision Gallery, 10 E Chicago St, Chandler, AZ, 85225, United States
The Artists’ Grief Deck is a tool developed by local artist, educator and end-of-life doula Adriene Jenik in collaboration with Artists’ Literacies Institute (ALI). In response to the COVID pandemic and a recognized unmet need for grief support during a time of physical distancing, Jenik and ALI crowd-sourced artwork and grief “prompts” to make the deck (which was first published in Dec 2020) to assist people from all ages and backgrounds to move with and through grief.
Offered as part of the Chasing Ghosts programming, this brief gathering/workshop by Jenik will relate the story of the Artists’ Grief Deck and her work as an end-of-life doula, and will lead the group in an art-making exercise inspired by the deck.
RSVP Here

Out of the Blue
2022-05-21 - 2022-07-30 | Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler, AZ, 85225
(Left) Jeny Davis, Brittlebush Whirl, Cyanotype with alterations, 2020, 12″ x 16″
(Right) Sami Lange, A Beautiful Life, Paper, dye, thread & tape, 2021, 20″ x 20″
It’s a cool, cool summer. Okay, maybe not in Phoenix, but this summer the Chandler Center for the Arts invited artists from across Arizona to submit cool-tone artwork for our annual open call exhibition. As a reprieve from the brutal summers here in the Valley of the Sun, we are exhibiting artwork of all kinds, from photographs to installations, that spotlight the color blue.
Exhibiting Artists
Amanda Adkins, Bailey Anderson, John Bedard, Bjorn Bengtsson, Janet Blumenthal, Bonnie Bobman, Serena Brown, Jacey Coca, Dennis L. Collins, Annemarie Comes, Barbara Kemp Cowlin, Catina Crum, Jeny Davis, Lee Davis, Kaden Bard Dawson, Talia J. Dudley, Laurie Fagen, Michael Feather, Fausto Fernandez, Edgar Fernandez, Jerome Fleming, Leilani Gastelum, Jo Ho, Barbara Jakucki, Megan Johnson, Veralyn E. Johnson, Janet Keller, Sami Lange, Sandra Luehrsen, Stacy Marko, Angela Masker, Kathryn Maxwell, Abbey Messmer, Kristen Miologos, Kara Moore, Allison Moyers, Navi Naisang, Rafael Navarro, Hedda Neelsen, Elizabeth Z. Pineda, Tania Ritko, Leanne Smith, Aimee Smythe, Yasmine Spaulding, Ellen Strecker, Tashina Sydney Knight, Hannah Thomas, Charmagne Vasquez, Brianna Voron, Shoreigh Williams, Elizabeth Wittke, Jeremy Yocum
Gallery Guide
Take a closer look at this exhibit with our Out of the Blue Gallery Guide! This interactive postcard features 4 activities to do on your own or with friends and family that are all inspired by the subject matter of this show. Download and print a copy at home or pick up a copy for free at the Chandler Center for the Arts for the duration of the show.
DownloadExhibition Photos

Make and Take: Sand Bottle Art
2022-06-04 11:00 - 13:00 (America/Phoenix) | Vision Gallery, 10 E Chicago St, Chandler, AZ, 85225, United States
Come make sand art exploring your emotions! This activity is inspired by our current exhibition, Chasing Ghosts. Choose colors of sand that represent your emotions and then make beautiful shapes as you pour layers of sand into a keepsake bottle to take home. This is a free, drop-in activity for all ages that is self-led, and registration is not required. However, please RSVP so that we can gauge attendance.
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Make and Take: Cyanotypes
2022-06-18 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Phoenix) | Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler, AZ, 85225
Use the cyanotype blueprinting process to make a found-object photogram! This activity is inspired by our current exhibition, Out of the Blue. Assemble your design on pre-coated fabric and expose to sunlight, then watch the brilliant blue background appear when the print is washed! This is a free activity for all ages. Please register for a 10-minute slot to reserve your arrival time.
This event will take place at the Chandler Center for the Arts.
Register

Melting Point: Artisans of Bollinger Atelier
2022-06-25 - 2022-08-20 | Vision Gallery, 10 E Chicago St, Chandler, AZ, 85225, United States
Bradley Corso, Temptation
Fine art foundry Bollinger Atelier has transformed artists’ visions into reality since 1997. From Ed Mell’s Jack Knife in Scottsdale to Chandler’s AJ Chandler and Frank Lloyd Wright, the atelier’s output has touched the visual culture of many cities across the Valley. Over the past 25 years Bollinger has become a trusted partner for artists worldwide, including Tom Sachs, Kiki Smith, Lynda Benglis, Wendell Castle, Louise Bourgeois, and many more.
The heart of Bollinger Atelier is its roster of highly-trained artisans, nearly all of whom are also working artists. In addition to the advanced technical feats staff complete for clients, they are encouraged to produce their own sculpture using the Atelier facilities. As a result of this close-knit creative community, Bollinger Atelier fosters a thriving culture of artistic creation.
This show represents the breadth and talent of the artisans of Bollinger Atelier.
Exhibiting Artists
James Porter Allred, Christian Bell, Bradley Corso, Nicole Davy, Daniel J. Easley, Rebecca Emily, Olin Fritz, Hailey Hatch, Dan Lewis, Chris Luper, Ronald Lyons II, Hanna Makkonen, Daniel Mariotti, Adam E. Mendelsohn, Kim Nikolaev, Alfonso Salgado, Matt Weber, Vanessa Windes
Curated by Tom Bollinger
Gallery Guide
Dive in to Melting Point with our Gallery Guide! This printable postcard features links to behind-the-scenes photos of the sculptures in this show being created, a scavenger hunt activity to do in the gallery, a craft to do at home, and a discussion question. Printed copies are available for free at Vision Gallery during the duration of the show.
DownloadInstall Photos

Make and Take: Custom Crayons
2022-07-16 11:00 - 13:00 (America/Phoenix) | Vision Gallery, 10 E Chicago St, Chandler, AZ, 85225, United States
Make a wacky new crayons in fun shapes by melting down old, discarded crayons! This activity is inspired by our current exhibition, Melting Point: Artisans of Bollinger Atelier. Choose what colors to combine and then melt them down in a silicone mold to take home a brand-new crayon shaped like a letter, caterpillar, saguaro, and more. This is a free activity for all ages. Please register for a 10-minute slot to reserve your arrival time.
Register

Art Social: Block Printing with LivMakesPrints
2022-07-30 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Phoenix) | Vision Gallery, 10 E Chicago St, Chandler, AZ, 85225, United States
Learn the basics of relief printmaking! Carve your own design on a small linoleum block and use it to print repeated patterns on a greeting card. Materials for two small blocks and three greeting cards are included in registration. Led by Olivia Yuen of LivMakesPrints. Beginners welcome!
This casual 2 hour class doesn’t require any prior knowledge or skill, and all materials are included in the $25 class fee. Best of all, you get to create your own unique piece of art!
RegisterAbout the Artist
Olivia Yuen creates block prints inspired by a variety of subject matter including botany, the Arizona desert, and her unique biracial (Mexican + Chinese) heritage. Each print begins as an original drawing, which is then transferred onto a block of linoleum. The negative space areas of the design are then carefully carved out. Once fully carved, each block is inked using oil based relief printing inks and hand-pressed with a baren to ensure all areas of the design are printed evenly on the paper. This method of printing by hand allows for subtle differences to emerge in the prints — giving each one an organic, handmade touch.
In addition to creating printed works, Olivia is an art teacher in Phoenix. Sharing her passion for the arts with others plays a significant role, and Olivia teaches linocut printmaking workshops at local art studio, Sunshine Craft Company. You can find her work available online via her website and Etsy store, or locally at Palabras Bilingual Bookstore, the Tempe Center for the Arts gift shop, the Vision Gallery Gift Shop, Practical Art, and a variety of other markets and events across the central Phoenix area.

Michelle Emami: Both, Neither and All of the Above
2022-08-05 - 2022-10-15 | Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler, AZ, 85225
For mixed-race people, filling out your ethnic or racial background on a form can be a daunting task. Since the year 2000, Americans have been allowed to select multiple racial identities on the U.S. Census; however, on many other standard forms, you are usually forced to choose just one. While some forms have a box for “two or more races,” this option negates all racial identity, equating your race to “other”. Understanding and celebrating a wide variety of cultural backgrounds should be commonplace in America: why are we not making space for that on the most basic of platforms?
Mexican/Iranian artist Michelle Emami decided to use her artwork as a space to celebrate her mixed heritage. In Both, Neither and All of the Above, Emami explores both her Iranian and Mexican heritages through motifs and cultural symbols drawn from both cultures. Her work also confronts the negativity and profound prejudices she has experienced within her communities. She reflects on instances where she felt neither Mexican nor Iranian, and sometimes not even American. Yet with each work that explores different aspects of her identity, Emami asserts that she is not just one race or another, nor is she simply the sum of her parents’ cultures: she is unapologetically all of the above. This exhibition aims to celebrate her multicultural background and encourages others to take pride in their identity.
Closing Reception
Saturday, October 15, 3 – 5pm
Meet artist Michelle Emami and enjoy live music, refreshments and a special art-making activity!
RSVPGallery Guide
Dive in to Both, Neither and All of the Above with our Gallery Guide! This printable postcard features a link to a presentation exploring the themes of the show, puzzle activities, a craft to do at home, and a discussion question. Printed copies are available for free at the Chandler Center for the Arts for the duration of the show.
Download and PrintVirtual Artist Talk
Thursday, September 22, 5:30pm
Join Michelle Emami and Vision Gallery curator Jillian Nakornthap for this virtual artist talk to hear Emami discuss her work!
RegisterExhibition Photos

Make and Take: Painted Tiles
2022-08-20 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Phoenix) | Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler, AZ, 85225
Make a colorful decorative tile inspired by Talavera and Islamic tile designs! This activity is inspired by our current exhibition, Michelle Emami: Both, Neither, and All of the Above. Use stencils to paint colorful custom designs on a tile to use for decoration or as a coaster. This is a free activity for all ages. Please register at the button below.
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Inward Shift/Outward Gaze: Chelsie Tamala & Cam DeCaussin
2022-08-26 - 2022-11-10 | Vision Gallery, 10 E Chicago St, Chandler, AZ, 85225, United States
At the beginning of the pandemic, the landscape of our daily lives went through a dramatic shift. Most of us spent substantially more time in our homes. The spaces that were once a refuge from our public lives became home offices, restaurants, movie theaters, and childcare centers. As many aspects of life merged into one physical space, mothers and other caregivers felt the strain of needing to do it all. Artist and mother Chelsie Tamala felt this shift in her own life as she took care of her three kids. Each day felt like a balancing act, and as she began talking to other mothers, she realized they too were experiencing similar struggles and triumphs. Mothers is a series of paintings celebrating these strong women in their domestic spaces as they helped their families adapt to the “new normal.” While Tamala’s work gives an intimate glimpse into people’s domestic interior lives, Cam DeCaussin’s paintings take a different approach. In the Spring of 2020, nightly strolls through the neighborhood became a way to get exercise, a reason to leave the house, and one of the few ways to safely interact with others from a distance. DeCaussin took inspirations from these walks, painting eerily vacant or solitary exteriors, echoing the isolation and loneliness of that time. In both artists’ paintings, viewers can sense the stillness and introspection many felt during this time of great change, which still echoes through our lives today.
Opening Reception
Friday, August 26, 6-8pm
Enjoy artworks by Chelsie Tamala & Cam DeCaussin and share your story of how you made it through the early days of the pandemic.
RSVPGallery Guide
Dive in to Inward Shift/Outward Gaze with our Gallery Guide! This printable postcard features a link to a presentation exploring the themes of the show, puzzle activities, a craft to do at home, and a discussion question. Printed copies are available for free at Vision Gallery for the duration of the show.
Download and PrintExhibition Photos

Artist Talk: Michelle Emami
2022-09-22 17:30 - 18:30 UTC | Virtual
Mexican/Iranian artist Michelle Emami uses her artwork as a space to celebrate her mixed heritage. In Both, Neither and All of the Above, Emami explores both her Iranian and Mexican heritages through motifs and cultural symbols drawn from both cultures. Her work also confronts the negativity and profound prejudices she has experienced within her communities. She reflects on instances where she felt neither Mexican nor Iranian, and sometimes not even American. Yet with each work that explores different aspects of her identity, Emami asserts that she is not just one race or another, nor is she simply the sum of her parents’ cultures: she is unapologetically all of the above.
Join Michelle Emami and Vision Gallery curator Jillian Nakornthap for this virtual artist talk to hear Emami discuss her work.
Register

Art Social: Bookbinding and Visual Journaling
2022-10-15 10:00 - 12:00 UTC | Vision Gallery, 10 E Chicago St, Chandler, AZ, 85225, United States
Learn how to use visual journaling to capture your thoughts by using techniques like drawing, painting, or collage! Visual journaling is a mindful activity that is great for relaxing, reflecting, or generating creative ideas. Participants will learn how to bind their own simple journal, and then go through a series of exercises to build their visual journaling skills. All materials included in registration. Led by Amanda McGlothern. Beginners welcome!
This casual 2 hour class doesn’t require any prior knowledge or skill, and all materials are included in the $25 class fee. Space is limited – register at the button below.
About Amanda McGlothern
Amanda McGlothern is a visual artist living in Tempe, AZ with her husband and two young kids. She is a Community Arts Specialist for the City of Tempe and a former high school visual arts teacher. In her personal work she explores narratives through relief printing and is often inspired by poetry. She is passionate about embracing the creative process and that arts are for everyone.
Register

Gordon Skalleberg: Between There and Here
2022-10-22 - 2022-12-10 | Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler, AZ, 85225
You can never reach the horizon. As you approach it, it recedes, becoming infinite.
For painter Gordon Skalleberg, the horizon is almost spiritual, mystical. It evokes curiosity about the unknown. While many have journeyed across arduous landscapes and treacherous terrain, Skalleberg traverses the length of his canvas to resolve what makes the line between the earth and sky so beguiling.
When traveling through the desert Southwest, Skalleberg never tires of the liminal space between the hazy, distant mountains and the ever-shifting skyline. Where others might see a muted, monotonous backdrop, Skalleberg embraces the banality and finds beauty in the little moments— a branch slowly shifting in the wind, a change in cloud cover. The landscape appears to be in constant movement while simultaneously remaining the same.
Author Rebecca Solnit writes, “For many years, I have been moved by the blue at the far edge of what can be seen, that color of horizons, of remote mountain ranges, of anything far away. The color of that distance is the color of an emotion, the color of solitude and of desire, the color of there seen from here, the color of where you are not. And the color of where you can never go. For the blue is not in the place those miles away at the horizon, but in the atmospheric distance between you and the mountains.” Skalleberg’s paintings capture this confounding pull of the far away, and the longing to understand the difference between there and here.
Gallery Guide
Explore further into Between There and Here with our Gallery Guide! This printable postcard features a link to a presentation exploring the themes of the show, puzzle activities, a craft to do at home, and a discussion question. Printed copies are available for free at the Chandler Center for the Arts for the duration of the show.
Download and Print

Recycle and Revitalize Events at the Library
2022-11-07 08:00 - 2022-11-18 17:00 UTC | AZ
Upcycle and Create in November at Your Library
In collaboration with the Vision Gallery’s Art Quilts Exhibition, “Re-Vitalized,” the Chandler Library encourages all ages to think creatively about re-using discarded, recycled and repurposed materials. Discover unique projects, STEM challenges and sustainability activities as we celebrate National Recycle Day and the artwork created with recycled materials.
Art Quilts XXVII: Re-Vitalized! is on display at Vision Gallery from November 19, 2022 to January 7, 2023. Fiber artists from across the country and abroad share their work in this annual exhibition of contemporary art quilts, showcasing some of the finest textile art on display in the Southwestern United States.
Some events may require registration. Click the button below to learn more.
View all eventsCraft After Dark: Upcycled Projects
Monday, November 7, 2022
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Downtown Library
In celebration of National Recycle Day, join us as we offer two unique upcycle crafts. We will be upcycling CDs to create unique CD Scratch Art pieces, as well as repurposing T-shirts into reusable bags. The library will provide the supplies and instruction, while you provide your crafty touch. Bring a friend, have fun and be creative!
Adults, Teens (13-17), Tweens (9-12)
Learn MoreSTEAM Club- Egg Drop Challenge
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
3:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Downtown Library
To celebrate National Recycling Day, reuse leftover packaging to protect your egg during a drop, in this fun engineering challenge. Join us for STEAM fun every Wednesday as we explore Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math through hands-on activities. Appropriate for ages 6-8 years old.
Youth (6-12)
Learn MorePlarn Loom-a-Thon
Saturday, November 12, 2022
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sunset Library
Teens, upcycle and give back! Join the members of the Corona del Sol High School’s Nature Club at the Chandler Sunset Library to weave sleeping mats out of recycled plastic bags, using looms donated by D Squared Homes for the Homeless. The Loom-a-Thon is a drop in event, between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Plastic + Yarn = Plarn
Plastic bag donations will be accepted during the loom-a-thon.
Teens (13-17)
Learn MoreBasha Build It: Wood
Monday, November 14, 2022
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Basha Library
Basha Barn
In today’s program, we will build with wood, the most important single source of renewable energy. Learn more about the importance of renewable materials as we construct towers, bridges and more. Join us each 2nd Monday of the month for a new Build It theme! The materials change each month, but your creativity lasts a lifetime.
Family
Learn MoreUpcycle Craft: CD Scratch Art
Tuesday, November 15, 2022
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Hamilton Library
Ever wonder what you can make using recycled materials? In celebration of National Recycle Day, join us as we upcycle CDs to create unique scratch art mandalas. Supplies are provided and registration is required.
Tweens (9-12)
Learn MoreThe Makery Workshop: Recycled Keychain
Tuesday, November 15, 2022
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Downtown Library
Let’s make a keychain together! Do you have some scrap material lying around that you want to turn into a keychain? Bring in your material and we will engrave and cut you your very own Makery keychain.
Registration Required
Adults, Teens (13-17)
Learn MoreUpcycle Craft: DIY Art Kits for Teens & Tweens
Wednesday, November 16, 2022
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Sunset Library
Teens and tweens, come to the Sunset Library to celebrate National Recycling Day! We will be upcycling old DVD cases by turning them into personalized art kits. No registration necessary, but supplies are limited, first come, first serve.
Teens (13-17), Tweens (9-12)
Learn MoreUpcycle Craft: Cardboard Robot
Thursday, November 17, 2022
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Downtown Library
Learn how recycling is vital for the environment through stories, a bingo game, and a craft. Transform cardboard into a whirligig and a friendly robot! All supplies will be provided.
Youth (6-12)
Learn MoreTravel Thursdays: Copper Mines and Recycled CD Art Mosaics
Thursday, November 17, 2022
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Basha Library
Travel on the third Thursday of the month at the Basha Library, starting with a digital safari and ending on a scavenger hunt or craft related to the site we visited, and engage kids in a global community!
Today we will explore around Arizona and learn about the historic copper mines in the state. Did you know that Arizona produces almost 75 percent of all copper in the United States? In conjunction with National Recycle Day, you’ll also create a mosaic quilt square from recycled CDs!
Family, Youth (6-12)
Learn MoreSTEAM Jr.: Exploring Recyclables
Friday, November 18, 2022
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Sunset Library
Celebrate National Recycling Day and Thanksgiving this month! We will use a variety of recyclables as we explore Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math through hands-on activities. Appropriate for ages 2-5 years old.
Children (0-5)
Learn More

Art Quilts XXVII: Re-Vitalized!
2022-11-19 - 2023-01-07 | Vision Gallery, 10 E Chicago St, Chandler, AZ, 85225, United States
Heidi Dauphin, Great Grandma’s Crazy Quilt Transformed, Paper lists/Notes, stitching, embroidery, fabric, 2020-2022
Re-Vitalized!, our 27th annual Art Quilts exhibition, encouraged art quilters to create artworks from previously discarded, recycled, and repurposed materials. Featuring 41 quilts from 25 artists from all over the country, this exhibition demonstrates the vast artistic potential of unwanted and/or recycled objects.

All of the quilts in Re-Vitalized! consist of at least 50 percent repurposed materials. Some of the numerous recycled materials include photographs, bedsheets, clothing, CDs, dryer sheets, vintage textiles, feed sacks in the tradition of the 1930’s, and even reimagined old quilts. These artists prove that with some creativity, there is no shortage of possibilities for making use of the things we might otherwise throw away.

This exhibition was juried by Shin-hee Chin, a fiber/mixed-media artist and Professor in the Visual Art Department at Tabor College. Chin often uses repurposed fabric, paper, and other recycled material in her artwork. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including the Textile Museum at Washington DC, Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan, the Palais des Nations (United Nations’ headquarters building), Geneva, Switzerland, and Uijeongbu Arts Center, Seoul, South Korea. She had a solo exhibition, entitled Embracing Identity in Diaspora, at the Seoul Arts Center in 2019.
Exhibiting Artists
Lisa Marie Barber, Gay Bitter, Sandra Branjord, Linda Colsh, Vicki Conley, Heidi Dauphin, Sandra Townsend Donabed, Diane English, Linda Engstrom, Laurie Fagen, Karen Flamme, Jo Ho, Barbara Jakucki, Margit Kagerer, Patty Kennedy-Zafred, Linda McCurry, Lena Meszaros, Anne Muñoz, Karena Nelson, Wen Redmond, Marie Shirley-Jones, Aimee Smythe, Lynn Welsch, Rosanna Lynne Welter, Shelly White

Gallery Guide
Explore further into Art Quilts XXVII: Re-vitalized! with our Gallery Guide! This printable postcard features a link to a presentation exploring the themes of the show, puzzle activities, a craft to do at home, and a discussion question. Printed copies are available for free at Vision Gallery for the duration of the show.

Download and PrintArt Quilts XXVII: Revitalized Catalogue
Take the exhibit home with you! This 8.5×11 catalogue features images of all of the quilts in the exhibition, along with artist statements and gallery views. Prints on demand from Blurb for $24.95.
Order from BlurbExhibition Photos

Textures of Arizona
2022-12-17 - 2023-02-04 | The Gallery at CCA, 250 North Arizona Avenue, Chandler, AZ, 85225, United States
Carol Gordon, Arizona Grasslands (detail)
In October of 2020, the Telaraña Fiber Arts Guild prompted their members with a simple challenge: create artwork inspired by the Arizona landscape. While guild members were separated geographically due to the pandemic, this call enabled them to celebrate the many facets of a state they have all grown to love. Over the course of the past two years, these fiber artists have continued to find inspiration in the 48th state. Textures of Arizona features a broad spectrum of work that highlights the majestic nature of this state we all call home. From the sandstone spires of Monument Valley to the outstretched arms of the iconic Saguaros, the beauty of this land is inescapable.
Gallery Guide
Explore further into Textures of Arizona with our Gallery Guide! This printable postcard features a link to a presentation exploring the themes of the show, puzzle activities, a craft to do at home, and a discussion question. Printed copies are available for free at the Chandler Center for the Arts for the duration of the show.
Download and Print

Make and Take: Perler Bead Ornaments
2022-12-17 11:00 - 15:00 UTC | Vision Gallery, 10 E Chicago St, Chandler, AZ, 85225, United States
Get in the spirit with a fun holiday craft! Stop by Vision Gallery on Saturday, December 17 to make an ornament with fusible beads. Enjoy free hot cocoa or cider as you do any last-minute shopping in our gift shop too!
This is a free, self-led activity for all ages, including adults. Kids under age 8 are welcome to participate with assistance from an adult. Please register for a 20-minute arrival window. Registration opens December 1.
Register

Jacob Meders: Familiar Territory
2023-01-13 - 2023-03-11 | Vision Gallery, 10 E Chicago St, Chandler, AZ, 85225, United States
Image by Jacob Meders (detail)
Who gets to tell the story of Indians and cowboys?
This exhibition was inspired by 20th century images depicting glorified moments from westward expansion, a historical period often romanticized from a white perspective. These prints were once part of the City of Chandler’s collection but were not exhibited due to their problematic nature. While the original artist John Clymer may not have intended to offend or portray his subjects in a negative light, his imagery still perpetuates stereotypes and presents a one-dimensional narrative about Native Americans. Further, the original representations don’t reflect updated cultural understandings regarding the importance of empowering marginalized groups to tell their own stories.
After these prints were deaccessioned from the City’s collection, artist Jacob Meders (Mechoopda-Maidu) acquired and updated them to their current status. Viewers will immediately notice the meticulously blacked out figures, and perhaps wonder who they are and why they have been redacted. By removing the subjects from the prints, Meders visually represents federal policies – such as the 1883 code of Indian Offenses – advocating for the erasure of Native lands, language, culture, traditions, religion, and even people. By gold-leafing other areas in some of the prints, Meders highlights a history of resource extraction – led by colonizers – that has devastated our physical and spiritual environment, including the near-extinction of the bison and the receding water levels of the Colorado River, which remains an issue of utmost concern for Arizonans today.
With a deft hand, Meders carefully adds to and subtracts from the prints, centering an Indigenous viewpoint and asking viewers to reconsider the stories they think they know about the history of Manifest Destiny and the American West.
About Jacob Meders
Jacob Meders (Mechoopda/Maidu), MFA, is an Associate Professor in the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts & Science at Arizona State University. Jacob possesses a BFA in painting with a minor in printmaking from Savannah College of Art and Design and a MFA in printmaking at Arizona State University. In 2011 Jacob established WarBird Press, a fine art printmaking studio that he operates as the Master Printmaker in Phoenix, AZ.
Jacob has exhibited his work in Divided Lines at The Museum of Contemporary Native Arts in Santa Fe, NM, ‘Aksum Belle:Afterwards at Jackie Headley Art Gallery and Mǝǝmento: Before at Janet Turner Print Museum both at Chico State University, Chico CA, Something Old, Something New: Nothing Borrowed Recent Acquisitions from the Heard Museum Collection at The Heard Museum in Phoenix, AZ, Transcending Traditions at Mesa Contemporary Arts in Mesa, AZ, First Americans: Honoring Indigenous Resilience and Creativity at Museum Volkenkunde, Leiden, Netherlands, Mini Wiconi Goldsmith, University of London and BACA Contemporary Native Art Biennial, Québec, Canada. His work is also collected by major universities and other institutions in the United States and internationally.
Jacob’s work focuses on altered perceptions of place, culture, and identity built on the assimilation and homogenization of indigenous people. This work often ties into current issues faced in Indigenous communities. His work touches many interdisciplinary approaches and repeatedly plays with the boundaries of social engagement practices. His work continues to reexamine varied documentations of Native Americans through printing processes that hold onto stereotypical ideas and how they have affected the culture of the native people. Often using book forms and prints as a symbol of western knowledge and the linear mind, Jacob deploys them as a vehicle to challenge new perceptions of Native Americans.
And finally, Jacob is recognized as an influential public speaker and has traveled nationally and internationally to speak on topics within the indigenous contemporary art world.
Opening Celebration
Friday, February 24, 6 – 8pm
Join us for the opening celebration for exhibitions in both of our gallery spaces! View Jacob Meders: Familiar Territory at Vision Gallery and Daniel Nez: Fractal Lineage at the Chandler Center for the Arts, with a short 10-minute walk separating both galleries.
Enjoy live music from a DJ at Vision Gallery from 6 – 7pm, and a performance by IIWAA at the Gallery at CCA from 7 – 8pm. Refreshments provided, and a cash bar will be available at the Chandler Center for the Arts.
RSVP HereGallery Guide
Explore further into Jacob Meders: Familiar Territory with our Gallery Guide! This digital presentation for all ages goes in-depth on the themes of the show and inspires further discussion.
View Gallery GuideExhibition Photos

VG @ Chandler Multicultural Festival
2023-01-14 11:00 - 18:00 UTC | Dr. A.J. Chandler Park, 178 E Commonwealth Ave E, Chandler, AZ, 85225, United States
Join the Vision Gallery at the Multicultural Festival as we partner with not one but two artists—Daniel Nez and Richelle Key, to create community focused artwork. Nez will be creating a collaborative sculpture that celebrates bond and kinship, while Key will be creating a live painting that will highlight unity through shared humanity. Come make your mark and meet two phenomenal artists!
About the Artists
Richelle Key is a member of the Navajo Nation tribe and is based in Phoenix, Az. Her lifelong passion for sketching transformed her into a multi-media artist, painter and graphic designer. Through the use of bold colors and strong contrasts, Key draws upon her cultural and personal background to create meaningful art that resonates beyond any cultural barriers. In the past, Key has worked with Cahokia and had the privilege to show at Gateway Community College.
Daniel Nez is of the Water’s Edge Clan, born for Red Running Into Water, his maternal grandparents are the Tangle Clan, and his paternal grandparents are the Water Flow Together. He is an interdisciplinary artist whose work focuses on the continuation of traditional Diné (Navajo) culture through visual depictions of oral narratives. Growing up in a small town in the Diné reservation, he noticed the dilution of traditional knowledge as he traveled further from his home in search of education. His want to preserve, share, and continue his culture has led him to express oral stories in a visual manner that captivate and engulf his audience. Creating a visual narrative, he hopes to continue the preservation of his culture while simultaneously educating others of Diné culture.

Make and Take: Felted Sunsets
2023-01-21 11:00 - 13:00 UTC | Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler, AZ, 85225
Make an Arizona sunset to hang on your wall! This activity is inspired by our current exhibition, Textures of Arizona at the Chandler Center for the Arts. Use colorful wool roving to create a fiber art “painting” depicting the beauty of our state. This is a free activity for all ages. Children under age 8 are welcome to participate with assistance from an adult.
Please register for a 10-minute slot to reserve your arrival time.
Register Here

Daniel Nez: Fractal Lineage
2023-02-11 - 2023-04-15 | Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler, AZ, 85225
How do you visually tell a story that has been passed down from generation to generation? Diné artist Daniel Nez takes on this challenge in his large-scale loom structures that display fragments of complete paintings. The fractal pieces represent the stories told by Diné elders about the history of their people. The deconstructed narratives urge viewers to explore the installations until they reach a vantage point where all the components align to create a full picture.
Daniel Nez is of the Water’s Edge Clan, born for Red Running Into Water, his maternal grandparents are the Tangle Clan, and his paternal grandparents are the Water Flow Together. He is an interdisciplinary artist whose work focuses on the continuation of traditional Diné (Navajo) culture through visual depictions of oral narratives. Growing up in a small town in the Diné reservation, he noticed the dilution of traditional knowledge as he traveled further from his home in search of education. His desire to preserve, share, and continue his culture has led him to visually express oral stories that captivate and engulf his audience. Creating a visual narrative, he hopes to continue the preservation of his culture while simultaneously educating others on Diné culture.
Opening Celebration
Friday, February 24, 6 – 8pm
Join us for the opening celebration for exhibitions in both of our gallery spaces! View Jacob Meders: Familiar Territory at Vision Gallery and Daniel Nez: Fractal Lineage at the Chandler Center for the Arts, with a short 10-minute walk separating both galleries.
Enjoy live music from a DJ at Vision Gallery from 6 – 7pm, and a performance by IIWAA at the Gallery at CCA from 7 – 8pm. Refreshments provided, and a cash bar will be available at the Chandler Center for the Arts.
RSVP HereGallery Guide
Explore the themes in Fractal Lineage and learn more about Diné creation stories through our Gallery Guide!
Learn MoreExhibition Photos

Make and Take: Melted Crayon Suncatchers
2023-03-04 11:00 - 13:00 UTC | Vision Gallery, 10 E Chicago St, Chandler, AZ, 85225, United States
Make a dazzling suncatcher to hang on a window or use as a bookmark! Melt crayon shavings between wax paper to create beautiful abstract artwork that glows. This is a free activity for all ages. Children under age 8 are welcome to participate with assistance from an adult.
Please register for a 10-minute slot to reserve your arrival time.
Register Here

Along the Colorado
2023-03-17 - 2023-05-26 | Vision Gallery, 10 E Chicago St, Chandler, AZ, 85225, United States
On August 16, 2021, the US Bureau of Reclamation announced the first official shortage declaration for the Colorado River. For the seven US states along the river, this means new restrictions and a changed relationship not only to the river, but also to each other. The exhibition Along the Colorado highlights artwork that explores issues around water; its scarcity, use, commodification, conservation, legality, and other issues through the lens of artists who reside in these states. Curated by Sapira Cheuk.
Contributors: Jess Benjamin, Alexander Heilner, Patrick Kikut, Michael B. Mason, Thomas Minckley, Sean Russell, Kendra Sollars, Jen Urso, Marc Wise
Gallery Guide
Explore the themes in Along the Colorado and learn more about water in the Southwest! Includes puzzles, water conservation tips, and discussion prompts for the show. Printed copies available for free at Vision Gallery.
Learn MoreExhibition Photos

Make and Take: Watercolor Postcards
2023-04-08 11:00 - 13:00 UTC | Vision Gallery, 10 E Chicago St, Chandler, AZ, 85225, United States
Make a watercolor postcard inspired by Along the Colorado! Paint a view of the Colorado River (or whatever you wish) on a special pre-printed postcard to send to a friend or loved one. This is a free, self-led activity for all ages. Children are welcome to participate with assistance from an adult.
Please register for a 10-minute slot to reserve your arrival time.
Register Here

CUSD Annual Showcase
2023-04-19 - 2023-05-11 | Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler, AZ, 85225
Chandler Unified School District’s most gifted artists put their work on display for the community to experience in this annual showcase. The burgeoning artists from Basha, Hamilton, Perry, Arizona College Prep, Casteel and Chandler high schools display their talents and viewpoints through paintings, ceramics, drawings, sculptures, jewelry, and photographs. With over 100 works on display, there is always something for everyone in this exhibition.
Artwork above from left to right: Nicole Mularski, Casteel High; Maria Lopez Gonzalez, Arizona College Prep; Kiley Feyen, Basha High; Jaymie Wollert, Perry High; Lexa Lopez, Hamilton High; Mikayla Saavedra, Chandler High; Madison Brittner, Perry High; Noura Ibrahim, Hamilton High
Exhibition Photos

Make and Take: Cyanotypes
2023-04-22 11:00 - 13:00 UTC | Vision Gallery, 10 E Chicago St, Chandler, AZ, 85225, United States
Celebrate Earth Day with us by making a cyanotype! Use the power of the sun to make a blueprint on pre-coated paper using found objects like leaves, flowers, toys, or your own drawings. This is a free, self-led activity for all ages. Children are welcome to participate with assistance from an adult.
Please register for a 10-minute slot to reserve your arrival time.
Register

"A River Out of Time" Virtual Film Screening and Talk
2023-05-03 17:30 - 19:30 UTC | Virtual
The Green and Colorado river systems form the backbone of the American West. Once spanning a 1,450-mile journey from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of California, today, none of the sediment-rich water reaches the Pacific Ocean. Instead, its water lies stymied in reservoirs and siphoned off to feed and nurture 40 million people from Salt Lake to Los Angeles. One hundred and fifty years after John Wesley Powell’s historic descent of the Green and Colorado rivers, an unlikely crew of scientists, artists, educators, and river lovers repeated his journey on a trip that was simultaneously a celebration of modern river life and a critical look at how we interpret the Colorado River’s history and use its waters. As the demand we place on the water of the Colorado continues to exceed its supply, we are forced to face uncomfortable truths about decisions made in our past. And we are reminded that the way we think about water—and all those dependent upon it—needs to shift if we want things to change for our future.
Please join Thomas Minckley, Patrick Kikut, and Along the Colorado curator Sapira Cheuk for a virtual screening of A River Out of Time and a discussion about the film and exhibition to follow.
Register

Make and Take: Magazine Beads
2023-05-13 11:00 - 13:00 UTC | Vision Gallery, 10 E Chicago St, Chandler, AZ, 85225, United States
Just in time for Mother’s Day, stop by Vision Gallery to make a gift that mom will love. Recycle old magazines to create colorful beads – it’s easy and fun! This is a free, self-led activity for all ages, and all supplies are provided. Children are welcome to participate with assistance from an adult.
Please register for a 10-minute slot to reserve your arrival time.
Register

Frank Gonzales: Sacred Spaces
2023-05-20 - 2023-08-05 | Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler, AZ, 85225
In the hustle and bustle of our busy lives, we all need a place where we can go to reflect, re-center, and restore our energy. Whether this is a religious institution, community gathering place, or a nook in your home, sacred spaces allow us to step outside of our everyday lives so that we can focus on our spirit. These spaces are rich with the symbology of what matters most to us, a distilled expression of our most authentic selves.
Artist Frank Gonzales has created a sacred space in his painting studio. Surrounded by books, plants, and artwork made by friends, this is where he thrives. He brings this reverent energy to the artwork he creates, making each canvas a sacred space for the plant and animal beings he represents. He distills incredibly complicated relationships in the natural world down to their core elements, using color and movement to reflect on their truest ways of being. These meditations allow us to share in the artist’s wonder of the natural world and reflect on our relationship to it.
Exhibition Photos
