Scottsdale Arts will present a variety of events and exhibitions throughout October at its Old Town Scottsdale campus, which includes Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts (left) and the newly renovated outdoor spaces at Scottsdale Civic Center (center). Photo: Aero Drone Visions
From the inaugural East Bowl concert, featuring Wilco, and a 50-year celebration of public art — both at the outdoor Scottsdale Civic Center — to a Dorothy Fratt 100th Birthday Celebration and an eight-part, virtual writing workshop for caregivers, Scottsdale Arts has something for just about everyone this October.
The following is a list of performances, events and exhibitions from Scottsdale Arts, a nonprofit organization comprising Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA), Scottsdale Public Art, Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation, Canal Convergence and Civic Center LIVE. Visit for information.
PERFORMANCES and EVENTS
ariZoni Theatre Awards of Excellence (33rd Annual)Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, 5:30 p.m. (youth celebration) or 8 p.m. (adult celebration)Scottsdale Center for the Performing ArtsTickets start at $18.50The ariZoni Theatre Awards are dedicated to recognizing excellence in theatrical performances, as well as individuals who produce exceptional work in all aspects of theater.
WilcoWith special guests My Brightest DiamondTuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, 7 p.m.East Bowl at Scottsdale Civic CenterTickets: $59.50Wildly inventive, relentlessly tuneful — Wilco has been described by Rolling Stone as “one of America’s most consistently interesting bands.”
Films.Dance Screening | A GLOBAL FILM SERIES PRODUCED BY JACOB JONAS THE COMPANYThursday, Oct. 5, 2023, 7 p.m.Scottsdale Center for the Performing ArtsTickets: $12Through nontraditional collaborations across cultures and continents, Jacob Jonas The Company’s “Films.Dance” produces and presents original film works through the intersection of dance, music, choreography and fashion.
Flamenco ÍntimoFridays and Saturdays, Oct. 6–28, 2023, 8 p.m.Scottsdale Center for the Performing ArtsTickets start at $34.50National and international flamenco artists perform unforgettable dance and music, drawing on tradition and improvisation with beautiful costumes, undulating arms, fiery footwork, intricate Spanish guitar and soul-stirring vocals.
AJ’s The Art of Wine and Tastes of the SeasonSaturday, Oct. 7, 2023, 1–3 p.m.Scottsdale Center for the Performing ArtsTickets start at $75Presented by AJ’s Fine Foods, The Art of Wine and Tastes of the Season is the perfect opportunity to taste a curated list of wines along with epicurean pairings in an entertaining setting, all while supporting the arts.
Balancing Acts: A Writing Workshop for CaregiversSelect dates from Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, through Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024Virtual; final reading at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary ArtTickets: $225 for full series of eight workshopsAmy Silverman leads this eight-part writing workshop for those who spend their days and nights looking after young children, aging parents and anyone in between as they learn from one another and build community through writing and workshopping true stories.
Glow Up @SMoCA: Sound BathThursday, Oct. 12, 2023, 7 p.m.Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary ArtTickets: $20Refresh your aura and bathe in the serene light of Phillip K. Smith’s “Three Parallels” as a sound bath, led by Melinda Milton, eases you into deep relaxation.
Memory Lounge: Chance PhillipsFriday, Oct. 13, 2023, 1 p.m.Scottsdale Center for the Performing ArtsTickets: $20/coupleThis artistic workshop, where participants create beautiful, unique and useful greeting cards with dried tea bags, images from old books and pressed flowers is part of Memory Lounge, a series of workshops for people living with mild to moderate stages of dementia-related illness and their care partners.
Turtle Island QuartetSunday, Oct. 15, 2023, 7:30 p.m.Scottsdale Center for the Performing ArtsTickets start at $35The Turtle Island Quartet, a singular force in the creation of bold, new trends in chamber music, fuses the classical quartet esthetic with contemporary American musical styles.
Dorothy Fratt’s 100th Birthday CelebrationTuesday, Oct. 17, 2023, 5 p.m.Cattle Track Arts CompoundTickets: $200Celebrate the life of artist Dorothy Fratt, leading up to the artist’s first museum retrospective, “Dorothy Fratt: Color Mirage,” this spring at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA).
Pieces of Home: A Conversation with Artist Couple Judith Ann Miller and David DaunceyWednesday, Oct. 18, 2023, 5 p.m.Scottsdale Civic Center LibraryFreeOriginating from two different parts of the world and finding home in each other, “HOME-ING” exhibition artists Judith Ann Miller and David Dauncey reflect on their disparate places of birth and explore where they connect and overlap.
Virginia G. Piper Concert SeriesAlexander MalofeevThursday, Oct. 19, 2023, 7:30 p.m.Scottsdale Center for the Performing ArtsTickets start at $32Described as “the latest phenomenon of the Russian piano school” (Corriere della Sera), Alexander Malofeev manifests the piano mastery of the new millennium itself.
Memory Lounge: Cynthia StandleyFriday, Oct. 20, 2023, 1 p.m.Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts$20/coupleThis workshop, which helps participants increase focus, confidence, relaxation, creativity and fine motor skills by drawing structured patterns in a mindful way, is part of Memory Lounge, a series of workshops for people living with mild to moderate stages of dementia-related illness and their care partners.
Scottsdale Symphonic OrchestraSunday, Oct. 22, 2023, 4 p.m.Scottsdale Center for the Performing ArtsTickets start at $15The Scottsdale Symphonic Orchestra, with guest conductor John Massaro, presents a program that includes Mozart’s “Overture to The Magic Flute” and Beethoven’s “Pastoral Symphony.”
Celebrating Windows to the West, The Desert’s Garden, and Scottsdale City HallThursday, Oct. 26, 2023, 4 p.m.Scottsdale Civic CenterFree with RSVPJoin Scottsdale Public Art and the city of Scottsdale in celebrating the newest and oldest artworks in the city’s collection with speakers, dance performances, live music, food and giveaways.
Mystery in the MuseumFriday, Oct. 27, 2023, 6:30 p.m.Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary ArtTickets: $30/individual or $45/pairCryptic messages have been left behind by a mysterious figure, and we need your help to decipher them.
Succulent Skulls with Dig It GardensSaturday, Oct. 28, 2023, noonScottsdale Museum of Contemporary ArtTickets: $30/individual or $45/pairCreate your own succulent arrangement in a custom skull planter with help from the Dig It Gardens crew, just in time for the spookiest season of the year.
LOOKING AHEAD
Dreamy Draw Music FestivalFriday and Saturday, Nov. 3, 2023, 1–11 p.m.Scottsdale Civic CenterTickets start at $80/single day or $140/weekendInspired by the vibrant Southwestern spirit of Arizona, the two-day Dreamy Draw Country Music Festival celebrates the harmonious fusion of country and Americana. Headliners include Midland, Lord Huron, Margo Price and Trampled by Turtles.
Canal ConvergenceFriday, Nov. 3, through Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023Scottsdale WaterfrontFreeThis free, outdoor, 10-night public art event features immersive, large-scale, light-based artworks, as well as educational workshops, family-friendly activities, art tours, live music and dance performances, a beer and wine garden, food trucks and more.
Holiday Performances and EventsFriday, Nov. 24, through Friday, Dec. 22, 2023Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts and Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary ArtTicket prices varyHoliday performances and events at Scottsdale Arts include Tower of Power | Holidays & Hits Tour, Scottsdale Symphonic Orchestra, “Assisted Living The Musical: The HOME for the Holidays,” Jane Lynch’s “A Swingin’ Little Christmas,” Canadian Brass, Trivia Night @SMoCA: Holiday Edition, Mariachi Sol de Mexico presents Jose Hernandez’ “Merry-Achi Christmas” and Squirrel Nut Zippers.
Arizona Concours d’EleganceSunday, Jan. 21, 2024, 9 a.m.Scottsdale Civic CenterTickets start at $85See a splendid array of 100 rare and historic automobiles in the luxury atmosphere of a stylish garden party at Scottsdale Civic Center.
EXHIBITIONS
Christina Fernandez: Multiple ExposuresSept. 16, 2023, through Jan. 7, 2024Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary ArtAdmission: $7 to $12“Multiple Exposures” presents a survey of the work of Christina Fernandez, a crucially important Los Angeles-based artist, who has spent more than 30 years in an exploration of gender, labor, migration and her Mexican American identity through photographic storytelling.
Roelof Knol: the space in betweenSept. 23, 2023, through July 28, 2024Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary ArtAdmission: $7 to $12In this new immersive installation, emerging Dutch artist Roelof Knol creates a playful, interactive, audiovisual experience that invites viewers to explore their relationship between digital and physical spaces.
Earth and SkySept. 23, 2023, through Jan. 7, 2024Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary ArtAdmission: $7 to $12“Earth and Sky” highlights artworks primarily from SMoCA’s Collection that touch on how humans inhabit, construct or perceive various environments.
Phillip K. Smith III: Three ParallelsOct. 29, 2022, through Jan. 14, 2024Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary ArtAdmission: $7 to $12Southern California artist Phillip K. Smith III creates a site-specific, commissioned work that highlights changes in perception as related to light, color, time and space.
_____ space ExhibitionsSept. 22, 2023, through July 28, 2024Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary ArtAdmission: Free____ space (blank space) is a new, experimental, flexible space at SMoCA, currently featuring two installations by artists Kenaim Al-Shatti and Roelof Knol.
HOME-ING: Judith Ann Miller and David DaunceyOct. 9 through Dec. 31, 2023Scottsdale Civic Center LibraryAdmission: freeTwo artists with a passion for deep history and art refer to “home” by using personal imagery and family memories.
Coming to TermsJuly 21, 2023, through April 29, 2024Scottsdale Center for the Performing ArtsAdmission: free“Coming to Terms” presents 11 artworks by Arizona-based artists, each aligning with one of 11 terms from a taxonomy for the study of empirical aesthetics.
Breaking the BinaryOct. 11, 2023, through April 15, 2024Scottsdale Center for the Performing ArtsAdmission: freeFeaturing surrealistic self-portraits by youth associated with the nonprofit one•n•ten, “Breaking the Binary” explores what being queer means to them.
Scottsdale Public Art Permanent CollectionOngoingVarious locations throughout ScottsdaleAdmission: freeMore than 150 artworks, many of them large-scale sculptures, can be found throughout the city at parks, in public facilities and along the streets. See the map at ScottsdalePublicArt.org for locations.
Scottsdale Arts would like to thank the following sponsors and partners: City of Scottsdale, Billie Jo Herberger, Alison Lewis & Craig Krumweide, Nationwide, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, SRP, Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, John & Karen Voris, AJ’s Fine Foods, Arizona Commission on the Arts, Arizona Community Foundation, Great American Title Agency, Walter and Karla Goldschmidt Foundation, Betty Hum & Alan Yudell, Christine and Richard Kovach, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Tiffany & Bosco.
