Images (clockwise from left): Neko Case, Audra McDonald and the Sun & Sounds series are among the many Scottsdale Arts events in March. Photos by: Ebru Yildiz, Allison Michael Orenstein and Brian Passey.
Enjoy the beautiful weather this March as Scottsdale Arts springs into the season with a variety of indoor and outdoor events.
March starts by welcoming world-renowned pianist Jonathan Bliss to share his artistic talents with audiences on March 1. The Phoenix Chorale brings powerful performances of western classical tradition for two shows from March 9 and 10. The Seth Rudetsky Concert Series continues, featuring acclaimed Broadway star Audra McDonald, for an intimate concert full of popular theater hits and candid stories. The Sun & Sounds regional music series returns with more artists performing all sorts of styles, from contemporary country and rock to indie pop and synth-pop.
The following is a list of 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.
PERFORMANCES AND EVENTS
Memory Lounge: Socks for Spring! Friday, March 1, 2024, 1 p.m.Center Space at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Tickets per couple: $20 Create colorful and exquisitely artsy socks in this natural dye workshop with Lara Plecas. Why are they called socks for spring?
Jonathan Biss Friday, March 1, 2024, 8 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Tickets start at $32 World-renowned pianist Johnathan Biss channels his deep musical curiosity into performances and projects in the concert hall and beyond, including works by Schubert and a newly commissioned piece by Alvin Singleton.
MOMIX: Public Masterclass Sunday, March 3, 2024, 10 a.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Tickets: $20 Join company dancers for an exclusive public masterclass with MOMIX.
Sun & Sounds | Taylor Glasheen and Nolan McKelvey Band Sunday, March 3, 2024, noon Scottsdale Civic Center Tickets: Free Music by contemporary country singer Taylor Glasheen and Americana/rock artist Nolan McKelvey anchors this free outdoor concert at Scottsdale Civic Center in a laid-back, family-friendly atmosphere with unique artist vendors and cold drinks at the bar.
MOMIX: ALICE Sunday, March 3, 2024, 7 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Tickets start at $46 Seamlessly blending illusion, acrobatics, magic and whimsy, MOMIX sends audiences flying down the rabbit hole in Moses Pendleton’s newest creation, “Alice,” inspired by Lewis Carroll’s classic “Alice in Wonderland.”
Keyboard Conversations®️ with Jeffrey Siegel: Three Great Romantics Tuesday, March 5, 2024, 7:30 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Tickets start at $26 The final Keyboard Conversations concert of the season turns the spotlight on “Three Great Romantics” of classical music: Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Grieg.
Knight Rise at Sunset Wednesday, March 6, 2024, 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 20, 2024, 6:15 p.m. Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art Tickets start at $45 In this illuminating event and workshop, you will experience the sunset inside the James Turrell Skyspace “Knight Rise” at SMoCA.
Phoenix Chorale | Mozart: Requiem with The Lost Birds by Christopher Tin Saturday, March 9, 2024, 8 p.m. Sunday, March 10, 2024, 2 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Tickets start at $23 The Grammy®-winning Phoenix Chorale, led by artistic director Christopher Gabbitas since 2019, is regarded as one of the finest choral ensembles of the western classical tradition in North America.
Outspoken: Poetry Readings in Celebration of International Women’s Day Saturday, March 9, 2024, 1 p.m. Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art Tickets: Free Hear local poets perform original works in celebration of International Women’s Day.
Sun & Sounds | AJ Odneal and The Sugar Thieves Sunday, March 10, 2024, noon Scottsdale Civic Center Tickets: Free Music by AJ Odneal (indie folk) and The Sugar Thieves (Americana) anchors this free outdoor concert at Scottsdale Civic Center in a laid-back, family-friendly atmosphere with unique artist vendors and cold drinks at the bar.
Memory Lounge: Acrylic Pouring Friday, March 15, 2024, 1 p.m. Center Space at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Tickets per couple: $20 Participants will create their own unique masterpieces, suitable for framing. Ann Halvorson, program participant and artist, will lead this workshop.
Gibney PRO: Movement Workshop Friday, March 15, 2024, 6 p.m. Ballet Arizona Tickets per couple: $20 Members of Gibney Company lead a limited-availability repertoire class for advanced dancers.
Gibney Company Saturday, March 16, 2024, 8 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Tickets start at $48 Gibney Company commissions and performs works by renowned and rising international choreographers who are committed to exploring connections between the rigorous physicality of contemporary dance alongside responsive, humanistic storytelling.
Sun & Sounds | Joey Gutos and King Summer Sunday, March 17, 2024, 12 p.m. Scottsdale Civic Center Tickets: Free Music by indie-pop artist Joey Gutos and desert boy band King Summer anchors this free outdoor concert at Scottsdale Civic Center in a laid-back, family-friendly atmosphere with unique artist vendors and cold drinks at the bar.
SFJAZZ Collective Thursday, March 21, 2024, 7:30 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Tickets start at $45 Described as “contemporary jazz’s premier all-star band” by The New York Times, SFJAZZ Collective is celebrating its 10th season by performing a wide selection of material chosen and arranged by the members, from new compositions to timeless classics and everything in between.
Mystery in the Museum Friday, March 22, 2024, 6:30 p.m. Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art Tickets (per couple): $45 Tickets (single): $30 Put your detective caps on to crack these cryptic messages and puzzles, following clues throughout the Museum to investigate this curious caper.
Takács Quartet Friday, March 22, 2024, 8 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Tickets start at $38 In its 49th season, the world-renowned Takács Quartet will perform “Flow,” a new work by Phoenix composer Nokuthula Ngwenyama, alongside compositions from Haydn and Beethoven.
The Seth Rudetsky Concert Series starring Audra McDonald with Seth Rudetsky as music director & host Saturday, March 23, 2024, 8 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Tickets start at $70 Historic six-time Tony Award® winner Audra McDonald reunites with Seth Rudetsky, directly from their sold-out performance at Provincetown Town Hall.
Sun & Sounds | Faun Flora and Treasurefruit Sunday, March 24, 2024, noon Scottsdale Civic Center Tickets: Free Music by dream synth-pop artist Faun Flora and the desert psych-rock band Treasurefruit anchors this free outdoor concert at Scottsdale Civic Center in a laid-back, family-friendly atmosphere with unique artist vendors and cold drinks at the bar.
Scottsdale Symphonic Orchestra Sunday, March 24, 2024, 4 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Tickets start at $15 The Scottsdale Symphonic Orchestra was founded in 2023 to provide highly skilled musicians the opportunity to perform high-caliber live concert events that uplift, inspire and culturally enrich its members and the community.
Library Creatives: Natural Pigment Workshop Thursday, March 28, 2024, 4:30 p.m. Scottsdale Civic Center Library Tickets: Free Sometimes the gorgeous earthen colors can only be replicated by using the very material they are based on. Participants in this workshop will have a chance to creatively play with dirt.
Neko Case with supporting artist Imaad Wasif Friday, March 29, 2024, 8 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Tickets start at $59.50 Bending decades of pop music into new shapes, Neko Case wields her voice like a kiss and her metaphors like a baseball bat. Imaad Wasif will open the show.
LOOKING AHEAD
The ARTrageous Gala | Cosmic Crescendo Saturday, April 6, 2024, 6:30 p.m. Scottsdale Civic Center Witness eclipse-inspired performances blending dance, music and visuals, celebrating the seamless unity of art forms at The ARTrageous Gala | Cosmic Crescendo.
Cycle the Arts Sunday, April 21, 2024, 7:30 a.m. Old Town Scottsdale Join Scottsdale Transportation Services and Scottsdale Public Art for this annual bicycle tour of works in the Scottsdale Public Art Permanent Collection throughout south Scottsdale. Details coming soon.
EXHIBITIONS
Dorothy Fratt: Color Mirage Feb. 3 through July 21, 2024 Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art Admission: $7 to $12 “Color Mirage” is the first major U.S. museum exhibition on the prolific, yet underrecognized, American painter Dorothy Fratt.
Carolina Aranibar-Fernández: Oleaje Feb. 10 through Aug. 4, 2024 Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art Admission: $7 to $12 “Oleaje,” Spanish for “Groundswell,” features new large-scale installation works by Bolivian-born artist Carolina Aranibar-Fernández that map and memorialize the rippling effects of a coercive global trade industry.
Randy Johnson: Storytelling with Photographs Feb. 23 through April 28, 2024 Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Admission: Free Former Major League pitcher Randy Johnson’s new photography exhibition, coinciding with the 2024 Spring Training season, showcases images from his travels.
Roelof Knol: the space in between Sept. 23, 2023, through July 28, 2024 Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art Admission: $7 to $12 In 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.
_____ space Exhibitions Sept. 22, 2023, through July 28, 2024 Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art Admission: free ____ space (blank space) is a new, experimental, flexible space at SMoCA, currently featuring two installations by artists Kenaim Al-Shatti and Roelof Knol.
COLORLOVE Jan. 8 through March 30, 2024 Scottsdale Civic Center Library Admission: Free This community exhibition celebrates the power of the full rainbow of colors. Juried and co-curated by Tucson artist Lex Gjurasic.
Breaking the Binary Oct. 11, 2023, through April 15, 2024 Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Admission: Free Featuring 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 Collection Ongoing Various locations throughout Scottsdale Admission: Free More 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.
For more information about the events, and to order tickets, visit ScottsdaleArts.org.
Scottsdale Arts would like to thank the following sponsors and partners: City of Scottsdale, Billie Jo Herberger, Nationwide, Panasonic Connect, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, SRP, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, AJ’s Fine Foods, Arizona Commission on the Arts, Arizona Community Foundation, Arizona Republic, 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.
Through its dynamic partnership with the city of Scottsdale, the nonprofit Scottsdale Arts creates diverse, inspired arts experiences and outreach opportunities for the community while fostering active engagement with the arts among individuals, businesses, educational institutions and government agencies. Since its founding in 1987, Scottsdale Arts has grown into a regionally and nationally significant, multidisciplinary arts organization, offering an exceptional variety of programs for both residents and visitors through Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Scottsdale Public Art, Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation, Canal Convergence and Civic Center LIVE.
