The Phoenix Art Museum will be open to the public with free museum admission Sunday, February 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for its first Family Funday, where attendees have access to every gallery and exhibition as well as arts-engagement programming suitable for visitors of all ages, interests and abilities.
The museum will host live performances in the galleries, art making demonstrations and hands-on experiences including:
- Premiere of Arc and Incurve by NicoleOlson|MovementChaos (a site-specific dance performance) (@nicoleolsondance)
- Family jams with DJ Aw.Dre (@aw.dre)
- Mini clay sculptures with the Free Little Art Gallery (@freelittleartgalleryphx)
- Sketch the Dino, Jurassic Age, with artist Gabriela Angulo (@gabrielaangulo_)
- Illuminated assemblages with The Walter Hive (@thewalterhive)
- A live musical performance by multidisciplinary artist Oliverio Balcells (@olibalcells)
- Storytime in the Galleries inspired by the artwork of Philip C. Curtis
- Fiber arts demonstration with artist Gloria Martinez-Granados (@borderlesscreative)
- Specialty food and beverage experiences with Palette Restaurant, Oh So Good Mini Donuts Food Truck (@ohsogoodminidonuts) and an afternoon happy hour in the Dorrance Sculpture Garden
- Exclusive ArtSmart Game Lounge for Museum Members
At Sunday's PhxArt Family Funday, Phoenix Art Museum will also unveil the newly restored digital artwork “Julian and Suzanne Walking” (2006) by British artist Julian Opie.
The popular public art installation was taken off view in 2019 due to weather-related wear-and-tear and has since been restored by the museum to represent the artist’s original intent. The restoration was made possible through the generosity of Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust’s “Now is the Moment” Grants Commemoration.
Beginning Sunday, “Julian and Suzanne Walking” will be back on view on the east-facing façade of the museum’s south wing and as part of the Family Funday celebration, museum staff will hand out commemorative pins featuring Opie’s digital work.
“Through the support of Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, Phoenix Art Museum is thrilled to relaunch Julian and Suzanne Walking by British artist Julian Opie, an iconic work gracing the skyline of the downtown Phoenix arts district,” said Jeremy Mikolajczak, the Sybil Harrington director and CEO of Phoenix Art Museum.
“We are grateful to the artist and his studio for their partnership in restoring this beloved artwork. Making art, including large public works, accessible to audiences of all ages and backgrounds is important to Phoenix Art Museum’s mission, and Julian and Suzanne Walking is just one way all metro Phoenicians and visitors can experience a unique artistic expression by a leading contemporary artist.”
First presented at Phoenix Art Museum in 2006, the original installation utilized a digital wall composed of single-strand LED strips, which had to be replaced individually and by hand. The work eventually went off view in 2019, as the dated technology could no longer withstand the harsh Arizona weather conditions, including extreme heat and monsoons. The impact of the pandemic beginning in 2020 further delayed repair of the work.
In 2022, the Phoenix Art Museum began restoring the digital artwork in cooperation with Opie and his studio, which included a global search for the appropriate technology needed to ensure the work could withstand the Arizona climate and enjoy a permanent installation as part of the Central Phoenix skyline.
The reinstalled work will utilize a new, custom-designed, weatherproof LED screen that will bring Opie’s vivid and animated scene back to life. Its restoration was made possible through the deep generosity of Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust. In 2021, the museum was awarded an unanticipated $4 million grant through Piper Trust’s “Now is the Moment” Grants Commemoration, a single-day investment of $123 million in Maricopa County’s nonprofit community.
“One of my earliest animated public commissions, Julian and Suzanne Walking, was drawn some 18 years ago,” Opie said. “I vividly remember standing on East McDowell Road, coffee in hand, shading my eyes in the baking heat and watching them walk for the first time. It’s just as exciting today to have the work back up again after an extended collaboration to update the screen.
“Making artworks is one thing, but siting and installing them in specific situations is almost as important,” he continued. “The low desert horizon and long sitelines of the straight roads of Phoenix make a perfect position for the work. I’m very grateful to Phoenix Art Museum for their generous and ambitious invitation, to Jan and Howard Hendler, the original sponsors of the work and to Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, who has sponsored the renovation.”
Opie’s artworks are in museum collections around the world, including the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston; the Museum of Modern Art in New York; the Stedelijk Museum; the National Portrait Gallery in London; the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo; Tate Gallery; and Phoenix Art Museum, among others.
“We are fortunate to have the internationally recognized artist Julian Opie’s energizing artwork returning to the Phoenix skyline,” said Mary Jane Rynd, president and CEO of Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust. “It is a symbolic piece for all to celebrate as we get back to going out and experiencing the distinct artistic offerings there are throughout Maricopa County.”
For more information about or to register for the PhxArt Family Funday on Sunday, Feb. 26, visit phxart.org/events.
