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| - Whoa. Like whoa.
I remember when this place was exasperatedly termed the "Phoenix Art Mausoleum," and it was a moniker that wasn't totally inaccurate: There were a few treasures (like the Asian Art collection), but it was renowned for its overall schlockiness (oh God, so many awful cowboy paintings), poor means of display, and general half-assedness. A couple times a year it might get a traveling exhibition of limited note. Especially for a venue bathing in the RoRo vibes, it was often a disappointment. The teeny tiny ASU Art Museum was a far better place to see art--especially contemporary art--and see it displayed well.
And then... Things Changed. The museum's long-term director retired, a new one was hired, and this year we're finally seeing the best fruits of that shakeup. Lately it's been a non-stop calendar of fresh art and great events, things are hung with care and curated in interesting ways that make a modicum of sense, and exhibits are doing a far better job of engaging "non-art people."
Perhaps most exciting of all, though, is that the museum has stepped back from its previous trend of putting large distances between viewers and the art: Displays of many things have been redesigned to let you get a hair's breadth from the pieces while still protecting them. Obnoxiously reflective and distorting encasements have been entirely removed from others. Before it was grandma's house with plastic slipcovers and doilies on everything; now it's an art museum.
If you've never been, go. If you've previously gone and hated it, go. If you went last week, go. Go, go, go, and support the museum's transformation into a beautiful butterfly.
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