Did you know Mesa is the third largest city in Arizona and the 38th largest in the country? ...Well, did ya, punk? I have to admit I didn't even know Mesa was even a separate community from Phoenix until I drove about 45 minutes from my hotel to get here. The performing arts theater is the main draw, but I heard the museum was something to do for free, and I'm all for free in an evolving on-demand economy where demands can change on a dime. There's a lot of Southwestern-style sprawl out here, and the center is an oasis of modern artistic expression in an otherwise suburban desert.
The architectural touches are nice, especially the streaming fountains and waterways (photo: http://bit.ly/2IQiRJA) and the way the cacti and trees are integrated into the design (photo: http://bit.ly/2pErRZh). The subterranean museum itself was quite modest with just three small galleries open the evening I was there. The focus appeared to be on local artists who created quite a bit of glass art (photo: http://bit.ly/2ufEhN5). As you can see, there's a fine line between art and a Pottery Barn catalog, but the courtyard was a fine social space dominated by a spray-painted mural, El Mac's "Desert Rose" (photo: http://bit.ly/2I3OTAx). Take a look.