Megan Perry's "Overwhelming Excitement" is among the pieces in the first art gallery at Maricopa Public Library. Submitted

Two art exhibits are opening this month with the same theme: “Vivid Color.”

The Maricopa Artists Gallery at City Hall will be the third in a series that started in December 2015. It displays across a narrow corridor next to council chambers. The show opens with a reception Sept. 6 at 5:45 p.m. and closes Dec. 19.

The opening coincides with a city council work session, which is scheduled to start at 6 p.m., followed by a regular session at 7 p.m.

Dan Beach, executive director of Maricopa Center for Entrepreneurship, which co-hosts the galleries with the Maricopa Art Council, said he expects works from 12-15 local artists to be on display.

That is just the beginning of Maricopa art for the month.

For the first time, Maricopa Public Library is hosting a gallery. Though the art is going up now, the official opening reception is Sept. 9 at 6:30 p.m. Because the art is displayed high on the walls above the conference rooms, the selected pieces are few and large.

The opening will also be an open-mic evening of poetry by adults.
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The events are part of “Got Arts, Maricopa,” an expo to promote local artists and performers through a series of events. It was launched with a Poetry Slam at Honeycutt Coffee Aug. 25 and continues through the spring.

GOT ARTS, MARICOPA Fall/Winter Schedule
Sept. 4        Maricopa Artists Gallery at City Hall
Sept. 9        Inaugural Gallery and Adult Open Mic Poetry Evening at Maricopa Public Library
Sept. 22-24    Maricopa Community Theatre teen production of “An Ideal Husband”
Oct. 13-15    Maricopa Community Theatre Mainstage world premier of “Passing Strange”
Oct. 22        Performing Arts Gala at MHS Performing Arts Center with orchestra, chorus and dancers
Nov. 4        Kids’ Poetry Slam at Maricopa Public Library
Nov. 5        Art on the Veranda at The Duke at Rancho El Dorado
        Maricopa High School Theatre production
Nov. 18        World Music Showcase at Copper Sky with Taiko ensemble and Ak-Chin band and dancers
Dec. 3        DSPA Dance Company’s annual Sugar Plum Tea
Dec. 6        Maricopa High School end-of-term concert
Dec. 9        Maricopa Chorus Holiday Concert
Dec. 16        Maricopa Music Circle Chamber Orchestra Winter Serenade
January (TBA)    Studio Crawl 1: Drive-yourself tour of artist studios
Jan. 14        Maricopa Community Theatre Mainstage production of “Little Women”
Jan. 28        Adult Poetry Slam
Dates are tentative


This story appears in the September issue of InMaricopa.