Staff Reports | Happenings & Events
Scottsdale Arts will present a series of events, programs and performances throughout April, marking the close of a milestone season and the arrival of spring.
The organization concluded the 50th anniversary season of Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts with The ARTrageous Gala on April 11.
The center hosted performances during the month, including Americana duo Drew and Ellie Holcomb on April 19, and the contemporary dance showcase “HOMEGROWN” on April 25.
Visual art programming continues with the opening of a new exhibition at Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation, titled “Nancy Kravetz: Color Forms the Day.” Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art will also host two Glow Up @ SMoCA events in April: a sound bath with Melinda Milton on April 9 and a gentle yoga session inside Squidsoup’s “Infinite” installation on April 23.
PERFORMANCES AND EVENTS
Nancy Kravetz: Color Forms the Day Opening Reception
Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 5 p.m.
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
Tickets: Free
Join the artist, curator and others associated with the exhibition during a free opening reception for “Nancy Kravetz: Color Forms the Day.”
Mystery in the Museum @SMoCA: Brushstrokes and Buried Secrets
Friday, April 17, 2026, 6:30 p.m.
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
Tickets: $25
It’s time to put on your detective caps to crack these puzzles and follow the clues throughout the museum to investigate this curious caper.
Cycle the Arts – 20th Anniversary!
Sunday, April 19, 2026, 7 a.m.
Arabian Library
Tickets: Free
Join Scottsdale Public Art and the city of Scottsdale in celebrating the 20th anniversary of Cycle the Arts! This free public art tour via bicycle offers participants the chance to see multiple public artworks throughout Scottsdale.
Drew & Ellie Holcomb – Never Gonna Let You Go Tour
Sunday, April 19, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
Tickets start at $55
Drew and Ellie Holcomb blend heartfelt intimacy, musical storytelling and harmonic craft, turning their signature brand of Americana into a celebration of togetherness and family.
Glow Up @SMoCA: Gentle Yoga
Thursday, April 23, 2026, 7 p.m.
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
Tickets: $25
Go with the flow and relax in this gentle yoga class led by Melinda Milton inside the immersive light exhibition “Squidsoup · Infinite.” This yoga practice is open to all levels and encourages mindfulness and self-awareness through gentle movement and breathwork.
HOMEGROWN | An Arizona Choreographer Showcase
Saturday, April 25, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
Scottsdale Center for Performing Art
Tickets start at $20
“HOMEGROWN” is a full-length evening dedicated to celebrating the strength and creativity of Arizona’s rich choreographic landscape. This inaugural program highlights four accomplished choreographers: Liliana Gomez, Alicia Nascimento, Candy Jimenez and Halley Willcox.
The Wood Brothers
Thursday, April 30, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
Tickets start at $50
With an adventurous blend of folk, blues and soul, The Wood Brothers’ deeply grounded sound is built on upright bass grooves, elastic rhythms and lived-in harmonies. Singer-songwriter Olive Klug opens.
LOOKING AHEAD
David Sedaris
Saturday, May 2, 2026, 8 p.m.
Orpheum Theatre
Tickets start at $50
Witness a masterclass in observational storytelling from the author of “Me Talk Pretty One Day,” delivered with intimate candor, sharp comedy and precise timing.
AJ’s ’s The Art of Wine: Summer to Impress
Saturday, May 16, 2026, 1 p.m.
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
Tickets start at $45
This year, the annual wine tasting is elevated into a stylish summer soirée, inspired by the colors, flavors and effortless elegance of the season.
EXHIBITIONS
Nancy Kravetz: Color Forms the Day
April 3 through June 14, 2026
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
Admission: Free
With a career spanning seven decades, Nancy Kravetz has continually explored how form and color can be organized to create meaning.
Teaching Artists
Jan. 30 through April 19, 2026
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
Free
“Teaching Artists” reflects on the connections formed through shared creative processes, emphasizing how art can foster a strong sense of community and belonging.
Mark + Making | Selections from the SMoCA Collection
Currently On View
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
Admission: $10 to $16
Featuring drawings, paintings, prints and sculpture from SMoCA’s collection, “Mark + Making” explores the use of marks, gestures and line to build form and shape ideas in contemporary artistic practice.
Tender Alchemy: Beth Ames Swartz and Julianne Swartz
March 21 through Aug. 23, 2026
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
Admission: $10 to $16
“Tender Alchemy” presents the works of mother and daughter artists whose distinct practices are united by a shared devotion to transformation.
• Squidsoup • Infinite •
June 28, 2025, through Aug. 30, 2026
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
Admission: $10 to $16
Enter “Infinite” and be surrounded by hundreds of illuminated spheres that form a symphony of notes.
SMoCA _____ space Installations
March 8 through Sep. 7, 2025
Oct. 11, 2025, through March 8, 2026
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
Free
In “Pathfinding,” Evan Roth reflects a search for slowness, light and warmth, using the sky above Scottsdale as both source and inspiration.
Scottsdale Public Art Permanent Collection
Ongoing
Various locations throughout Scottsdale
Free
More than 160 artworks, many of them large-scale sculptures, can be found throughout the city at parks, in public facilities and along the streets.
