First Friday at PhxArt
June 5 | 5–8 pm
TICKETS: Voluntary Donations, begins at 5pm
Join us at Phoenix Art Museum for the Matriarch Mixer, presented in collaboration with the Indigenous Community Collaborative and inspired by Cara Romero: Panûpünüwügai (Living Light).
"We are the story. The light. The lineage."
Rooted in this powerful theme, visitors are invited to explore identity, resilience, and community through immersive activities, storytelling, and shared experiences. Inspired by Romero’s exploration of light as a carrier of memory, this space is open to all to reflect, participate, and connect through art.
Schedule of Events:
- 5:15–6 pm | Commission Reveal with Cara Romero
- 6–7 pm | Open Mic with Rashaad Thomas
- 7–7:45 pm | Bird Singing Performance in the Dorrance Sculpture Garden
Throughout the Evening:
- Move through a space inspired by Cara Romero: Panûpünüwügai (Living Light) and reflect on presence and connection
- Share your story through a short video prompt and contribute to a living archive created live during First Friday
- Visit the Journal Prompt Writing Table with Sketchclub Cafe to add a drawing or written reflection centered on lineage and memory
- Live Music with DJ J-ME LEE
- Local food vendors and drinks available for purchase
- Docent-Led Tours at 5:30 +6:30 pm
About the Matriarch Mixer
The Matriarch Mixer is a 100% Indigenous, women-led networking experience designed for Indigenous women-owned businesses, entrepreneurs, and professionals. Rooted in sisterhood and cultural identity, the event is co-hosted by Indigenous Community Collaborative alongside fellow business owners Turquoise Devereaux (Indigenous Skye Consulting), Mikenzi Dupree (Still She Lives), Jillian Waln (Konekted Media), Katherine Jacobs (Art by Walela), Roshan Spottsville (Roshan Spottsville Photography), and Carol Deed (Generations 4 Change).
The mixer indigenizes the traditional professional networking space by incorporating a meaningful earring exchange activity that centers relationship-building. This initiative is an extension of Indigenous Community Collaborative's broader mission: advancing economic opportunity for Indigenous entrepreneurs while holding firm to the belief that culture and economy are inseparable. By rejecting the false choice between professional advancement and cultural identity, they build platforms that expand access to opportunity while remaining accountable to the communities and ancestors who ground their work.
Separate tickets are required to view special exhibitions Eric Fischl: Stories Told and Florentine Baroque: The Haukohl Collection at an additional cost. Click HERE to purchase special exhibition tickets.
Not a member yet? Click here to join.
First Fridays are made possible through the generosity of APS, with additional support from Arizona Community Foundation.