Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

Photo by Lisa E White

Photo by Scottsdale CVB

The time has come to purchase your season tickets for the 2012-2013 Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.  Tickets are nearly sold out for The Daily Show Tour (with Jon Stewart), Mary Chapin Carpenter, Clint Black and Bill Engvall showing in the 853 seat main auditorium.  The adobe-style building was one of architect Bennie Gonzales's major projects built in 1975 as part of the Civic Center complex.  An additional "Stage 2" was added with an intimate 137-seat theater, and the outdoor amphitheater can hold 1800 viewers.  Over 200 performances make up the annual season with world music, dance and theater performance, and headliners like the ones mentioned above.  A student art gallery called "Young @ Art" is off the newly renovated lobby housing a public art piece, a glass sculpture by Tanaka called Spirit of Camelback.  The lobby also holds great exhibits such as Buddhist monks building a Mandala, 9/11 Memorial Exhibit showing telling the story of each victim, or photo exhibit from our Sister City, Cairns, Australia.  The picture at the top of this blog was of a temporary art piece made out of plastic shopping bags blown up like balloons.  In Scottsdale, even trash can be pretty.