This is our curated list of maker/artist/explorer events across the U.S. coming up in the next few months – starting today!

+Arizona

Now – Mar 27 Michelangelo: Sacred and Profane Masterpiece Drawings from the Casa Buonarroti

Phoenix Art Musuem. Rare drawings from the renowned collection of Michelangelo’s former residence in Florence, Italy, including figurative studies and architectural drawings. Read about a past exhibit at the Phoenix Art Museum (and how not to get lost on the second floor).

Mar 10-18 Annual Art Detour

Phoenix. Self-guided tour of studios in Phoenix Arts District.

• Mar 10 5-9pm: Art d’Core Gala in Hance Park. Celebration and arts showcase.
• Mar 18 6-10pm: Third Friday Art Detour Preview Night.
• Mar 19-20: Art Detour

Mar 10-24 Spring Out to Lunch Concert Series

12:30pm Thursdays in the Wells Fargo Garden at Mesa Arts Center. Free concerts.

Mar 11 – Apr 6 Craft Classes at the Arboretum

Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Superior. Whether or not you take a class, it’s a lovely place to spend the day.

• Gourd Art: Apr 6. Basic gourd art for beginners.
• Terrarium: Mar 11 + Mar 12. Choose your succulents and create an indoor garden. Walk-in class.

Mar 12 Southwest Maker Fest

12-7pm in Downtown Mesa. Read about a previous SWMF or my travel journal workshop.

• I’ll be presenting “Make an Upcycled Art Travel Journal!” at 4:15pm at the i.d.e.a. museum.
• Full event schedule.

Mar 14 CraftHack

6pm at Gangplank Chandler. Meet other artists and crafters and learn something new or bring your own project to work on! This month, we’ll be painting with coffee!

Mar 29 Macayo’s Tequila Dinner

5:30pm at Macayo’s Mexican Grill & Cantina, Scottsdale. Read our review of the redesigned Macayo’s Scottsdale.

April 1 Ignite Phoenix

6:30pm Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.
5-minute presentations on a variety of topics people are passionate about.

April 7-14 Phoenix Film Festival

Harkins Scottsdale/101 Theatre. The biggest film festival in Arizona.

Now – Apr 3 Arizona Fine Art EXPO

26540 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. 100 artists set up shop under big tents in Scottsdale for 10 weeks. Also cafe, sculpture garden, and weekend music.

Now – Apr 30 Arcosanti Resident Art Show

Arcosanti, near Cordes Junction. Art by Arcosanti residents and alumni for sale. The day we had breakfast at Arcosanti was also during an art show. Work for sale included jewelry, photography, and mixed media pieces.

Jun 2 – 5 Phoenix Comicon

Phoenix Convention Center. Convention for fans of pop culture. Check out our guide for newbies!

+California

Mar 17-19 Quilt, Craft & Sewing Festival.

Sacramento. Read about our experience at the Phoenix show.

Apr 2-16 Parallel Print Shop

San Anselmo.

• Spoon Carving: April 2 11-2pm. Carving your own wooden spoon using traditional Japanese tools and techniques.
• Modern Needlework Tapestry: April 16 3-6p. Modern needlework as home decor.

Aug 4 – 6 #BlogHer16: Experts Among Us

JW Marriott LA Live, Los Angeles, CA. BlogHer annual conference.

+Colorado

Mar 20 Continuity and Creativity: Andean Tapestries in the Catholic Church

2:30-4:30pm at Denver Art Museum. Art History professor Maya Stanfield-Mazzi will discuss the tapestries made by 16th- and 17th-century Inca weavers who brought Inca traditions to imported textiles.

Mar 31-Apr 2 Quilt, Craft & Sewing Festival

Denver. Read about our experience at the Phoenix show.

+New York

Apr 14 – 16 Rochester Film Fest

Rochester. The World’s Oldest, Continuously Held Short Film Festival. Free admission.

Now – May 1 Artistic Furniture of the Gilded Age

Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC. Rockefeller-Worsham Dressing Room now open in Gallery 742 of The American Wing. While you’re there, listen to the “Gallery 742” episode of the Memory Palace commissioned for the exhibition.

+Tennessee

May 6 – 8 Spring Tennessee Craft Fair

Centennial Park, Nashville. Craft, food from local vendors, kid-friendly activities, and demonstrations from artisans.

+Virginia

Mar 16 – 20 Virginia Festival of the Book

Various locations in Charlottesville/Albemarle County. A week of readings and discussions, book signings, film screenings, and performances.

Mar 23 – Apr 20 UVA Personal Enrichment Classes

University of Virginia, Charlottesville. Noncredit, evening courses for the community from the School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Learn more about the UVA from our post on Charlottesville.

• Advanced Digital Photography: Advanced concepts for experienced DSLR photographers with field trips to Ash Lawn-Highland.

+Washington DC

Now – TBA Life in One Cubic Foot

Natural History Museum. Interactive exhibition about the marine life that can be found in one cubic foot of water during a 24-hour period.

Mar 16 Afternoon Silver Tea

2:30–4:30pm at the Residence of the Ambassador of Japan. The Women’s Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts organizes a presentation on the art of the Japanese Tea and a special viewing of Japanese tea utensils and Hester Bateman silver. To be followed by afternoon tea. Reservations are required.

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Photo credits:

Michelangelo drawing via Phoenix Art Museum 

Ignite Phoenix logo via Ignite Phoenix

Phoenix Film Festival logo via Phoenix Film Festival

Gilded Age chair via Metropolitan Museum of Art

Tennessee paper boat by my friend Michelle.

Other photos by me.