Making Meaning of Place and Space

ASU Art Museum invited Eddy Doumas and Kelly Kussman to be its first collaborators for Making Meaning of Place and Space, a new initiative that reimagines the museum experience extending beyond the galleries and reflecting the spirit of where the museum is sited.  Eddy Doumas, Founder of Galerie Town, worked with Marco Betancourt, co-founder of Mexa Design, to transform the museum’s covered entry courtyard. Kelly Kussman, founder and CEO of local fragrance house Cayla Gray, partnered with the museum to create “Ceremony,” a signature scent that captures the raw, breathtaking essence of the Sonoran Desert, with notes of smoked clove, sage, palo santo and yucca  — a sensory experience that turns the museum into an immersive landscape. The initiative demonstrates the museum’s guiding design principles that define its identity, guide its decisions, and frame its contribution to public life: Honoring people through objects;  one museum, many places; and people-powered practice. Learn more about the initiative.

Latinx Art in the Metro-Phoenix

ASU Art Museum Senior Curator Alana Hernandez moderated a panel on “Growth and Development of Latinx Art in the Metro-Phoenix Region and Beyond.”  

The panel focused on Latinx art and contemporary trends within the field, with particular attention to regional artists. The discussion explored how institutional support and how Latinx artists from the Latin American and Caribbean diaspora play a vital role in shaping the cultural landscape of the United States.

The panel, which was part of Scottsdale Ferrari Art Week, featured artists Estephania Gonzàlez, Isela “Chela” Meraz Rodríguez, and Alejandro Macias.

Black Arts and Culture Council Lecture Series

The ASU Art Museum launched the Visionary Lecture Series as part of the Black Arts and Culture Council. Since then, the series has welcomed internationally renowned artists Rick Lowe and Derek Fordjour. Both lectures took place on the Tempe campus, followed by a Q&A session with the senior curator, student artist studio visits to Grant Street Studios in Downtown Phoenix and a Q&A lunch with students in the School of Art.

2024-25 by the numbers

As the ASU Art Museum closed out the 2024-25 year, it celebrated the contributions of its staff, board members and artists in making this museum community-driven, accessible and forward-thinking. The successes included: 

Hispanic Heritage Month

In 2024, the ASU Art Museum played a central role in launching Arizona State University’s Hispanic Heritage Month, as its work continues to prioritize artists and stories that reflect the communities it serves.

The museum opened the month with Día de Independencias, a public program recognizing the independence movements of several Latin American countries.  It also  opened “Tierras Reimaginadas: Migration,” an exhibition inspired by the groundbreaking ideas in Sonia Shah’s “Next Great Migration: The Beauty and Terror of Life on the Move.” This exhibition positions movement not as a crisis, but as the natural, historical and essential rhythm of all life.

“José Villalobos: Rough Rider” photo courtesy of the artist. 

Latinx Art in the Metro-Phoenix photo courtesy of Hernadez. 

IRL XP Liu Shiming Art Foundation courtesy of ASU Art Museum. 

Black Arts and Culture Council Lecture Series photo courtesy of Lowe. 

Hispanic Heritage Month photos by Tim Trumble. 

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