Five Must-See Arts and Culture Events This Week in Metro Phoenix

By Claire Lawton Mon., Mar. 11 2013 at 6:00 AM

Categories: Events

We know: The beginning of the work week sucks. But if you take a quick look at the calendar, you'll see we're off to a pretty good week of art events, sporting events, dance parties, and more. Here are our must-see events from now to the weekend . . .

http://www.logotv.com/shows/rupauls_drag_race/season_5/series.jhtml

Monday, March 11: RuPaul's Drag Race Viewing Party @ The Rock
Reality TV gets a bad rap, and usually for good reason. Fortunately for us tube addicts, most shows aren't as ridiculous as Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Sure, RuPaul's Drag Race can be pretty over the top (especially when queens imitate celebrities in "The Snatch Game"). But who doesn't love seeing an extra-fabulous Paris Hilton or a Puerto Rican queen's attempt at imitating Amy Winehouse's British accent?

The show's fifth season promises more fabulosity than ever, thanks to the bevy of drag queens competing for the honor of being crowned America's next drag superstar. These fierce divas show their skills by making their own glamorous outfits, posing in photo shoots, and lip-synching for their lives -- all to hang in there for another week of the same. The Rock will celebrate the season with a weekly RuPaul's Drag Race viewing party that includes karaoke, bingo, and snacks. -- Melissa Fossum

http://dvrac.asu.edu/exhibits-events/exhibits

Tuesday, March 12: "Changing Landscapes: A Closer Look at Baby Canyon Pueblo" @ Deer Valley Rock Art Center
Reading the bevy of freak-out tweets about cranes dangling, power outages, and blown-off building facades during hashtag Sandy brought us to a simple conclusion: Let's get the eff out of cities and go all Christopher McCandless (minus that whole dying-in-a-bus-in-Alaska thing). Since our mom would never allow such a thing (to this day, we fear dyeing our hair because she'd disapprove), the next best option is heading to Deer Valley Rock Art Center for a dose of remoteness and to scope out "Changing Landscapes: A Closer Look at Baby Canyon Pueblo."

In the exhibit, panoramic photos reveal the canyon, located in the Agua Fria National Monument, and research explains the ways that its prehistoric dwellers adapted to the desert landscape and fed themselves year-round. -- Becky Bartkowski

www.phxart.org

Wednesday, March 13: "Digital Print Fashion" @ Phoenix Art Museum
Though we don't care much for the computerized elements invading our superhero movies, when it comes to the runway we don't mind it so much. In contrast to obviously fake CGI backgrounds and characters, digital printing on textiles can have an intense, beautiful effect that couldn't be achieved otherwise.

With such designers as Alexander McQueen, Ralph Rucci, and Miuccia Prada embracing digitally enhanced fabrics over the past couple decades, the trend has morphed into a fashionable mainstay. To scope out elegant examples of intricately detailed items that employ digital printing, get yourself to Phoenix Art Museum's latest fashion exhibition, "Digital Print Fashion." -- Becky Bartkowski