Photo by Becky Bartkowski

Phoenix is undergoing a beautification process. That's what Kate Saunders, Phoenix Hostel & Cultural Center's volunteer coordinator, calls it.

"There's more commissioned art work, more bright colors and simple figures," Saunders says regarding the current state of Phoenix's ever-changing mural scene. That constant change inspired Saunders to plan and lead a mural tour on Sunday, May 26.

See also:
Should Artists Paint Murals for Free?
Defaced Mural on Roosevelt Row Causes Public Art Debate

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Courtesy of Phoenix Design Week

Designers and design lovers, mark your calendars because Phoenix Design Week 2013 is officially just a few months away.

From October 18 to 25, Design Week events -- including workshops, training sessions, and parties -- will draw out the region's best designers and bring a lineup of speakers to the Valley. This year, in the Phoenix Design Week Conference will be renamed the Method & Madness conference, a "celebration of the crazy and inspiring beauty of the design process" followed by training and workshops teaching practical approaches.

See also:
Letterpress Type Caster Sky Shipley Talks Tradition and the Importance of Preserving the Art Form in this Week's New Times
PEDAL CRAFT PHX Celebrates Design, Bicycles, and Downtown Community on April 20

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The Hive

Residents of the historic Coronado District are usually pretty proud to tell you where they live. The neighborhood located just outside downtown Phoenix is home to 1920s bungalows and 1940s ranch homes, one of the larger city parks, plus a plethora of diverse businesses and residents, including artists.

In recognition of its talented neighborhood artists, The Hive is looking for Coronado-based creative types to showcase their work at the "2013 Greater Coronado Art Show," which will open on Third Friday this September.

See also:
Phoenix Art Museum Announces 2013 Contemporary Forum Award Winners
Changes at Bragg's Pie Factory Include Smaller Gallery Space and (Finally) Pie

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Claire Lawton

Heads up, letterpress lovers. If you want to attend the first-ever Phoenix Wayzgoose, hosted by the Amalgamated Printers' Association from June 5 through 9, your registration is due today.

Letterpress Central co-founder and local artist Cindy Iverson says that registrants can drop off their forms and payment ($25 to $75) at Letterpress Central in downtown Chandler, but forms that are postmarked May 23 will also be accepted.

See also:
Letterpress Is All the Rage -- and Part of Its History Is Being Preserved in Arizona
The Phoenix Wayzgoose: A Celebration of Letterpress (and Swap Meet/Auction of Goods!)
Slideshow: Skyline Type Foundry's Sky Shipley is on a Mission to Keep Letterpress Alive

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© Sam Urdank 2012/Netflix

If you've been depressed since 2006, when Arrested Development was infamously cancelled, because you were left with only three (increasingly shorter) seasons, chances are you're looking forward to Sunday, May 26, when Netflix brings back the beloved show for a fourth season.

Welcome Diner will screen all 15 episodes of the new season that day, giving AD fans the chance to gather in celebration of the series' resurrection and watch all or some of the episodes with fellow fans. Obviously, chocolate-covered bananas and cornballs will be involved, as well as a costume contest.

See also:
Arrested Development Season Four Trailer: Michael Bluth Comes to Phoenix
Seven Must-Attend Memorial Day Weekend Parties and Events in Metro Phoenix
Good Gravy! Welcome Diner in Downtown Phoenix Serves Up Southern Charm

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Benjamin Leatherman

A trio of geek girls partying after dark during last year's Phoenix Comicon.

If there are a few pieces of helpful advice we can impart to people attending Phoenix Comicon, which kicks off less than 24 hours from now, it's these tips: Drink plenty of fluids, take frequent opportunities to rest, and know your physical limits.

Not only will it help the body endure the hours of hiking to events at the Phoenix Convention Center and nearby hotels, but it will allow you enough energy to partake in any of the nightlife events or after-parties (both official and unofficial) that will occur over Comicon weekend. That includes the seven different events that will go down at places like the Hyatt and Renaissance, as well as at other nearby venues after the Exhibitor Hall closes at night.

See Also:
- 10 Must-See Events at Phoenix Comicon 2013
- Cara Nicole (a.k.a. AZ Powergirl) and Her Superheroine Cosplay
- Doctor Who and Torchwood's John Barrowman Talks Phoenix Comicon, the Face of Boe, and Chasing Down The Bionic Woman

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Benjamin Leatherman

Partiers at a recent Relentless Beach event at El Santo in Scottsdale.

Anyone planning to party this coming weekend should be thankful that Monday, May 26, is Memorial Day (a national holiday) and wherever they happen to work is gonna be closed for business. That's because they're probably gonna need that entire 24-hour stretch to recover from whatever shenanigans transpire during the preceding two days and three nights.

Memorial Day weekend is going to be filled with activities and adventures, whether you happen to be dropping by Phoenix Comicon in downtown Phoenix, attending a backyard barbecue, or getting in some nightlife action at a local club. For those seeking distractions in the form of the latter, perhaps partaking in a pool party or two, or having fun in the drinking or dancing vein, we've assembled a rundown of several worthwhile events happening around metro Phoenix both on Saturday, May 25, and Sunday, May 26.

See Also:
- Five Must-Attend Arts and Culture Events This Week in Metro Phoenix
- 10 Must-See Events at Phoenix Comicon 2013

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Melissa Fossum

Spanish Fly Pool Party in Scottsdale, 5/18/13
Scottsdale swimmers cooled down at Daylife Saturdays, Spanish Fly's free weekly pool party. We spotted plenty of bikini babes on Saturday, May 18.

See also:
Pot Smokers Are Skinnier, and Here's Why
Five Must-Attend Arts and Culture Events This Week in Metro Phoenix

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Modern Phoenix Facebook

Each week, Jackalope Ranch brings you a free event, workshop, or you-name-it happening in Phoenix. Because sometimes the best things in life really are free.

As the saying goes, home is where the heart history is, and whether you missed the Modern Phoenix home tour last month or your love of Lloyd knows no bounds, this week's freebie is for you.

This Saturday from 3 to 4 p.m. local history buffs and Midcentury Modern enthusiasts are invited to stop by Burton Barr Central Library for "Mid-Century Modern Architecture in Phoenix," the final presentation in Phoenix Icons:  The Art of Our Historic Landmarks, a free lecture series hosted by Artworks Culture Connects and the city of Phoenix.

See also:
Endangered Wright House Is Phoenix Architecture Worth Preserving
Alison King's Modern Phoenix Home

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coopstuff.com

One of the many devils drawn by hot rod art king Coop.

Lulubell Toy Bodega co-owner Amy Del Castillo has an important piece of advice for anyone who's planning to attend tomorrow night's appearance by the Baby Tattoo Roadshow at the Mesa boutique: Come early.

That's because the four popular and highly influential artists who are participating in the tour -- rockabilly culture king Coop, macabre illustrator Gris Grimly, surreal-meets-swanky graphic designer Ragnar, and bizarrely beautiful doll maker Marina Bychkova -- are almost certain to draw a crowd during their stop at Lulubell on Tuesday, May 21. Plus, Del Castillo says, they'll be at the shop for a mere two hours. Better heed her advice and be plenty punctual.

See Also:
- Best Place to Buy Vinyl Toys - 2012: Lulubell Toy Bodega
- Ten Favorite Places to Geek Out in Phoenix

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