This is a curated list of weekly events around the Phoenix area for April 15-21.
Calendar listings include public events and attractions from around the Valley and state. Confirm information before making plans by calling the listed phone number, or check each website for last minute confirmation or cancellations. Information for EVENTS should be submitted at least eight weeks before the first of the month it is to be published. Log on to phgmag.com/calendar-submission.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Phoenix Home & Garden’s Garden Tour
April 20

The pages of PHOENIX’s sister publication come to life as patrons enjoy exclusive access to a curated selection of the Valley’s most enchanting home gardens during this annual self-guided tour. Attendees will also have the unique opportunity to mingle with Phoenix Home & Garden’s editorial staff as well as architects and designers featured in the magazine. VIP, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; GA, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $85-$125, Various Valley locations, phgmag.com

Walk with Wildlife Tour
Through April 30

Have lunch with the lions as you enjoy a guided tour of the animal sanctuary filled with native wildlife, including Mexican gray wolves, bobcats, coyotes, mule deer and black bears. Tu-Sa, call for times. $35, adults; $25, children 3-12; $10 for children under 3. Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center, 27026 N. 156th St., Scottsdale, 480-471-3621, southwestwildlife.org

ARTS & CULTURE

Multiple Realities: Experimental Art in the Eastern Bloc, 1960-1980s
Beginning April 17

Between the ’60s and the ’80s, Central-Eastern European creatives were forced to modify how they produced art under the rigid control of the state. The result is genuinely experimental works that show how trails are blazed, even when an artist’s spirit is pressed under the thumb of the government. Call for times and ticket prices. Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, (602) 257-1880, phxart.org

Artistic Vision
Through June 1
Are the answers to the metaphysical questions we continually ask ourselves found in art or nature?  The selections in this exhibition, featuring works by painter Tim Bhajjan and photographer Charlie Gaskill, among others, acknowledge that it might be both. Tues.–Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Desert Artisans Gallery, 6536 E. Tanque Verde Road, Tucson, (520) 722-4412, desertartisansgallery.com

Cruising: The Lowrider Art Exhibit
Through June 8
For the drivers behind the wheels of beautifully designed vehicles, it’s more than just a car. It’s an expression of their personality and culture. You can see these airbrushed and pin-striped expressions on display in photos, painted vehicles and graffiti at this celebration of this artistic hobby. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.– 5 p.m.; Sat., 12-5 p.m., Vision Gallery, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler, visiongallery.org

Carolina Aranibar-Fernández: Oleaje
Through August 4
The hidden consequences of exploiting natural resources are depicted in the San Francisco-based artist’s exhibition using intensive processes, including etching, sewing, cutting and printing. The result is colorfully executed artwork featuring beautifully translated cartography and topography. Call for times and ticket prices. Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, 7374 E. Second St., Scottsdale, (480) 874-4666, smoca.org

Sarah Zapata: Beneath the breath of the sun
Through July 24
The Texas-born artist, who wove the works in this exhibition during her residency with CALA Alliance late last year, visualizes the discord between unconventional art and identity and the traditional aspects of design. Call for times. ASU Art Museum, 51 E. 10th St., Tempe, (480) 965-2787, asuartmuseum.asu.edu 

Transcendent Geometries
Through May 25

Shapes and patterns can tell a story, much like a photograph or a painting. Ato Ribeiro, Carrie Marill and Andy Burgess are artists working within the limitations of mathematics and their materials to send a powerful message or share a personal truth. Tues.-Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sat., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Opening reception, March 4, 12-3 p.m. Lisa Sette Gallery, 210 E. Catalina Drive, Phoenix, (480) 990-7342, lisasettegallery.com

Storytelling with Photographs
Through April 28

Randy Johnson has never forgotten his passion for photography. Since the Diamondback pitcher retired in 2010, he’s been spotted with a camera on the sidelines of football fields and racetracks or in the mosh pit taking shots of musicians. This exhibition of his work will feature his stunning wildlife photography while on several African safaris. The opening will take place on Feb. 23 from 6-8 p.m. Check website for exhibition hours. The Center Space Gallery is inside Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. 2nd St., Scottsdale, (480) 499-8587, scottsdaleartslearning.org

Barbie: A Cultural Icon
Through July 7

On the heels of the hit movie, the Phoenix Art Museum’s exhibition, created by Illusion Projects and Mattel, Inc., gives visitors a real sense of the doll’s place in art, design and pop culture over decades. Visitors can even get their picture taken next to a life-size Barbie Mirror-Pink Corvette. Call for times and ticket prices. 1625 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, (602) 257-1880, phxart.org

Dorothy Fratt: Color Mirage
Now through July 21

The term “underrated” gets needlessly thrown around, but it certainly applies to Valley painter Dorthy Fratt. The artist helped commission the public sculpture “Windows to the West” by Louise Nevelson in Scottsdale while her work blazed its own trail in abstraction. “Color Mirage” is the first U.S. exhibition celebrating her art, which coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. Call for times and ticket prices. Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, 7374 E. Second St., Scottsdale, (480) 874-4666, smoca.org

• Search for more Valley Events here!
• Information for EVENTS should be submitted at least eight weeks before the first of the month it is to be published. phgmag.com/calendar-submission

EVENTS COMING SOON…