Kellie Hwang

The Republic | azcentral.com

In the summer months, most museums in metro Phoenix don't host new major art exhibitions openings, saving those for the fall and spring. This can be tough for art lovers looking for their cultural fix.

Luckily, there's a wide variety of museums across the state to visit, exhibiting art ranging from contemporary to Western to Native. So if you're thinking about taking a weekend trip to beat the heat, or just want to soak up some more culture, consider these exhibits.

'Rose Cabat at 100: A Retrospective Exhibition of Ceramics'

This exhibit showcases works from ceramacist Rose Cabat, who lives in Tucson, in celebration of her 100th birthday in June. Cabat is one of the most important ceramic artists of the Midcentury Modern movement, and the exhibit surveys her innovative works from the 1960s to today.

Details: Through Sunday, Sept. 14. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesdays; noon-5 p.m. Sundays. Tucson Museum of Art, 140 N. Main Ave. $10; $8 for seniors; $5 for students with ID; free for age 18 and younger, military and museum members. 520-624-2333, tucsonmuseumofart.org.

'Fate and Fulfillment: Selections From the William Small Collection'

William Small's father owned the Tucson Daily Citizen, where William eventually became publisher. After amassing a fortune from the sale of the newspaper, Small collected about 700 pieces of contemporary art over 20 years. A cancer diagnosis prompted him to hire a local curator to make sure his works found new homes in museums and institutions. This exhibit features works by contemporary American and European artists, including Robert Cocke, Ferran Garcia Sevilla and Chuck Connelly.

Details: Through Monday, Aug. 25. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, noon-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The University of Arizona Museum of Art, 1031 N. Olive Road, Tucson. $5; free for children, museum members, military members, students with ID, faculty and staff members. 520-621-7567, artmuseum.arizona.edu.

'Blueprint'

This exhibition brings together artists and architects, challenging them to create works using the blueprint module to explore the origins of their practice. Launched in 1999 as a low-budget DIY project, "Blueprint" showcases the growing maturity and creativity of the participants.

Details: Through Sunday, Sept. 21. Noon-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays. Museum of Contemporary Art Tucson, 265 S. Church Ave. $8; free for museum members, teens and age 16 or younger and military members. 520-624-5019, moca-tucson.org.

'From Above: Images of Storied Land'

Daring photographer Adriel Heisey showcases his aerial pictures in this exhibit. Heisey's hand-built fixed-wing flying machines allow him to take these breaktaking bird's-eye view photos, which serve both a scientific and aesthetic purpose. The exhibit features 60 large-format photos depicting historical landscapes across the Southwest.

Details: Through Saturday, Sept. 20. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays. Arizona State Museum, 1013 E. University Blvd., Tucson. $5; free for age 16 or younger, museum members, and military members. 520-621-6302, statemuseum.arizona.edu.

The Scratchboard Art of John Agnew

Twenty scratchboards by the artist and naturalist are on display at the Tucson museum. Scratchboards are white-clay-coated boards covered in India ink, then scratched off with a needle or razor to create the image. Agnew uses various animals as the subjects for his works.

Details: Opening reception 3-5 p.m. Saturday, July 19. Runs through Sunday, Sept. 7. 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. daily through September. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, 2021 N. Kinney Road, Tucson. $17.50-$19.50; $15.50 for ages 13-17; $6 for ages 4-12; free for children 3 or younger. 520-883-2702, desertmuseum.org.

'Histories in Clay: 1,800 Years of Native American Ceramic Artistry'

Museum co-founder Harold Colton helped create in important classification system used to sort Southwestern ceramics. Discover 151 prehistoric and contemporary ceramic pieces created by the Hopi people in this intimate gallery. You also can relax in the gallery's reading area, which features a fireplace.

Details: Running indefinitely. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, noon-5 p.m. Sundays. Museum of Northern Arizona, 3101 N. Fort Valley Road, Flagstaff. $9-$10; $7 for students with ID, $6 for American Indians and ages 10-17; free for museum members. 928-774-5213, musnaz.org.

'Memento Mori'

Memento mori, Latin for "Remember that you will die," is a style of painting that was popular in Europe until the last century, reminding viewers that death is inevitable and to make the most of their lives. Artist Tina Mion takes this concept and applies it American history, world religions, science and current issues, such as the right to die.

Details: Through Saturday, Sept. 6. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. The Coconino Center for the Arts, 2300 N. Fort Valley Road, Flagstaff. Free. 928-779-2300, flagartscouncil.org.

'Hold Your Horses!'

Celebrate the Wild West at this inaugural exhibition and sale, featuring works inspired by the majestic horse by 40 artists. If you're looking to buy, be sure to visit on opening weekend, when the museum will be busy with activities.

Details: Exhibit preview and artist reception 5:30-8 p.m. Friday, July 25. Exhibit runs July 26-Oct. 26. Phippen Museum, 4701 Highway 89 North, Prescott. $10 for exhibit preview, free for museum members. Museum admission is $6-7; $5 for students with ID; free for age 11 or younger and museum members. 928-778-1385, phippenartmuseum.org.

'Between Worlds: The Art of Peterson Yazzie'

As a member of a notable family of Navajo artists, Yazzie follows in those footsteps with his bold paintings, a blend of both traditional and contemporary techniques and inspirations.

Details: Through Sunday, Nov. 30. The Smoki Museum, 147 N. Arizona Ave., Prescott. $6-$7; $5 for students with ID; free for age 11 or younger and Native Americans. 928-445-1230, smokimuseum.org.

Exhibits at the Amerind Museum

Start off in the principal gallery, which houses the permanent collection of Native textiles, fibers and works in clay, metal, wood, ivory, beads and leather. The Amerind Archaeology Room features findings from various excavations, while the Ethnology Room contains many examples of Native jewelry. The newest addition to the museum is "Interwoven Traditions: The Cultural Legacy of Southwestern Textiles," with rugs and other textiles from several tribes. In the changing gallery is "Walls, Windows, and Doors," an collection of Joe Kozlowski's photographs of ancient places in the Southwest.

Details: Exhibits open indefinitely. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays. Amerind Museum, 2100 N. Amerind Road, Dragoon. $7-$8; $5 for ages 12-18; free for age 11 or younger and museum members. 520-586-3666, amerind.org.