SMoCA Lounge Returning with Stand-Up

Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA) announces the return of SMoCA Lounge with a roster of stand-up programming giving the lively community space a comic twist. It's still about language, but this time, guests will be laughing and crying at the funny and excruciating moments of our human existence.

This brand-new series, organized by SMoCA Curator of Programming Peter Bugg and Programming Coordinator Christina Davis in conjunction with comic and contemporary artist Anthony Desamito, brings together nationally and locally recognized comedians in the energetic space of SMoCA Lounge with murals by artist James Marshall (aka Dalek). In conjunction with the series, SMoCA will be launching an exciting new eight-week Improv Workshop with the remarkable Jose Gonzalez from Phoenix's Torch Theatre beginning March 6.

SMoCA Lounge is known for sparking creativity and innovation since its inception in 2011. Under Tania Katan, it hosted best-selling authors, renowned artists, poets, activists, musicians and filmmakers. It will continue to serve as an incubator to foster up-and-coming talent in our community.

Says SMoCA Director and Chief Curator Sara Cochran, "Tania Katan's Lit Lounge was groundbreaking in its time, but now there is a wealth of storytelling in the Valley. We wanted to relaunch the Lounge with a fresh series and exciting new talent. I am happy that we will remain engaged with language and am so excited to collaborate with the area's remarkable community of stand-up comedians. But be warned, we are not asking them to censor themselves. We invited them into our world on their terms. The language may be salty and the topics provocative. This may not be for the faint of heart."

SMoCA Lounge events are known to sell out quickly and advance tickets are strongly suggested. Tickets are available for purchase at SMoCA.org/events.

SMoCA Lounge - Love Me Tinder
Friday, February 12, 7 p.m.
Put a bend in cupid's arrow on Valentine's Day weekend with comedy about the darker side of love in our high-tech age and timeless tales of hearts won and broken. Featuring Anthony Desamito, Leslie Barton, Michael Paul Kohn, Genevieve Rice, Steve Maxwell and Pauly Casillas. $10/person; $8 for Friends of SMoCA. Cash bar.

SMoCA Lounge - Bad Luck
Friday, March 18, 7 p.m.
Make your friends green with envy by being in the audience for this post St. Patrick's Day stand-up evening. We will laugh about luck- the good, bad and ugly-and rage against moments of outrageous fortune. You will be Dublin-over with laughter! Lineup to be announced. $10/person; $8 for Friends of SMoCA. Cash bar.

SMoCA Lounge - Jokes 'n Pollock
Friday, April 29, 7 p.m.
Art is funny. This time around, the joke's on us. The splashing season finale of the SMoCA Lounge stand-up series looks at the lighter side of contemporary art. We can take the joke and show grace under fire! Lineup to be announced. $10/person; $8 for Friends of SMoCA. Cash bar.

SMoCA Lounge - Lit Up: Improv Workshop and Final Performance
Final Performance: Friday, May 13, 7 p.m. Free.
Workshop runs from Sunday, March 6 until Sunday, May 8, 1 - 3:30 p.m.
Run by Jose Gonzalez from Phoenix's Torch Theatre, this eight-week improv course teaches intuitive improvisational comedy and theater techniques. Students will learn to turn one's life experiences into free-flowing personal narratives, then weave those all together into a one-of-a-kind, fun-for-all performance. Class size is limited. $200/person; $175 for Friends of SMoCA for full eight-week workshop.
Workshop dates: March 6, 13, 20, 27; April 3, 10, 24; May 1, 8.

SCOTTSDALE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
Founded in 1999, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA) explores the best of contemporary art, architecture and design. Global in its focus, the Museum is a unique and vital cultural resource for the Southwest, serving local audiences as well as visitors from the United States and abroad. Designed by award-winning architect Will Bruder, SMoCA's minimalist building (an ingenious renovation of a former movie theater) has four galleries for showcasing changing exhibitions and works from the Museum's collection, along with SMoCA Lounge, a living, functional art installation and space for community engagement. The Museum presents a wide variety of educational programs and special events for adults and families, including lectures, readings, performances, docent-led tours, workshops and classes. SMoCA also features an outdoor sculpture garden housing James Turrell's Knight Rise, one of the renowned artist's public skyspaces, and Scrim Wall, a monumental curtain of translucent glass panels by James Carpenter Design Associates. The Museum's retail store, Shop@SMoCA, offers classic design objects and furnishings, contemporary jewelry, art and architecture books and imaginative gifts for all occasions.

The nonprofit Scottsdale Cultural Council is contracted by the City of Scottsdale, Ariz., to manage Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and Scottsdale Public Art.

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