Highlights
- Jeffrey Gibson appears in conversation with curator Candice Hopkins at Phoenix Art Museum on October 14, 2026, at 6:30 p.m.
- Kelly Akashi will deliver the spring lecture on April 14, 2027; tickets are $5 for the public and free for members.
- The Lenhardt Lecture series is approaching its 10th anniversary as part of an initiative founded in 2017 by Valley philanthropists Dawn and David Lenhardt.
- Gibson is a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and of Cherokee descent, and was selected for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's 2025 Genesis Facade Commission.
Phoenix Art Museum has named artist Jeffrey Gibson and artist Kelly Akashi as the speakers for its 2026-27 Lenhardt Lecture series, with Gibson opening the fall program in a conversation with curator Candice Hopkins on October 14, 2026.
Gibson's appearance is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 14. A member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and of Cherokee descent, Gibson represented the United States at the 2024 Venice Biennale and was selected for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's 2025 Genesis Facade Commission. Hopkins, who joins him in conversation, is the curator named in the museum's announcement.
Akashi takes the spring slot on Wednesday, April 14, 2027. Tickets for each lecture are free for museum members and $5 for the public.
The series is part of the Lenhardt Contemporary Art Initiative, originally established in 2017 through support from Valley philanthropists Dawn and David Lenhardt. The initiative also encompasses the Lenhardt Emerging Artist Acquisition Fund and the Dawn and David Lenhardt Gallery programs, and has funded acquisitions including works by Shara Hughes, Arcmanoro Niles, and Derek Fordjour. The lecture series approaches its 10th anniversary.
Phoenix Art Museum holds a collection of more than 20,000 artworks. The museum's James K. Ballinger Wing is temporarily closed for infrastructure updates.
The Gibson-Hopkins conversation on October 14 is the next date on the calendar.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- yourvalley.net retrieved 15/09/2026 19:23
- phxart.org retrieved 15/09/2026 19:23
- phxart.org retrieved 15/09/2026 19:23
- phxart.org retrieved 15/09/2026 19:23
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 15/09/2026 19:23. Every claim traces to a source.
