#1: Phoenix Comicon at Phoenix Convention Center, June 2-5
Celebrities attending Phoenix's premier pop culture event this year include Sean Astin (“Lord of the Rings”), Alex Kingston and Billie Piper (“Doctor Who”), Lee Majors (“The Six Million Dollar Man”), and Lindsay Wagner (“The Bionic Woman”). Comic book creators and sci-fi authors also attend in abundance. Full event passes, $60; single-day passes, $15-$40. Hours vary. June 2-5 at Phoenix Convention Center. phoenixcomicon.com

#1: Phoenix Rising Afterhours Party at Phoenix Art Museum, May 26
Attendees at this special event will get an afterhours look at the exhibition “Phoenix Rising: The Valley Collects!” – which features artworks from more than 20 private collections around the Valley, including never-before-seen works from the abstract expressionist period by Helen Frankenthaler and Morris Louis – before it closes on May 29. A cash bar and door prizes add to the fun. $5. 5-8 p.m. at Phoenix Art Museum. phxart.org

#1: El Mac: “Aerosol Exalted” at Mesa Arts Center, May 13
Artist El Mac grew up in central Phoenix, painting large-scale murals and developing his signature rippled line style. Now based in Los Angeles, El Mac brings his art back home for the exhibit “Aerosol Exalted: From the street to the gallery – the humble and the sublime.” The artist's photorealistic portraits of people include a blend of contemporary styles like graffiti with touches of Chicano culture and classic European art. This exhibit includes a 35-foot tall mural in the courtyard of Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum, titled “Desert Rose (Nuevas Generaciones).” The exhibit opens May 13 and runs through August 7 at Mesa Arts Center. Free. Visit website for museum hours. mesaartscenter.com

#1: Steve Gompf's “Distant Visions: Apparatus and Ephemera from the Televisor Era, 1884-1928,” through May 1 at Mesa Arts Center
Phoenix artist Steve Gompf simulates a fictitious museum with his mixed-media sculptures of “vintage televisions” that display photographic motion studies by Eadweard Muybridge. The exhibit opened in January, and closes May 1. Free. Visit website for museum hours. mesaartscenter.com

#1: Center Dance Ensemble's “American Voices” at Herberger Theater Center, April 24
In recognition of National Poetry Month, Center Dance Ensemble presents its annual showcase of new dances choreographed by CDE members, set to the words of America's greatest poets. $16, adults; $13, seniors; $10, students. 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. April 24 at Herberger Theater Center. centerdance.com

#1: “Threads: Gathering My Thoughts”: An Art Installation by Susan Lenz at Mesa Art Museum, April 15
South Carolina artist Susan Lenz found inspiration in grassroots yarn bombings – an art form in which objects such as trees or cars are covered in colorful crocheted and knitted patterns. Her exhibition “Threads” carries that inspiration to new heights – literally – with an installation of intricate, multi-colored threads and big yarn baskets that hang from the ceiling and envelope the room, creating a labrynth that proves all is not what it skeins. The exhibition opens April 15 in the SRP Gallery at Mesa Arts Center and runs through August 7. Free admission. Visit website for museum hours. mesaartscenter.com

# 1: Phoenix Film Festival at Harkins Scottsdale 101, April 7-14
The Valley's biggest big-screen bash brings its annual bonanza of dramatic features, horror and sci-fi movies, animated offerings, documentaries and short films – many by Arizona auteurs – to Harkins Scottsdale. $85.08, festival pass; $27.90, four-film flex pass; $169.18 VIP pass. Visit phoenixfilmfestival.com for show times and dates.

#1: Eric Almanza exhibition at Unexpected Art Gallery, ETA April 1
Self-described “subversive Chicano figurative painter” Eric Almanza has a quote from Pablo Picasso on his website (ericalmanza.com) that declares, “Painting is not done to decorate apartments. It is an instrument of war.” It's an apt description of Almanza's intention whenever he lays brush to canvas, painting scenes that speak to social and political issues such as immigration, Chicano identity, the struggles and expressions of urban life, and the ongoing battle against minority oppression. (A prime example: Almanza's 2013 “Lo Que No Se Puede Ver” – “that which cannot be seen” – portrait series, done in reaction to Arizona's Senate Bill 1070.) Based in California, Almanza will bring his work to the Unexpected Art Gallery “by April 1st,” according to the Unexpected Art Gallery's Facebook page. Visit unexpectedartgallery.com or facebook.com/unexpectedspace for more information.

Arizona Chic: Couture from Arizona's Past Curated by Robert Black, through April 30
Robert Black of FORD/Robert Black Agency and Fashion by Robert Black enthuses about Arizona fashion, both contemporary and vintage, and speaks of an era in which our state's styles were going global. “From the high-toned Goldwater's Department Store to the trading posts on Arizona's reservations, fashion was being created for every fashionista!” he states. Black has curated an exhibition of clothing and memorabilia that celebrates Arizona couture past and present, and includes fashion and accessories from such Arizona designers as Lloyd Kiva, Harwood Steiger, and Sun Ray of Arizona, and stores including Hanny's and Goldwater's. Free; donations accepted. Call for hours. The exhibition opened on March 18 and runs through April 30 at Vision Gallery. visiongallery.org