“Artfully Absurd: Quirks, Questions and Creative Chaos,” 2026, photo by Megan Robbins.
Two New Exhibitions Bring the Unexpected to idea Museum This Fall
Imagination takes unexpected turns this fall at idea Museum with two new exhibition experiences opening Oct. 2. The expanded “Artfully Absurd: Quirks, Questions and Creative Chaos Part 2” invites children and families to embrace the strange, silly and wonderfully unexpected. Phoenix artist Sarah Hurwitz’s “What Lies Below?” transforms familiar objects into an immersive underground world that explores the things we create, consume and leave behind.
“Artfully Absurd: Quirks, Questions and Creative Chaos Part 2”
Things get wonderfully weird in the newly expanded “Artfully Absurd: Quirks, Questions and Creative Chaos.” This imaginative exhibition celebrates the strange, silly and unexpected.
Explore surprising works of art, discover things that aren’t quite what they seem. Jump into hands-on experiences where there’s no such thing as an ordinary idea. Create an outrageous outfit, invent a ridiculous story, make music with unexpected instruments, build the strangest pizza imaginable, experiment with colorful shadows and more.
Absurdist art challenges conventions by pairing humor with imagination and breaking traditional rules to reveal unexpected beauty and meaning. Inspired by pioneers like Salvador Dalí and Lewis Carroll, Artfully Absurd explores a creative tradition that embraces the weird, the wonderful and the wildly inventive. At idea Museum, absurdity is a celebration of creativity, curiosity and joy.
“What Lies Below?”
In this exhibition, Phoenix-based artist Sarah Hurwitz creates an immersive underground world filled with familiar objects that reflect the things we create, use, lose and leave behind.
By bringing seemingly unrelated items together in one environment, Hurwitz creates unexpected connections. Visitors consider what everyday objects can reveal about our lives. The collection becomes a mirror of our hobbies, diets and consumerism while exploring how objects gain new meaning when viewed together.
Visitors can build colorful worms using felt rings and glowing fiber-optic strands. Explore a 20-foot interactive magnetic ant hill and search for hidden objects throughout a multidimensional shadow wall. Hands-on activities encourage children to experiment, explore and imagine what might be happening in the world beneath their feet.
Museum hours:
Mon: CLOSED
Tue–Sat: 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Sun: Noon–4 p.m.
For more information, visit ideamuseum.org. The museum is located at 150 W. Pepper Place in downtown Mesa, AZ.
About idea Museum
idea Museum is owned and operated by the City of Mesa with support from the idea Museum Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. Located in the heart of Downtown Mesa, the museum offers interactive art exhibitions and engaging activities designed to foster creativity, curiosity and connection, building a vibrant community where children can thrive. For more information, visit ideamuseum.org.