For twenty years, artist Eric Fischl has returned to the place where he first felt he could be–and was allowed to be–an artist: Phoenix College (PC). Moving to Phoenix from Long Island, New York, in the late 1960s, Fischl began his painting journey with contemporary landscape painter and PC professor Merrill Mahaffey, who Fischl credits with opening his mind to a new way of thinking. According to Fischl, Mahaffey "demystified and democratized art and took it out of its traditional contexts: the academy, the museum, and the gallery."
In 2005, after gaining critical attention and commercial success in New York City for his figurative paintings, Fischl established the Eric Fischl Series at Phoenix College, which included scholarships for art majors, student art awards, and a lecture series. Every year, he invites nationally recognized artists to engage art students in portfolio critiques and select the Vanguardawards, which Fischl presents at the Phoenix Art Museum.
Each year, Fischl shares his artistic insights with PC students to encourage these emerging artists to free themselves from outside constraints and focus on the internal work of creating art. He has inspired many with his own story of forging a path through the 1970s abstraction period by staying true to narrative work focused on the figurative subjects he knew best–suburban life and the nuclear family of his childhood–which liberated him as an artist to focus on feeling. "The purpose of art is to find a way to show what's inside on the outside," Fischl said last year during student portfolio critiques on campus.
Artist and 2024 Vanguard winner BrassTuna writes of the exhibition: “Fischl exemplifies how art transforms lives, inspiring Phoenix’s emerging artists to rise above limitations. His career demonstrates the unwavering dedication that can break down barriers, instilling hope and creating pathways for individuals regardless of their origins.”
After twenty years of viewing PC student artwork up close, Fischl now invites Phoenix College students, faculty, staff and community members to view 40 of his large-scale signature works in his solo show, Eric Fischl: Stories Told at the Phoenix Art Museum. This special exhibition is on display until June 14, 2026.
The museum offers free admission on Pay What You Wish Wednesdays from 3 - 8 p.m. or First Fridays from 5 - 8 p.m. Admission to the Fischl special exhibition is free with a valid Phoenix College ID.
Aspiring artists looking for an arts community are encouraged to explore Phoenix College’s Studio Art courses and Fine Arts programs.