Conveniently located along the light rail at McDowell Road and Central Avenue, the Phoenix Art Museum adds cultural spice to downtown Phoenix. If the $15 price of entrance is too high for you, venture on over on Wednesdays between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. or on First Fridays for an art experience free of charge.
The Restroom Roundup
It’s like the seven dwarves, but with seven stalls.
Cleanliness: On Wednesdays, especially around 3 p.m. when the free entry begins and children get off school, the museum is a hopping place. However, its bathrooms remain deserted and thus impeccably clean. To maintain the organized and clean feel, the museum makes sure each stall is fully equipped with two toilet paper roll dispensers. If you are a one-roll-per-bathroom-use type of person, you’ve just found your dream bathroom. Grade: A-
The Green Effect: In this restroom, everything is automated: the faucets, the soap, the towel dispenser, the toilet flush. I was surprised that the toilet paper dispenser wasn’t automated as well. The automatic functions in the vanity area most likely limit waste, but the sensitive toilet flush is inclined to prematurely flush and therefore waste water. Points for effort. Grade: C+
With all the artwork featured, the restroom is a continuation of the museum exhibits.
Pizazz: This place should be included in museumgoer’s exhibit rounds. Four medium-sized canvases depicting objects of various textures outfit the walls. In the unlikely case of a line, you can entertain yourself with the artwork and guess as to what its subjects are. Green, light pink, cream — all the cool colors of the rainbow are found in the artwork. The walls and floors, however, follow the typical tiles-in-neutral-colors scheme. Grade: B+
The Intangibles: If you have a family of seven, you can take everyone on a potty pit stop in one round. There is a stall for each day of the week! If one doesn’t meet your standards, just move on to the next one. Just make sure you don’t get decision fatigue from all the choices at your disposal. Grade: C+
Final Verdict (not an average): B-
A popular local attraction, the Phoenix Art Museum fulfills some of downtown’s thirst for art and culture. Although the bathrooms lack some of the intriguing architectural characteristics of the museum, they share the tasteful simplicity and grace of their host.
