How do artists create and why? Visit Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village during the upcoming Fourth Annual State of the Art and find out. Enjoy some close-up and personal time with gifted, world-class artists and cool jazz and blues during the weekend. Everyone is welcome to this ever-popular event. A sumptuous feast of the arts awaits you within the gates of the arts village.
The theme this year is Celebrating Art from Inspiration to Creation and it starts Friday night, September 25th, 5 pm to 8 pm and resumes all day Saturday, September 26th, 10 am to 8 pm. It is esigned for the new art collector and the seasoned connoisseur, but anyone who appreciates the arts will have a creative awakening getting so close to the sources of inspiration. Admission is free.
Tlaquepaque’s premier galleries will be highlighting the work of selected artists most of whom are in collections all over the world. “The artists will be on hand to discuss their approach, demonstrate a work in progress, and be available for conversation in an intimate gallery setting. The remarkable line up of artists this year and the enthusiasm of the galleries is very exciting,” remarked Wendy Lippman, general manager of Tlaquepaque.
Youth and Art, a collaborative annual effort to recognize young local talent, will award art students from Sedona Red Rock High School and Mingus High School with $1000 in prize money. Youth and Art is a wonderful partnership between the high school art students, their teachers and the community of galleries at Tlaquepaque. “We hope the public will come out, see the student art at the various galleries, talk to the artists and really support these talented young people. And we hope everyone will vote for their favorite artist,” commented Lippman. The two $500 cash awards will be presented to the winners Saturday night at 7:00 pm in Patio las Campanas.
VISITING ARTIST AND GALLERY LINE-UP
ECLECTIC IMAGE GALLERY
Elaine and Duane Morgan are internationally recognized for their breathtaking landscape
photography. Professional photographers since 1973, they have dedicated their lives to creating
and capturing images that depict the awesome power and unequaled beauty of nature.
In their galleries (they have three) their dramatic landscapes, especially sunsets over the Grand Canyon, for example, change with one touch of the dimmer switch. “We call that mood-changing event, the ‘Wow’ factor, because that is exactly what our collectors say when we change the light on our images,” reports Elaine.
Duane and Elaine’s photographic images are in private as well as corporate collections around the globe. Due to their uncompromising commitment to excellence, detail and exclusivity, the duo is highly sought after for commissioned works. They have been published numerous times in worldwide publications. In addition to all these projects, they occasionally fine time to teach photographic workshops in Arizona, New Mexico and Hawaii.
KUIVATO GLASS GALLERY
“An Optical Extravaganza” is the theme of glass artist Jack Storms who will be featured at Kuivato Gallery during State of the Art. Storms’ hand-formed, crystal sculptures greet you with a blast of luminosity. Each piece is so meticulously precise that it can take up to ten weeks to complete. Storms’ technique uses dichroic glass that is encased in pure lead crystal—a cold glass process known by only a handful of artisans throughout the world.
“Many people see cold worked glass as being very technical and distant from the human experience. I try to overcome that… to bring a sense of organic nature to all of my pieces,” says Storms. Collected throughout the world, his dazzling work is often exhibited in one-man shows.
GIFTED HANDS GALLERY
KEN & LYN MIKELL
Ceramic artists Ken & Lyn Mikell have lived in the Verde Valley of Northern Arizona since 1977. Their stunning pieces reflect the ancient history of the area. Ken designs the shapes and throws each pot. Each piece is then glazed, etched and fired using a traditional Japanese method called Raku. Finally it is Lyn who creates the wonderful petroglyph designs by hand painting each one. The petrogylphs used are taken from authentic glyphs found through out the Southwest, many right here in the Sedona area.
ROBERT BRUNNER
Inspired by a deep interest in sacred geometry, gourd artist Robert Brunner designs each dried gourd free hand, then painstakingly burns the designs onto the surface. Once completed he then paints and seals each one. His pieces transcend ethnicity and present a synchronicity of color and design that speak of the innate rhythms of nature. By growing his own gourds and then transforming them into vibrant works of art, Brunner’s magnificent pieces qualify him as a sustainable artist.
RENEE TAYLOR GALLERY
Combining artistic techniques and ingeniously mixing media has always been a part of the evolution of art and new territory for the artist. For State of the Art, Renee Taylor Gallery will be featuring Peter Skidd, a visionary artist who marries painting and sculpture. Specializing in original paintings on steel, Skidd transforms the raw sheets of metal into what he calls “Contemporary Dimensional Metal Wall Art”. He uses a simple sheet of steel to begin the artistic process which includes bending, welding, grinding, painting and finally clear coating the final piece with a UV stabilized exterior polyurethane gloss. All of the work is done by the artist.
ISADORA HANDWEAVING GALLERY
CANDISS COLE
Candiss Cole of Sedona will premier her new line during State of the Art at Isadora
Handweaving Gallery’s "Living Canvas Mobile Masterpieces" show. Cole has been a textile designer for over 30 years. She travels extensively and continues to stay on the cutting edge of fashion and fabric design. Her Ikat-Shibori fabric technique comes from taking silk through multiple pleating and dye processes to create a fabric unique to the world.
CINDY WHITE
Cindy White, owner of Estelle by Cici Bianca in Phoenix, AZ will be at Isadora for a trunk show. Her sweaters and jackets are a combination of weaving, knitting, and crochet. "Designing and creating fashion with regard to texture, color and style... rarely does a person have a career doing exactly what they love," reflects Cindy White, commenting on her sought after line of ribbon jackets.
VERDIGRIS LOFT
Erin Lofton, a mixed media painter from Chicago, studied Fashion Design and painting at Otis Parsons School of Design in Los Angeles. Lofton’s work is a visual feast of reflective light, color, texture and symbolic imagery. She works in layers of acrylic, paper and fabric, oil, wax, metal leaf, powders and other materials, and her pieces are evocative, playful and dreamy.
"My paintings are a reflection of my experiences in nature and in meditation. I am inspired by the textures and movement of the natural world and the visions in silence and dreams. I hope to inspire the interested viewer with the urge to contemplate the Divine energy moving through all things, known as Tao," says Lofton.
GEOFFREY ROTH
KIM KORI
Primarily self-taught and still eager to continue perfecting her skills, Kim Kori combines her boundless love of travel and nature with studying, sketching and photographing the flora and fauna in the various regions she visits.
Based in Sedona, Arizona, Kori continues to use her lively imagination to entwine magic with reality and show us nature through her eyes in the sculptures she creates.
"I enjoy sculpting the small creatures of the world and giving them a sense of importance. Every life is significant, including the little mice, frogs and insects who are often maligned. I see beauty in all the flora and fauna of this earth," says Kori.
As a signature member of the Society of Animal Artists and American Women Artists, Kori’s award-winning work is in numerous private collections and public venues throughout the world.
ANDREA SMITH GALLERY
Andrea Smith, world peace artist, creates art that magnifies the message of her colorful, light uplifting images of peace. This "peace within" as she refers to it is a way to have peace on earth. Andrea has said, “That intention definitely colors and shapes our world, and the intention of her artwork is to transform a space into a sacred environment.”
You can sense the serenity and uplifting feeling of Andrea’s artwork. It is an inspired and unique mix of spirituality-infused art and each piece in her gallery collection has been selected with the intention of offering peace and healing to all.
MOUNTAIN TRAILS GALLERY
KEN ROWE
Exceptional wildlife artist Ken Rowe works in bronze, enlivening each piece with astonishing life-like accuracy. These sculptures depict Rowe's love and appreciation for wildlife along with the legendary cowboys, bucking broncos and historic Native Americans of the Southwest. "To me, art is much more than finite detail. It is accuracy of the subject, story lines and the culmination of strength, texture and balance. In the visual sense, when one views my art, he or she should be able to feel the rugged beauty of the Southwest and the vitality and diversity of its people,"
believes Rowe.
During State of the Art he usually writes a poem or story to accompany each bronze to enhance and expand the appreciation and enjoyment of each beautiful piece. A member of the WAA (Western Artists of America), Rowe is internationally recognized as one of its outstanding artists.
SUSAN KLIEWER
A native of California, Susan Kliewer has lived in Arizona for nearly 33 years. Dreams of deserts, canyons, rivers and sunsets have been her constant companions since she was a child. A painter since the age of 10, she turned to sculpting in 1987 after working in an art-casting foundry for 10 years. Susan won a competition to create a monument of Sedona Schnebly. The 10-foot tall bronze figure was installed in front of the Sedona Public Library in 1994. "My work," she says, "aims to show the common thread that underlies all human experience, and which, I hope, brings us to a greater understanding between all peoples."
BETTY CARR
Energetic, brightly colored still life watercolors are the signature work of renowned artist Betty Carr who is known for her skillful use of light, color and shadow in her floral paintings. On the influence of light on her watercolors, she says, “What catches my eye is the effect light has on form in unique situations whether fleeting, spilling over, striking, etc. I challenge myself in capturing both its dramatic and/or subtle effects.” Carr is emerging as one of the foremost watercolorists and painters of the Southwest. Her use of color, light and shade accentuate her subject matter while showing her love of nature and its forms.
EL PRADO GALLERY
El Prado by the Creek’s State of the Art, 2009, From Inspiration to Creation will feature the art of three artists who were recently honored by the Grand Canyon Celebration of Art: John Cogan, Scott Prior and Cody Delong. Come see how these three artists capture the great Southwest in their paintings. Cody Delong will be painting in the garden during the State of the Art.
JOHN COGAN
John has a PhD in Experimental Atomic Physics, and he says that enables him to portray his landscapes more realistically. “My background in science has been extremely helpful to my study of art. Everything in the landscape is influenced by the physics of light, atmosphere and optics.” A featured artist in the gallery since the early 80’s, his art is included in both private and corporate art collections, and recently the Sultan of Oman commissioned John for a number of paintings to add to his premier art collections.
SCOTT PRIOR
Scott Prior is a native of Southern California and like most other kids growing up, had his share of scrapes, bruises and broken bones. To help escape the boredom while healing from his injuries, his mom bought him a set of charcoal pencils and a box of pastels…and as the saying goes, “the rest is history.” A graduate of The Academy of Art College in San Francisco, Scott Prior is a premiere Plein Air painter with many awards to his credit. His engaging style makes him a favorite with collectors.
CODY DE LONG
Cody Delong is a new, exciting guest artist this year at El Prado. He has studied at the Loveland Academy of Fine Arts, as well as the Scottsdale Artists School, where he has been honored by numerous art associations and festivals for his work. A natural artist, Delong has been drawing and painting since he was five and is continually inspired by the desert that has been his home for most of his adult life. He was one of only 20 artists from across the country to participate in the inaugural Grand Canyon Celebration of Art, an invitation-only juried art competition. His list of accomplishments and collectors is growing into a very impressive resume.
MUSICAL EXTRAVAGANZA
State of the Art visitors will be treated Friday night and all day Saturday to the sweet sounds of jazz, blues and fusion vibes amidst the beautiful Spanish-style courtyards at Tlaquepaque.
Music Schedule:
Friday Evening:
4: 00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
The ZAZU Trio, presents popular songs with the dark chromatic gypsy flavor and the swing articulation of the period, featuring Ken Aurich and Larry Czarnecki from Flagstaff, on guitars, and Steve Douglas of Sedona on upright bass, will bring this wonderful music to life. Patio Del Norte.
Greg Reiter - Flamenco Fusion Guitarist, El Prado Gallery
Ayres Jazz Ensemble, Patio de las Campanas
Saturday Afternoon:
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Big Daddy D & the Dynamites, Blues Band in Patio del Norte
Paul McDermand on steel drums and marimba in Patio de las Campanas
Saturday Evening:
Susannah Martin Jazz Vocalist, Patio de las Campanas
Dos Geckos featuring Larry Perkins on violin and Bill Barnes on guitar at El Prado Gallery
Z Trio, featuring Fitzhugh Jenkins, Vincent Zeigelbaum and Brian David, songs from West Indies, Spain, Russia and more performing in Patio del Norte.
