Sedona Art Source - Volume Two

Sedona ARTSource
VOLUME TWO TWELVE $
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Sedona ARTSource

Voted Best Gallery in Sedona 10 years Running!
Ben Wright
Over 50 Renowned Artists
Local & Regional
Artists in Residence
Satellite Exhibits
Sedona Citywide
Reagan Word
Ray Tigerman
GOLDENSTEIN GALLERY
Sedona ARTSource
150 State Route 179, Sedona ◊ 928.204.1765 ◊ GoldensteinArt.com
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FROM THE PUBLISHER
Sedona ArtSource is back with Volume Two and my
message is simply one of gratitude for our team,
our advertisers and our thoughtful supporters. In
fulfilling our mission, this issue contains a host of
interesting articles, revelations and perspectives
from a plethora of people in the arts community.
To further that end, Volume Two introduces
Sacred Spaces, a feature that will throw light into
often unseen corners of the artist community.
Carol Kahn’s love for telling the backstory will
be unveiled in each issue with this intimate peek
into the artist’s working space that will provide
insights into the art produced while expanding
appreciation for the artists themselves. Expect
to see wonderfully creative people you know and
to be introduced to accomplished new ones in
Sacred Spaces.
In this and every issue of ArtSource people will
amaze us with their core values, commitment to
craft, and unrelenting perseverance in following
creative dreams regardless of the gravitational
pulls.
Greg Lawson
6 Editor’s Message
8 Mountain Trails Gallery
Gallery Profile
10 City of Sedona
State of the Arts
14 The Art of Fashion
23 Allison Rae Nichols
Artist Spotlight
24 The Tradition of Hopi Kachina
34 Plein Air - More Than Meets the Eye
Sedona
ARTSource
2 Sedona ARTSource
The denial
of art is the
greatest futility
— Coddington
Published by Sedona ArtSource
2679 West State Route 89A
Sedona, AZ 86336
Volume Two
Design elements by Erick Hale Agency
and Nadezda Skocajic
Printed in PRC
SedonaArtSource.com
Sedona ArtSource is published quaterly.
Copyright © 2018 Sedona ArtSource. All world rights reserved. No part
of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored
in a retrieval system or used as a model for any type of reproduction,
in any medium, by any means without the publisher’s prior written permission.
The publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions.
Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher.

CONTENTS
42 Louis Landon
The Art of Music
48 Exposures International Gallery of Fine Art
Gallery Profile
50 Mike Medow
“The Chiseler”
56 A Tribute to Sculptor, Diki Medow
58 Bryan Reinhart
The Art of Filmmaking
60 Lori Reinhart
One Thing Leads to Another
62 Sedona Arts Festival
64 Gerardo Moceri
The Cooking Starts Early
70 A Little Taste of Tchotchke Heaven
74 The Future of Arts in Sedona
Some Notes About What’s Possible
76 The Village Gallery
Gallery Profile
78 Sedona Gallery Map
80 Sedona Gallery Index
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Publisher
Editor
Art Director
Web Master
Writer and Public Relations
Marketing
Greg Lawson
Carol Kahn
Kristina Gabrielle
Rick Cyge
Lynn Alison Trombetta
Patti Polinard
SedonaArtSource.com
info@SedonaArtSource.com
Facebook.com/SedonaArtSource
Twitter.com/SedonaArtSource
Instagram.com/SedonaArtSource
ON OUR COVER
“Sedona is surrounded
by inspiration! On that
day, thunderstorms
kept happening all over
the Sedona area. Rain,
lightning, and wind
can be a real challenge
when painting outside.
Beneath the clouds,
Coffee Pot Rock seemed determined to ride out the foul weather. This gave me
the inspiration to paint it, despite the brewing storms. (Pun intended.)”
— Bill Cramer
Plein Air - More Than Meets the Eye, PAGE 34
Sedona ARTSource
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7

FROM THE EDITOR
Personal stories are powerful. They
entertain, inspire, teach, and even affect
our emotions. They allow us to think
about things in ways we’ve never thought of
before. In many instances, stories connect us to
one another on a much deeper level. Throughout
the pages of Sedona ArtSource there are a
multitude of stories that uncover the depths of
the artist's creative soul. These revelations are
discovered through the interview process, which
is an art in itself. We discuss everything from
how artists create, their passions, desires, talents,
ambitions, dreams, accomplishments as well
as those emotional moments of their lives. We
laugh. We cry. I believe the interview is where the
heart and soul of the story unveils itself.
After conducting more than three hundred
interviews throughout my career, I can attest
that not all interviews are the same. Each
person is different. Each story has a unique
twist. Many poignant moments unfold. But
what remains steadfast is this invisible thread of
connectedness that occurs between the person
and myself. A rhythmic interlude takes place as
if choreographed from some unknown source.
During the conversation, when we have reached
a delicate osmosis of giving and receiving, I am
handed a sacred gift – the keys that unlock their
innermost being.
Within the words of this ancient Native
American proverb lays the inherent truth:
“Tell me the facts and I’ll learn. Tell me the truth and
I’ll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my
heart forever.”
It is an honor and a privilege to share the stories
of Sedona’s most creative individuals with you.
Their stories will always live within our hearts. It
is our hope that their stories will live in your heart
as well.
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Sedona ARTSource
Lee Israel, Carol Kahn, Mike Medow
SEE PAGE 50
With gratitude,
Carol Kahn
Editor

Sedona ARTSource
9

GALLERY PROFILE
MOUNTAIN
TRAILS GALLERY
by Patti Polinard
Mountain Trails Gallery in Tlaquepaque
is home to one of the last representational
galleries in Sedona. It has offered
traditional storytelling with historical
details in iconic Western, “Cowboy
Artists of America,” and Native American
sculpture and paintings, for over 30 years.
Their award-winning artists draw
collectors from around the world. The
gallery showcases over 50 magnificent
artists like Susan Kliewer; Betty &
Howard Carr; Lisa Danielle; Amy Lay;
Ken, Vic and Dustin Payne; to Vicki
Catapano; Michael Trcic; and Scott
Rogers. The gallery offers extraordinary art
from skillful artists whose technique and
experience match their styles. Mountain
Trails features realistic art that literally
pulls at the heart with appreciation.
Taking traditional subjects and bringing
them into a modern world … Mountain
Trails also has a contemporary edge with
artists like Troy Collins, Gregory Stocks,
and Terry Cooke Hall. This is a great
gallery for plein air art with its colorful
landscapes, floral paintings, figurative
wildlife, still life, and cultural objects with
varying contemporary styles.
It is evident the visual language in
Mountain Trails has something for every
art lover. The gallery recently added the
jewelry of Kim Yubeta, cowboy artist Curt
Mattson from the National Sculpture
Society, and the bells of Michael E. Beals.
And if you wish to experience an artist in
residence demonstrating techniques and
capturing their subject’s essence, there
are opportunities to witness this creative
process as well.
Mountain Trails Gallery at Tlaquepaque
336 SR 179, Suite A201, Sedona AZ 86336
Open 10 am - 6 pm Seven Days a Week
Phone 800-527-6556 or 928-282-3225
MountainTrailsSedona.com
8 Sedona ARTSource
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11

THEArts
STATE
OF
By Nancy Lattanzi
The last few months have been buzzing with creative projects in the Arts & Culture
Department at the City of Sedona. Beginning with our children, our Artist in the Classroom
is a valuable program that supports arts education in the schools. The school year came to
a close with many engaging and inspiring projects being completed. Classes in photography,
writing, painting, mask making, digital storytelling, theater, poetry, clay and tile mural work
captivated our students who eagerly explored their creative abilities.
NANCY LATTANZI
Arts & Culture Coordinator
City of Sedona
Featured artists at City Hall during the year include Harriet McInnis, whose alluring oil
paintings include landscapes, still life, and portraits. Most know Harriet as a long-time
volunteer and supporter for the arts. Not only is Harriet proficient in her work for
the arts, she is also a gifted painter, which makes exhibiting her work even more special.
Also featured was Meg Munro’s exhibit, “Beauty’s Bounty.” Her exquisite watercolor
paintings include detailed florals and whimsical Mexican scenes. Meg lived in Mexico for
30 years, where she connected to the culture and landscape. It was during these years
HARRIET MCINNIS
Haystacks
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Sedona ARTSource

that her artistic body of work developed flowing art from
her heart and vice versa.
MEG MUNRO
Sentinels
Earlier this year we celebrated our local
culture during our Moment of Art, presented
monthly to the City Council. Our guest for
Women’s History Month was the esteemed
Adele Seronde, life artist, author and visionary
who shared how art transforms the world.
Lisa Schnebly Heidinger spoke about her
great-grandmother Sedona Schnebly’s life and
shared stories from her new book, The Journal
of Sedona Schnebly. The Sedona Heritage
Museum celebrated it’s 20th anniversary in May
and we saw a film promoting our community’s
history. This landmark building is a true gift to
our community and a place that preserves and
educates the public as caretakers of Sedona’s
history.
Film is an important part of Sedona’s history. June’s
Moment of Art featured a film incorporating scenes of
old Westerns filmed in Sedona. Graham Hill, a seasoned
Hollywood Film Historian visited with myself and Ron
Eland from the Red Rock News to share his passion for
Sedona’s past. Film directors have been drawn to our
iconic rock formations and unique landscape where close
to 100 films were made in our area from the 1940s to
the 1960s. Delmer Daves was one of the lesser-known
directors, yet his body of work is impressive. He filmed
all 4 movies we viewed at the City Council meetings:
Broken Arrow, Drum Beat, The Last Wagon and 3:10 to Yuma. We are
fortunate that the Sedona Heritage Museum restored the telegraph
office, which is the last structure used in these old film clips. At the
museum the public is invited to view scenes and read about the old
films from our area.
Another movie enthusiast, Joe McNeill, earned a Mayor’s Arts
Award for his 678 page book, Arizona’s Little Hollywood. This
exhaustive tome documents stories and tales that make up the
lore and legend about Sedona’s filmmaking years. Graham Hill feels
Sedona is sitting on an untapped resource. He would love to see
our legacy come to life, through those that might be interested in
developing more ways to promote our film history and educating
the public about it. His hopes are for Sedona to recognize what
the world sees from movies that has put us on the film map. Even
modern Hollywood is recognizing Sedona. The recently released
movie, Book Club, shows spectacular aerial scenes of our landscape,
which took the audience by surprise. We all clapped as Diane
Keaton looked down in awe from a
small plane and gasped, “Wow, that
is Cathedral Rock. This place is
so beautiful.”
Sedona has always been
recognized as one of the most
magnificent places in the world
and has inspired a plethora of
artists who have settled here
or just come to visit in order
to tap into their creative
muse. In the words of
Henry David Thoreau, “The
world is but a canvas to
our imagination.” We are
fortunate to live in a place
that is an iconic canvas,
which is universally
revered as such.
Sedona ARTSource
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22 nd Annual Fall
ARTIST
SHOWS
2018 ~ Two Weekends
October 5 th 6 th 7 th
Bill Worrell
Barbara Westwood
Adams Artist Family
John Maisano
Tesa Michaels
October 12 th 13 th 14 th
Rebecca Tobey
Jd Challenger
Soho
Daniel Newman
Alexander Volkov
Bling by Wilkening
Friday* 4-8pm Saturday 3-7pm Sunday 11Am-2pm
*Friday shows rsvp only
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Sedona ARTSource
ExposuresFineArt.com • Sales@ExposuresFineArt.com
800-526-7668 • 928-282-1125
561 State Route 179, Sedona, AZ 86336 (1/4 mile south of 89A)
©2018 Exposures International LLC

Barbara Westwood
fine art jeweler
Creating exquisite
one-of-a-kind pairings
of stunning gems,
diamonds, and gold
to delight
collectors.
Celebrating a lifelong
career dedicated to
creating fine art
that conveys
messages of joy,
freedom, and spirit.
Bill Worrell
sculptor, poet,
painter
Jd Challenger
painter
Exploring his
subject with depth,
authenticity, and
respect through
paintings that convey
the story of a people
rich in heritage
and traditions.
John Maisano
bronze sculptor
Tesa Michaels
painter using semi-precious stones
Adams Artist Family
bell sculptors, painter
Rebecca Tobey
sculptor, painter
Focusing on
graceful
interpretations
of animals
shaped in
a way that
captures
each one’s
life force.
Blending
semi-precious
stones with
original
paintings to
create unique
and mesmerizing works of art.
Using raw artistic
talent to create bells
of astounding visual
and aural beauty, and
paintings inspired by
a magical process.
Drawing from
experience with
the outdoors,
animals, family,
love, life and travel
brings a fresh
perspective
to each creation.
Soho
fine art jeweler
Daniel Newman
stone sculptor
Alexander Volkov
painter
Bling by Wilkening
semi-precious & regal travel jewelry
Transforming
the age-old
art of enamelmaking,
Ceava Kats
creates
designs cherished the world over
for their
stylish
appeal.
Sculpting poetry
in stone, his
compositions of
ethereal beauty and
romance are collected
worldwide.
Fascination
with the
mystery of
light traveling
through
darkness
brings drama and poetic expression
into his work.
Working at
the cutting
edge of estate
fashion,
Whitney
designs and
creates exquisite jewelry for travel
and everyday wear.
Sedona ARTSource
15

THE ART OF
FASHION
By Carol Kahn
“Dress shabbily and they remember the dress;
dress impeccably and they remember
the woman” – Coco Chanel
Art and fashion have forever been entwined. Fashion designers have
transcended art, while artists have been inspired by fashion. In 1918, Pablo
Picasso painted Women Bathing, a portrait of women wearing provocative
Chanel bathing suits. He was fascinated by these suits and how the
women behaved wearing them.
Fashion icon Coco Chanel was a rule-breaker in life and in work.
She happily joined the creative circle of impresario Sergei Diaghilev,
who invited both Chanel and Picasso to dress rehearsals for his new
productions. Diaghilev staged “fashion parades” of costumed dancers for
the pair, seeking their opinions and suggestions. His Ballets Russes was as
famous for its highly original sets and costumes as it was for its music and
choreography.
Fashion was then, and is now, big business. From designer runways,
to television shows, to the red carpet, fashion statements are made and
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Sedona ARTSource

CANDACE WALTERS
Fashion designer and
Sedona boutique owner
Sedona ARTSource 15

eported on. Coverage of “who is wearing what
outfit designed by whom” makes headlines all
the time. Fashion stylists gain notoriety when
power brokers for Hollywood’s elite clamor
for exclusivity and the perfect outfits for their
clients.
The way you dress – the clothes you wear – can
unequivocally define who you are. “There is no
road map to style. It’s about self-expression and,
above all, attitude,” says fashion icon Iris Apfel,
whose sense of style and claim to fame include
wearing owl-shaped glasses and layers of vintage
and costume jewelry. At the age of 96, Apfel’s
eclectic style, wit, and humor have earned her
the right to say what she wants about clothes and
fashion.
It’s clear that Iris Apfel has a point: Clothing
can be used to express who you are. “People are
afraid of fashion,” explains Candace Walters,
owner of Victorian Cowgirl and Posh boutique in
Sedona. “I try to help women feel good in outfits
that I know look great on them. I get excited
about watching them be transformed,” she says.
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Sedona ARTSource

...One of these purses
can complete an outfit.
They are art pieces!
CANDACE WALTERS
Sedona ARTSource
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I truly love helping
others find their own
particular sense of syle.
CANDACE WALTERS
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Sedona ARTSource

Candace’s passion is fashion. Growing up
in Indiana, she always knew fashion was her
destiny. After convincing her mother that she
was ready for the big city, Candace hopped on
a bus and arrived in Los Angeles, only to realize
that she wasn’t prepared for urban living. “I was
scared to death,” she says, “and I wanted to go
home, but my mother taught me never to say ‘I
can’t,’ so I persevered.” Walters attended the
Fashion Institute, studied costume design, and
worked in a women’s boutique, helping many
celebrity clients. While there, she accumulated
a portfolio and was hired as a stylist for fashion
shoots, working closely with Harry Langdon, Jr.,
one of the world’s top commercial and glamour
photographers.
Candace dressed actresses Morgan Fairchild,
Charlene Tilton, and Victoria Principal from
the TV show Dallas. She worked with Diana
Ross on photo shoots and created costumes
emblazoned with rainbow fringe and lots of
sparkles for country singer Crystal Gayle.
Candace’s taste in clothes is diverse. She
appreciates various styles, from Edwardian
to vintage, from steampunk to over-the-top
glamorous. She loves the designs of John
Galliano, Christian Lacroix, Kenzo, and other
designers who have stepped out of the traditional
fashion box and created edgy haute couture.
“I have always been ahead of the times,” says
Candace. “My fashion sense is really my gift,
and I truly love helping others find their own
particular sense of style.”
As a collector of vintage clothing, buttons,
fabrics, and lace, Candace lights up as she talks
about the items she has gathered, some of which
she has trouble parting with. “I have been
Sedona ARTSource 19

Celebrity stylization by Candace Walters
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Sedona ARTSource

“There is no road map to style.
It’s about self-expression and,
above all, attitude.”
IRIS APFEL
collecting vintage clothing since I was twenty
years old. I have some unbelievable buttons from
the late 1800s,” she says. “It’s difficult for me to
let go of them, even though I know they would
make a fabulous statement on an outfit … There’s
a dress from the 1890s, which is my most prized
possession. It’s a little shredded now, but to see
how it is constructed, with undergarments built
into the dress, is fascinating to me … Years ago,
I created my own clothing line. I used mostly
velvet fabrics. I am going to start designing again,
this time with a ‘Ralph Lauren’ type of look.
That’s the best way I can describe it,” she says.
Glancing around Victorian Cowgirl and Posh,
people can see photographs of the celebrities for
whom Candace has worked, as well as colorful
bolts of vintage fabrics and a signature collection
from her past. Clothing, shoes, belts, scarves,
and jewelry have been carefully selected in order
to create the perfect ensemble for her customers.
Vintage handbags hang along a wall, as if the
display pays “homage to fashion of yesteryear.”
Walters says, “People often ask about the purses.
They are vintage-inspired. People seem to be
attracted to vintage, and one of these purses can
complete an outfit. They are art pieces!”
Vintage-inspired purses from
Victorian Cowgirl Boutique
The art of the purse, the art of fashion, the art
of designing clothing—past and present—these
imbue the Candace Walters persona. Her art
epitomizes the doing of something that pops out
of her head. Her joy comes from having people
recognize that it also comes from her heart.
Sedona ARTSource
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24 Sedona ARTSource

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT:
Allison Rae Nichols
Inspired by themes of romantic love and
as the vehicle to express the intricacies of
partnership, Allison uses two miniature
figurines in her collection, which represent
Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. The
characters are emboldened by a surreal journey
that offers insight into topics of vulnerability,
compromise, joy, loss and desire. Using
elements that are familiar and fanciful, she
says the goal of her work is to promote poetic
insights into the human psyche and lead to
personal discoveries that connect us to each
other as well as to the natural and spiritual
world.
Growing up in a house full of artists, the
symmetry between art and life has always been
part of Allison’s story. From a very young age
she recognized the connections and has been
exploring them ever since. “I seek to inspire
awe and wonder," says Nichols. “The work in
my recent City Hall exhibition was inspired by
my move to the Southwest and speaks to ideas
of romance,
love, loss, and
possibilities.
It was a show
for lovers and
fighters and
anyone who's
taken a leap
of faith with
a person or a
place."
It was a
passionate
show, one in
which the artist
hoped viewers
ALLISON RAE NICHOLS
would find
meaning, camaraderie, and joy. She hopes to
provide a new lens to interpret our memories
and push our imagination about the future.
Nichols earned a BFA in painting from
Northern Illinois University
and has appeared in
numerous group and solo
exhibitions throughout
the country including such
places as Chicago, New
York and New Mexico.
She was artist-in-residence
at the Historic Santa Fe
Foundation and at Petrified
Forest National Park. After
spending two years on the
road travelling and painting
throughout America,
Nichols now lives in Sedona
and loves calling it home.
— Nancy Lattanzi
THE RIFT by Allison Rae Nichols
ALLISON RAE NICHOLS and “THE RIFT” photo: Chris Nichols
Sedona ARTSource 23

the tradition of
Hopi Kachina
By Lynn Alison Trombetta
FOR ALL OF TIME THE HOPI HAVE CARVED KATSINA DOLLS TO HONOR THEIR DEITIES
At the Kachina House in Sedona, colorful handcrafted dolls reveal a rich
and varied history of a people and a culture nearly lost to time.
To understand the meaning of katsina dolls, you must understand
some of the Hopi culture and way of life.
Visit the Kachina House in Sedona and your attention
will be equally divided between the amazing story of a
people, and the hundreds of katsina doll faces that seem
to stand vigil on the shelves. Since 2004, Patty Topel
and sisters, Toby Frank and Judy Frank have studied,
learned and shared the art of Native Americans. They
purchase directly from the artists and ship all over
the world. “We are the largest distributor of Native
American arts and crafts in the state of Arizona,” Topel
said.
She added, “We’re doing what we can, in this little
way, in this little business to keep this culture thriving.
That’s it. And without the traders that did this
hundreds of years ago when they were trading for flour
and getting baskets from the people, all of this would
be gone. I can’t commend us for anything; I can just say
that we’ve been able to take advantage of the fact that
other traders led the way for this. Without that, these
people couldn’t make a living doing their artwork. We
couldn’t teach anybody; the stuff would be gone. And
that would be so sad.”
About the Hopi Katsina
Also known as Kachina, Katsinam (kat-see-nam)
are spirit guides, deities, and friends of the Hopi, a
communal farming Native American people who live
in villages on a reservation in northeastern Arizona.
There are three aspects to the katsina concept among
Native American peoples: the supernatural being or
deity; the dancers and members of the community
who represent the deities in dance and for religious
ceremonies; and colorful katsina dolls carved in the
likeness of the spirit being.
24
Sedona ARTSource

The Spiritual
For all of time, the Hopi people have carved katsinam
to represent the hundreds of spiritual beings central to
their religion. These carved figures range from the very
simple, ‘flat form,’ or ‘traditional,’ to the ‘contemporary
form’ which is more complex. This carving tradition
is unique to the Pueblo Tribes of Arizona and New
Mexico.
The dolls are used to teach the women and children
about their religion and about what their katsinam
mean in the Hopi world. This transmission of custom
and belief through the represented spirit essence of
everything in the world of Hopi is most important,
because this is not written down. The children must
learn in this manner from the time they are very young.
The Dancers
Hopis believe that when they wear the masks and
regalia that depict their spiritual beings for ceremonies
and perform that particular katsina’s spirit dance, they
themselves become that supernatural being. As such,
it is believed they may cure illness, bring rain, and help
maintain balance in the Hopi world.
During the katsina season, a yearly cycle of religious
ceremonies, Hopi men wear masks passed down for
generation upon generation and dress as their katsinam
for ceremonies and to appear in the town streets and
plazas.
“Only males are allowed to dance and there’s training
for that,” Topel commented. “You have to know the
songs, you have to know the dance steps, and you
have to know everything you’re supposed to do as that
particular katsina. And when you put that mask on, it is
the same mask that your great, great, great grandfather
wore. And he breathed in that same mask! Just knowing
that, just the honor that comes with that, would be
enough to drop you to your knees!”
Each katsina has special meaning: The Grandmother
katsina and Broadface are protectors; the Sunface is
very powerful because it is the sun. Maasaw, the most
powerful Hopi katsina, is said to circumnavigate the
earth every night and decide who goes on to the next life
and who does not. He decides who is good, and who is
not and it is he who controls the night and fire.
Topel estimates that there are about 650 active katsinam
right now, each with a male and female counterpart,
but all of the dancers except one are male. When
represented in human form, the dancer behind the
mask of Maasaw Mana, Maasaw’s partner, is female
because it is believed that it is necessary to have a true
female by his side to stop Maasaw from over-reaching
with his power.
The principal idea is that the katsinam are the ones who
make the dolls and then give them to the people. Yet,
the man who dances as the katsina is not necessarily the
one who carved the doll. Generally, someone else has
carved several different dolls for the ceremony, but it is
the katsina, that is, the spirit in human form, who must
hand them out. Even as adults, these are gifts from the
katsinam, they are not gifts from carvers or that
Sedona ARTSource 25

ABOUT THE FEATHERS
someone else purchased.
The doll is usually given along with something else, like
corn, or beans, and carries meaning and a burden of
responsibility behind the gift, thereby offering direction
to where the person should now direct his or her energy
in life.
The Dolls
1
2
3
The first known katsina dolls were obtained by regional
traders in the 1800s, and the collection on display at
Kachina House offers more than a glimpse into the
culture and history of the Hopi and other Plains Indians.
In the early 1900s the U.S. Government
informed the Native Americans that they could
no longer use migratory and predatory bird
feathers on their dolls. However, the regulations
weren’t truly enforced until the early 1970s when
they clamped down hard. This complicated
law dramatically altered the methods used for
making the dolls: The Hopi changed completely
to all wood carvings, and the Navajo began using
dyed turkey feathers, marabou, and rabbit skins
for their dolls. Today, the only time feathers are
used on the Hopi dolls are for the traditional
katsinam, and it is illegal to sell, buy or own any
items containing the restricted feathers.
1. (shown front and back) YELLOW AHOTE
Allen Joshevama
2. (shown front and back) BLUE AHOTE
Everett Curley (from the 1970s)
3. TRADITIONAL BLUE AHOTE
Augustine Mowa III
“Their trailing headdresses
show the difference
between the use
of feathers in the
older carving and
the carved
feathers in the
contemporary
carvings.”
- Patty Topel
Traditionally, only cottonwood root has been used by
the Hopi for carving representations of their spiritual
beings.
It is no surprise that collectors are often drawn to the
same katsina face over and over again. According to
Topel, that may mean something. The Badger and the
Bear are powerful healers and a lot of doctors collect
them. The Sunface is very powerful. The Broadface
katsina is not only a personal protector, but also
protects against evil spirits, so it is hung by the front
door.
The Grandmother is a powerful protector and is the
first katsina a child receives when he or she is born.
Kept inside the baby’s blankets for the first year of
life, the katsina is with him or her at all times. As the
child grows, the katsina is hung over the bed, like a
mobile. The female children will receive more complex
katsinam as they get older.
A question that Topel is often asked is about the best
way to distinguish between authentic katsinam and fake
ones. Her reply is complex.
“Only the Pueblo Indians do katsinam. The Navajo
make Kachinas, but they do them for economic reasons.
They mean nothing spiritually to the Navajo people.
Most of their doll parts are machine made and they
are pegged and glued together by the Navajo people
and painted from a color chart to replicate the Hopi
katsinam. Pricing for the Navajo dolls is much lower
and we sell plenty of them to collectors that don’t have
the funding to buy the more expensive Hopi creations.
They are nice, they may still have spiritual meaning for
the person who owns them, but they don’t have
1
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“This Grandmother Katsina
is a protector and keeps the child safe ...
much like a grandmother does ...
She is the first carving an infant receives
and it is placed inside the
blankets that the baby is
wrapped in for the entire
first year of the baby’s
life. The carving is then
hung above the bed
of the child and as the
child gets older she
or he will get more
katsinam as gifts.”
PATTY TOPEL
2
1
3
5
4
Grandmother Katsina
1. Marty Naha 2. Raynard Lalo 3. Malcolm Fred 4. John Fredericks 5. Marlin Honhongva
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3
4
2
1
5
1. Darrell Youvella
4. Dwight Armstrong
6
The Sunface
2. Leander Tenakhongva
5. Jason Curley
3. Orlan Honyumptewa
6. Joe Gash
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collector quality. They are souvenir quality dolls. You
will know by the feathers and the price point.”
The best way to understand your purchase is through
personal education and by buying from someone
reputable. If authenticity is important to you, learn the
names of the carvers. Realize that most of the artists will
sign things differently, and in some cases they won’t
sign them at all.
The old style dolls will have mineral paint on them
and appear significantly more muted in color. In fact,
the intensity of color used to paint the katsinam offers
important clues; if the
colors are very intense, or
saturated, then they are
commercial pigments. If
they are subdued, they are
likely traditional natural
powdered pigments. Some
clay-based paints are made
with natural pigments, but
if the color is, for example,
too red, then it is likely that
a commercial additive has
been used to intensify the
hue. For other colors the
contemporary artist will use
acrylic or watercolor.
Topel explained, “If the
dolls are carved for dances
and not for the trade, when
you pick them up the paint
“The saucer holds the natural
pigments that are dry ... they
are very concentrated clay
based paint, add a little
water and paint.
It is wonderful pigment.”
- Patty Topel
FLUTE KATSINA
Bryan Nasetoynewa
will smear and you will ruin them. If they’re produced
for the trade, then the artists use a clay-based paint
which adheres to the wood so you can pick them up and
it doesn’t rub off.” She added, “Now, in the full figures,
the really expensive ones, it’s easier to tell. Because, for
example as you look at all the Sunfaces, you’re going
to see that there’s repetition with each one in the way
the face is painted, how their regalia looks, and what
they carry in their hands. They all have a reason why
they are made to look certain ways. So really, it’s an
education process, and I think you really have to be
careful because the fakes are everywhere and they’re
getting better and better.”
In summary, the Hopi people share a complex living
history that is different by mesa and different by village,
but there are enough commonalities in the artistic
interpretation of the deities that, through observation,
the authentic pieces begin to stand apart from the fakes.
It takes a lot of knowledge overall, and a reputable
dealer, who is likely to know and will honestly tell you
if he does not know, can guide you in a purchase.
The People
Topel spoke freely of her affinity for the Hopi people
and of their respect of the natural world. Like a campfire
story, her words conjured up images from the past as
she explained that the Hopi, and in some cases, others
such as the Cherokee, share an ethic where they use
every part of an animal that they kill. They use the hide
for warmth, they use the
meat for food, they use all
of the bones; the jaw for
weapons, the rib bones for
breast plates, and they grind
the shards into powders
to be added to their food
as medicinals. Nothing is
wasted.
“They use the legs as
handles for weapons,” she
explained. “They keep
the skulls. A small deer
skull with the antlers still
attached to it would be
used for a dance staff for a
medicine man. They have
rattles made from a turtle
shell after they took the
meat out of it and ate it.
The rawhide is part of a deer or a moose or buffalo or
something that they killed, soaked the skin and turned
into rawhide. Every piece is used. And something is
always left behind for the other wild animals to share
their blessings.”
This practice of using all available materials is also
evident in the other Native American crafts on display.
Their baskets are woven from local grasses and, in many
cases, the pigments used to paint the traditional, or ‘oldstyle’
katsinam are natural colors derived from berries
and plants. Boiled-down spinach produces a dull black
shade, certain dried and prepared insects yield crimson
and scarlet hues, and crushed berries provide red and
blue.
It is the traditional katsina you would see in a Hopi
home because they hang them on the wall in their one
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oom house and use them as teaching tools. In some
cases, you might see an incredibly detailed figure that
one of the carvers has carved to be given at a dance.
“When you’re born into Hopi, from what I understand,
it’s not like when you are born on the outside,” Topel
remarked. “There seems to be a religious and cultural
constraint set upon you from the day you’re born. You
have responsibility for your clan, your family and for
your pueblo. You have guidelines; there are some places
you can’t go. You’ll never be higher in the Hopi class
than where you were born. You have to marry within
certain clan lines and outside of others. To outsiders it
might seem really restrictive, but it isn’t because they
know the rules from the beginning. You can see the
respect that these people have for their culture and the
history behind it. And the community is pushing really
hard to have the kids speak Hopi again. It’s critical
because if you lose your language, you lose a big piece of
who you are.”
The Kachina House offers extensive educational
material online with photos of each doll and stories
about who they are and what they stand for. Topel
mused, “I could talk about the Hopi culture, and the
dolls and the people forever. They are so respectful of
everything.”
She added, “These things that I know, I’ve learned from
the Hopi people … things they have discussed with us.
I’ve learned some very interesting things. And there
are other things that they won’t talk about, and dolls
they won’t carve. We will find old ones and I’ll say, ‘Hey
guys, I’ve never seen this, make it for me.’ But they may
say, ‘I can’t.’ And that’s the answer. I never ask why. It’s
not my business, it’s not my religion, it’s not my life, and
it’s not my culture.”
The Hopi people reportedly are the only Native
American tribe that is in situ, which means they are in
the place they have always been.
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Red Tail Hawk
Sedona ARTSource
Topel’s voice softened. “Everyone else, every other
tribe, every other group has been relocated by the U.S.
Government. But not the Hopi. They really are a living
history in that location. That’s important because you
can study their history and culture so much easier when
you know they haven’t lost anything. They were never
pushed, never moved out of their place. They didn’t lose
their clay beds, or their ceremonial grounds, or their
natural resources like salt for curing meat, their water
and their planting fields. They have always been there.
No one else has that.”

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34 Sedona ARTSource

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928.204.2000
Sedona ARTSource
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"CATHEDRAL ROCK" in progress, by Bill Cramer
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P lein Air
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
Interview by Lynn Alison Trombetta
Plein air artist, Bill Cramer, keynote speaker for the 2018 Sedona Plein Air Festival,
offers a behind the scenes glimpse into the art form, the artist’s process and the
event. This week-long celebration of natural beauty and art serves as inspiration
for painters, art collectors, and visitors alike.
SAS: The Sedona Arts Center dates back sixty years
to the founding of Sedona’s identity as an ‘art colony.’
When did their Sedona Plein Air Festival become an
annual event for the community?
BC: About two decades ago there was a resurgence
in painting outdoors, or plein air painting. Some areas
started to have plein air events; Sedona was one of the
early ones. Now they are all over the country. This is
the fourteenth year for Sedona!
SAS: Every October this week-long celebration
draws world-renowned artists and art lovers to the
beautiful Sedona landscape. When did you become
involved?
BC: My wife, Michelle and I moved to Arizona in 1993.
I have a degree in art from Cal State, Long Beach but I
wasn’t doing much with it. I didn’t know what I wanted
to do with my art. Then I read an article about plein air
painting, grabbed what I had in the house and went out
and painted in the backyard. I still have that painting!
I do a lot of rock climbing and hiking, and it occurred
to me that plein air painting might be a good way to
combine the two − be outdoors and create art. So I
just kept doing it. I began participating in the festival
about ten years ago.
SAS: The town buzzes with excitement during the
event, which creates a lot of curiosity about how it all
works.
BC: Yes, it’s a fun event and there are workshops,
exhibits and lectures to enjoy and help artists and art
lovers understand some of the process. There are a
lot of artists who just do plein air and that’s all they
sell. But that’s not practical for everybody; maybe they
don’t live in a beautiful place where they can always
walk outside their door and paint. For the workshop I
offer, we go out and paint a couple of days, bring those
back into the studio and create an ‘en studio’ painting.
This way, people can learn how to transfer a plein air
into a more finished studio painting, which is a very
traditional way to work. So they can take their plein air
experience, bring it back home and create some fresh
new work that way.
SAS: How many artists participate?
BC: It varies, but about thirty. Most plein air events
seem to be in the twenties, some forties, and some of
the ones in other locations that aren’t juried get a lot
of participants.
People come to the Sedona event from all over the
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country. There are so many good painters, and a lot of them
have been here previously and painted independently, so
they’re familiar with the area.
SAS: What advice do you have for someone who dreams
of someday being part of a plein air painting event?
BC: Hopefully they’ve done a lot of outdoor painting before
they start applying to shows. You really have to be on your
game to show up for those things. If you’re just starting out,
or tying to see if you want to do this, I’d say go to some of
the shows as a spectator and bring your paints, maybe ask
if you can just hang out with some of the artists … I know I
don’t mind if people just show up.
You learn a lot from the other painters about how it all
works and then you kind of morph that into your own
method. Everybody’s method is a little different, but unless
you see other people working, you might not get a good
grasp of how to do it. That’s the way I got started. I went
to some plein air events, watched other artists, took some
pictures of their equipment, asked what kind of paint
brushes they used, and then I applied to a couple of shows
that aren’t juried, events where you can just show up and
paint.
For the Sedona Plein Air Festival, you have to apply and you
get juried in. However, there are a number of shows for
beginners, or anybody really, where you just apply and go
there and paint for a week and put the paintings up for sale.
They’re not very stressful, kind of low-key, fun events. That’s
a great way to get your feet wet, meet a lot of artists and
figure out the ‘plein air’ thing.
SAS: Any tips for those getting in a little deeper?
BC: I try to let people know that the events can be kind
of stressful in some ways, but I still try to make them fun. It
seems silly, but for me the plein air events are a great chance
to hang out and relax. We will bring a cooler of beer and
some wine and make it something of an event instead of
making it all about cranking out paintings.
Also, I didn’t even think about this when I got started, but a
lot of the people that I’ve come to know at these events are
some of my best friends now and we hang out and do other
things together. So, that’s been one of the notable things
about participating that I didn’t expect. It’s been the thing
that surprised me the most, how great the people are and
how large my ‘art family’ has become. You know, you don’t
get that from being in the studio by yourself all of the time.
SAS: Let’s talk about what it’s like from behind the artist’s
easel: Painting en plein air is not necessarily always the
bucolic scene depicted in paintings from the past, and
doing art outdoors can present challenges. Is it possible
to work in less than ideal weather conditions?
BC: It depends, if it’s a light rain or wind you deal with it
best you can. If there’s lightning, maybe not! I’ve almost
been hit a couple times, like very close within yards of me.
So that’s something to be avoided. Excessive heat as well.
Any of the extremes make it difficult. But you can manage
up to a point; we’ll go out and paint in snow, we just dress
right. You can make it work. But, the weather will definitely
play a part. There are also other aspects of being outdoors:
too many tourists coming around, too many distractions and
insects. When I say insects, I mean not just on
you, but they stick to your painting!
SAS: Or maybe, wind blowing your canvases
away?
BC: Yeah, I’ve had a couple of friends lose their
whole rig over the side of the Grand Canyon.
I’ve rescued a couple … climbed down and
retrieved their materials. Don’t use umbrellas
− that’s my advice. They’re handy to a point,
but if there’s any kind of breeze, they’re going
to blow your rig over.
SAS: While many artists work in oil, are we
likely to see other media at a plein air event?
Virgin River, Zion National Park
BC: Everybody uses all media work −
gouache, a water-based technique, watercolors,
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“When you stand there and work
on a painting for a few hours,
you see the landscape change
and you really understand better
the lighting and the features
of the landscape; you really
start to get it.”
— BILL CRAMER
acrylic, and oil paints. I know at Grand Canyon they’ve
had sculptors who sculpt animals in plein air. Oil is most
common, being the most traditional, and in many ways it is
easier to handle outdoors. Acrylic paints dry very fast, but
watercolor, pastel and gouache all work fine.
SAS: I know we’ve touched on this, but do most plein air
artists work entirely outdoors, on location, to create their
paintings, or are these considered rough drafts along with
photographs for greater projects back in a studio? That is,
aside from the juried competitions, is the goal to complete
a whole painting? Or is it more about absorbing the
sensory experience, enjoying the process and then being
able to translate that into a larger, more finished piece?
BC: Yes, all of those things. You may end up with a finished
painting, you may end up with a nice sketch that you can
use for something in the studio later, it runs anywhere in
between. And you may end up with a painting you just
scrape off and that was it and you paint another. That’s
totally okay too. You learn by doing that, you know. They
don’t have to be finished paintings. During the events,
yes, you have to end up with a framed painting. But the
level of finish depends on what you are trying to achieve,
and when you are trying to achieve it. Paintings that are
done outdoors and then brought indoors to finish, we call
"pleinudios"− plein air-studio paintings. That’s a legitimate
way to work. The paintings done in the field sometimes
need a little love back in the studio to make them a better
painting: knock the bugs off, clean things off.
SAS: In summary, plein air painting is all about “seeing”
accurately, isn’t it?
BC: Yes, because if you are working from photographs,
that can have all kinds of problems. Working from photos
has become pretty common in studio, but I think to really
understand the landscapes you’ve got to go outside,
experience it, and try to paint it. When you stand there and
work on a painting for a few hours, you see the landscape
change and you really understand better the lighting and
the features of the landscape; you really start to get it.
Photographs can be deceptive, the values can be off, the
colors can be off, the proportions can be off, and if you
don’t know that, your paintings are going to be a little off.
People should be careful and understand that photography
shouldn’t be their only tool.
SAS: Going out in nature offers the opportunity to know
the place not only three dimensionally, but to feel and
smell the land as well.
BC: Yeah, I love that, I’m kind of known for hanging out in
bare feet. I’ll stop painting and go climb around and jump in
Sedona ARTSource 37

“Bridge to Forever”
Inset: Bill Cramer, Grand Canyon
the creek and really immerse myself
in that landscape a little bit, which is
one of the joys of being able to be
outside and work.
Usually, I go out in the mornings and
paint all morning. I might get one,
two, three paintings done and then
when the afternoon comes around if
it’s hot, or the light gets kind of flat, I
might take a break and then wait until evening and then do
another session. You paint sunrise to sunset during the plein
air events. Throw in some hiking to get to a certain spot
and you’re pretty wiped out by the end of the week − but
it’s worth it!
SAS: In your experience, what one thing do all of the
artists who have participated through the years have in
common?
BC: For all the artists I have come to know and respect and
who have become friends of mine, it is two things: The love
of nature and being outdoors, and the love of the work.
They’re out there before sunrise and they stick it out pretty
much all day. And they don’t just ‘get it done,’ but there’s a
real desire to get at it.
SAS: And from the other side of the easel, you are
participating in different ways, including as the keynote
speaker for Sedona Plein Air Festival this year, correct?
the judge of the awards, so it’s all my
fault!
SAS: What do you feel is the
Festival’s greatest benefit to those
who attend and for the community
of Sedona?
BC: The community really backs
the event in more ways than can be
counted. There’s so much behind putting the event together.
The employees and volunteers are great and there are also
businesses and families that give us lodging − it’s really great.
The event draws collectors and art lovers to Sedona at
a beautiful time of year. I imagine there are a number
of tourists who come and watch, but I think these kinds
of shows in general are really a great cultural event that
is relatively new and it brings together the idea of being
outdoors and the creation of art. Also, it gives people a
greater perspective of the environment that’s around them.
You know, often people look at the painting and ask, “Well,
where’s that?” You start to talk with them about the fact
that there’s more to Sedona than just uptown; there are all
kinds of trails and places to go and interesting formations
and river canyons to check out. That helps provide a greater
perspective − it’s a way of sharpening their focus and
appreciation for where they are. They see things through
the artist’s eyes.
BC: Yes, I juried the participants and then I’m going to be
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42 Sedona ARTSource

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LOUIS
COMPOSER
STEINWAY ARTIST
PIANIST FOR PEACE
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The Art of Music
Good, Good Vibrations
LANDON
The comradery of seven decades of shared creativity, shared art,
and shared memories comes together in this interview with two of
“I play what I consider to be harmonically pleasing, mostly upbeat, positive music
Sedona’s most notable artists, John Henry Waddell and his wife,
Ruth ... it’s like Waddell food; I feel who like have music lived is food in for the my Verde soul, and Valley whenever near Sedona, possible I Arizona
down since at the 1970. piano and play.” – Steinway Piano Artist, Louis
sit
Landon
By Lynn Alison Trombetta
For much of his fifty-one years as a professional
musician, pianist Louis Landon played music
written by others. Yet even in his early teens,
there was something within him that yearned to be
expressed in his own compositions. His exploration
led him from youthful years on the piano to the
guitar and what he calls “kind of a rock thing” until,
at age 18 he heard John Coltrane play and found his
way back to his piano. Studies at Berklee College of
Music, and years of jazz music followed.
In order to earn a living, Landon toured with a
variety of musicians performing in many different
styles. A pivotal point in his musical career occurred
on tour with Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers, a
Latin jazz, soul jazz, and R&B group. “I was doing a
rehearsal and my life at the time was pretty chaotic;
I had two young kids, but I was not a happy camper
for a lot of years. I was on the road with Pucho and
we did this rehearsal in a studio and he had a Kawai
piano there. During the rehearsal, he recorded me
playing something, just on my own, just playing
around. Later he called me over, played the recording
back, and said, ‘You know, this sounds really good.
You should do a solo piano album.' ”
That single moment changed Landon’s life. Pucho
had set the stage, offered up his recording studio, and
provided the encouragement that launched a new
direction for Landon’s music. “I went into the studio
and started to record a jazz album. Out of every song
that I had written and wanted to record, nothing
“Keys for Peace” logo by Skye Landon
Sedona ARTSource 43

worked. Everything slowed down and became kind
of New Agey and calm. I got real peaceful being
in the studio with the sounds of the piano. It was
kind of my sanctuary. The music became something
completely different than I’d intended. I had no idea
what to do with it. My life was pretty crazy at the
time, but I’d get in the studio and everything would
just become peaceful and beautiful.”
Landon realized a mission: Invite peace within
through music and instill that peace in composition
and performance.
Through the creation of twenty-six albums, nineteen
of which are solo piano, Landon discovered a
second mission: Inspire people to live joyously and
passionately. His compositions soon began to reflect
that ideal. “That started to come out … the palette
Photo by Tom Bushey
Art is creative and elevates people. I put experience, emotion, and intention into
the music as much as possible so that I bring people to the place where I go
when I am creating or I’m inspired.
LOUIS LANDON
was broadened … it wasn’t just peaceful music – it
was all this."
Landon reflected on his music as art, “Music was
the only thing I stayed with in my life. I play what I
consider to be harmonically pleasing, mostly upbeat,
positive music … it’s like food: I feel like music is food
for my soul, and whenever possible, I sit down at the
piano and play.”
He added, “My job is to go as deep as I can within
and then to play from that ‘most, deepest place’ and
put everything into the music that I intended when I
wrote it so that it goes out there. That brings me back
to my mission: that my music creates peace and inner
harmony. Life changed for me when I realized that as
an artist, my job is to take the people somewhere, to
do something for people – it’s not about me.”
Photo by Staci Jacobsen
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Sedona pianist Louis Landon has a mission:
Invite peace within through music.
Instill peace in composition and performance.
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48 Sedona ARTSource

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GALLERY PROFILE
EXPOSURES
INTERNATIONAL GALLERY OF FINE ART
Art From The Heart
Every great dream begins with a dreamer.
By Carol Kahn
Within the walls of one of the largest
galleries in the Southwest, people will
discover the dreams and passions of over a
hundred artists who share their vision and imagination
through art. Their works are inspiring and thoughtprovoking.
Over 20,000 square feet of paintings,
sculpture, glass, mixed media, ceramic, and jewelry are
exhibited throughout Exposures International Gallery
of Fine Art, which is a powerful tribute to a dream, the
dream of Marty and Diane Herman. Twenty-two years
ago, Marty and Diane reached for the stars and helped
to change the landscape of what is called “Gallery
Row” in Sedona. They both share an Affaire de Coeur
with art, a testament of their love for one another,
as well as for the world of art. Extremely passionate
about their gallery and the artists they represent,
Marty and Diane believe that art should be an essential
part of everyone’s life.
It is said, “Art is in the eye of the beholder.” To Marty,
this adage is accurate. “I can tell whether or not
you like a piece by checking your pulse. Your heart
beats that much
faster when you see
something that you
love. I believe it’s a
part of our DNA,”
he says, smiling.
Diane & Marty Herman
The people who visit
Exposures International Gallery of Fine Art come
from around the world. Many who walk through the
doors know about fine art, but others are sometimes
intimidated by the experience. “We are very sensitive
and in-tune to what people want when they come
into our gallery,” says Marty. “We may be their first
and only exposure to fine art. It is a big responsibility
that we take seriously. Our job is to make them feel
comfortable and educate them about the artists we
represent.”
The gallery is designed to let visitors sense the art.
The atmosphere is comfortable and unpretentious.
The Hermans’ focus is on their customers and on
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educating them about the artists, not on the
gallery per se. It is of great importance that
they uphold the highest level of honesty
and integrity in dealing with their clients.
“Many of our customers are thankful and
appreciative of the experience, and they will
come back again and again,” says Marty. “We
have to get it right the first time; otherwise,
there won’t be a second, third, or fourth
time.”
Owning an art gallery is a challenging
business today and many gallery owners will
tell you that they are in it for the sheer love of
the art. Owners act as liaisons between the
artist and the client and have a responsibility
to sell the artwork. Marty says this is a
partnership created without pretense. “The
artists we have at the gallery are important
to us, and we want to be important to them.
What that means is that both parties do as
much as we can for each other. Many of the
artists at Exposures International Gallery of
Fine Art are filled with gratitude to be a part
of the gallery.” To them, looking to Marty for
mentorship is a worthwhile experience. He
has offered advice to those who have asked for
his guidance. “We don’t have arrogant artists
here. It is a prerequisite that they have to be
nice. We have avoided the representation of
some really great artists that we felt needed
an attitude adjustment. My belief is that if it
doesn’t sell, we shouldn’t have it. At the end
of the day, the gallery is a business. I have to
make a profit to keep the doors open and the
lights on and to be able to pay our consultants
— so, I choose artwork that will sell, and we
do have a lot of great work here.”
Exposures International Gallery of Fine Art offers the
work of acclaimed artists such as Bill Worrell, Yuroz,
Rebecca Tobey, Doug Adams, Alexander Volkov,
Barbara Westwood, JD Challenger, Kim Obrzut, and
local artists Frasca and Halliday, as well as other fine
artists. Traveling the world extensively and visiting
a multitude of art galleries, Marty knew, before his
vision became a reality, what he wanted to do. “I have
been to a lot of galleries and hated most of them with
the exception of one or two. I remember that no one
ever got up to greet me, and I knew immediately that
was not the kind of attitude I wanted to project in my
gallery,” he says emphatically.
Oils on Canvas by Yuroz
As a collector
himself, Marty
owns work
that embraces
intimacy
and love. “I
appreciate
the emotion,”
he says.
“Everything
I own or
purchase is
tied to that
embrace.”
“Art from the
Heart” is the
descriptive
SELF MADE MAN Bronze by Bobbie Carlyle metaphor of
Exposures
International Gallery of Fine Art and the love that
goes into it. “I do realize that I am competitive. I don’t
want to be just smart or clever. I want to win. But I
also enjoy giving back — so it all comes down to just
doing the right thing, not only for the business, but
for the artists and the clients. I employ both creativity
and integrity, and together they work beautifully. But
know this, I’m also having fun. I still get excited about
everything involved with art ... Now, if I could just
build a second level on this gallery with escalators —
that would be amazing!”
Exposures International Gallery of Fine Art is located at
561 State Route 179, Sedona. Open Monday-Sunday,
10:00 am to 5:30 pm. (928)282-1125 ExposuresFineArt.com
Sedona ARTSource 49

50 years of carving, chiseling, scraping, sanding, smoothing and sculpting all kinds of wood into anything and everything he imagines.
SACRED SPACES
Mike Medow
“Live your life
loving what you do
and always
have fun while
doing it.”
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Art & Soul
MIKE MEDOW
The Chiseler
By Carol Kahn
The Back-Story
I first met Mike Medow in January
2016 while working on a project for
Red Rock TV 16 and the Sedona
Chamber of Commerce and
Tourism Bureau. He was one of
four artists selected for a series that
I produced called “Art & Soul.” It
was beautifully filmed and edited by
Lee Israel.
As we pulled into his driveway,
Mike graciously met us at the door.
With a big smile, he welcomed
us into his studio. This studio is
like no other. Not only is it Mike
Medow’s sacred space, it is home
to hundreds of his creations.
Scanning the room, there was so
much to see, and we didn’t want to
miss one thing. Marionettes, in all
sizes, dangle from their strings as
they patiently wait for that tug that
will bring them to life. Hand-held
masks with comical expressions
beckon to be held. A mural filled
with caricature images of people
from all nationalities wanting to be
discovered. There are paintings,
musical instruments, animals,
miniature houses, artist tools, and
of course, raw wood. Everything
is in its proper place. As he circled
the room, he talked about the birth
of his creations, his adventures,
his treasures and his family. It was
the stories about his family that
brought tears to our eyes, and gave
us a greater understanding and
insight of how big his heart is.
We spent two days watching him
play with his toys as he entertained
us. Quickly, we were immersed
into his fantasy world, and without
hesitation we eagerly followed.
He led us down a rabbit hole,
only to experience a whimsical
and fun ‘Alice in Wonderland’
kind of adventure. He wanted to
demonstrate one of his marionettes
and carefully selected a Bob
Marley-looking character. He
placed his hands strategically on
the constructed paddles as he
maneuvered the strings, bringing it
to life. The puppet-master was in
complete control of his puppet even
as the ritual began. He sang while
they danced around the room in
perfect synchronicity.
As he performed, we were highly
entertained. We had ringside seats.
He gave us a free pass to act like
kids again. Handing us a bunch
of wooden masks that he carved,
we were instructed to choose our
favorite. Behind them we acted
silly, talked in different voices with
fun accents, laughed, and captured
these memorable moments on
camera.
Mike Medow, artist, wood sculptor,
painter, puppeteer and creative
extraordinaire, made us laugh; he
made us cry, and he touched our
heart in a very special way. At the
end of the day, he taught us many
valuable life lessons. But the one
that stuck with us the most is this:
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51

Self-portrait, Mike Medow at work
Yoga Pose, Jelutong Wood
To live your life loving what you do
and to always have fun while doing
it.
A Trip Down Memory Lane
Ever since he was a child Mike
Medow was creating things. At
age 11, a friend’s mother noticed his
talent and kindly offered to send
him to art school, but he wasn’t
interested in going to school all
day and then having to end the
day going to school again. Instead,
he chose to teach himself how to
create art in his own way.
Twelve years later, while working
at a clothing store in Chicago,
he sculpted three large wooden
heads that were placed on display
in the window. One day a man,
finding value in Mike's work, came
in and offered $900 for the heads.
With that money, Mike traveled
to England, the Netherlands,
Afghanistan, and finally to India. It
was a trip he had planned with two
other friends. “I thought, ‘Wow,
some guy gave me money for that!
That’s going to be my job when I
get back. I’m going to be a wood
sculptor.' I thought about that
every day for five and a half months.
The second day after I got home,
I bought four chisels and never
looked back. I did little else but
carve wood,” he says.
Over the years, Mike acquired
more tools of his trade. Mallets,
chisels, handsaws, rifflers, files
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and sandpaper – all
carefully arranged and
organized along the wall
of his studio. He prefers
using hand tools instead
of power tools because
these allow him to feel
a connection with the
wood. Notebooks of his sketches
are carefully organized and piled
high. These contain his life’s
work. “I don’t usually plan too far
in advance on what I am going to
create. After all these years I still
don’t know how I do what I do. It
comes from somewhere else. I don’t
feel like I am spiritual, but when
I am working, I am centered. I
believe it comes from a higher place.
I am not sure where that is – I just
know how to make stuff,” he says
with a twinkle in his eye.
It is the tapping sound of the mallet
against the wood, the aroma of the
wood itself and his connection
with nature that gives Mike that
euphoric high necessary to create
his whimsical masterpieces. There
is this sense of calmness and being
in something of a meditative state
that he relishes. Many times he
will sit in his studio and canvas the
years of his work in wonderment.
It is hard for him to believe that
he is the one who created all
this “fun stuff,” as he describes
it. It’s been more than 50 years
of carving, chiseling, scraping,
sanding, smoothing and sculpting
all kinds of wood into anything
and everything he imagines. He
enjoys working with black walnut,
juniper, jelutong, mahogany and
cherry. He says, physically it is hard
work, yet he can’t wait to get up in
the morning to do it all over again.
There are many times he forgets to
eat, unless his wife, Paula, reminds
him.
“This is something deep inside me
that I feel like I have to do. I need
to be creative. It’s who I am.”
18 Months Later
“The Whimsical Village of Medow”
“I’m in total bliss! It’s a high!
Nothing else on my mind, just me
and my work – that’s why I look so
good at 105!”
Mike Medow smiles, as he knows
you will laugh at his quips and that
just encourages him to tell more.
At age 74 he is still a child at heart.
He is the court jester of his own
artistic kingdom. He can’t wait for
the fun to begin. Today, his studio
is a little different than a year and
a half ago. The outside façade is
brand new as he added signature
wooden doors to his home and
studio. It was a surprise gift for his
wife, Paula. “Paula left town and it
gave me incentive to do it. I wanted
it to be a secret. I picked her up at
the airport, and when we pulled
into the driveway she asked why the
flowers looked so good. She knew
something was different, but didn’t
see the doors. When she realized
what I had done, she started to cry.
I didn’t think she would cry,” he
says, smiling.
His workshop is still filled with
many of his amazing wooden
creations. Some are put away to
make room for new work, miniature
houses and other structures he has
built. Among these are a medieval
castle, a tree house, log cabin, a shoe
house and a model of his brother’s
home in Formentera, Spain. His
ingenious housing development
could be appropriately dubbed
the “The Whimsical Village of
Medow.”
Sadly, the tools and workbench
have been put away. The pain in
his shoulder is now too great for
him to continue pounding the
mallet against the wood. It bothers
him to think about it, but in the
next breath, with a mischievous
Sedona ARTSource
53

A collage of Mike Medow’s Multimedia Productions
smile, he discusses the new and innovative way he is
working his craft. “Since you have been here last,”
he says, (referring to my January 2016 interview), “I
have been making ukuleles.” He proudly opens a case
containing a Johnny Marvin ukulele
made in ribbon mahogany that
belonged to his father. “My Dad
used to play this when he was 21. My
Mom would tell me that he would
bring the ukulele to the beach and
the girls would gather around. My
Dad was a good looking guy!”
Inspired by his father’s musical
prowess, Mike decided to carve out
his own story, and to build his own
ukulele. He acquired some pieces of
juniper and mesquite wood, then he watched YouTube
videos to learn how the ukulele was constructed. “I was
on cloud nine all week after I made these. They play
perfectly!”
As he picks up his newly made masterpiece, an
impromptu performance begins. He positions his
fingers on one of the four strings, trying to remember
the chords while singing slightly out of tune. It’s
time for ‘ukulele karaoke’ as
Mike Medow plays a song from
Taj Mahal and you can see he is
in utter bliss. “I’m not a musical
genius,” he says laughing, “but I
keep surprising myself because I am
making progress. Now I feel like
I can create anything, because if I
made these ukuleles, and they work,
perhaps I can do anything!”
Surveying his updated creative
space, I see there are photos on
the shelves of his brother, Diki, as well as a painting
of Diki’s home in Formentera. Mike began discussing
the recent passing of his brother. “His birth name was
Richard Arnold Medow, but we never called him by his
56 54
Sedona ARTSource

“Size 7” Alligator Juniper
Diki Medow's island home in Formentera, Spain, by Mike Medow
first name,” he said. “He always
went by Diki. He was 4 years older
than I and he was 78 years old
when he died.”
Diki lived on the island of
Formentera, which is the smallest
of Spain’s Balearic Islands in the
Mediterranean Sea. It’s only
reachable by ferry from its betterknown
island neighbor, Ibiza.
“Many years ago, in 1967, I told
a buddy I wanted to go visit my
brother. The two of us went to
Barcelona, hopped on two separate
boats to get to Ibiza. When we got
off the boat at our stop I didn’t see
one person, or even one building.
I was convinced we got off at the
wrong place and we were stuck
there forever. When the boat
left us on the dock, I thought we
were going to die! I don’t even
know how to swim! We wandered
around for an hour and a half
searching for my brother until we
finally found him. He didn’t even
know we were coming!”
Although Mike and Diki were
brothers and grew up in
Chicago
together, they lived polar opposite
lives and had little physical
contact. Yet there was still a deep
connection; they understood and
respected their differences. Mike
talked about his brother as a tear
fell from his eye, “Everyone on
the island knew Diki. He was
comfortable; he had no money.
I don’t know anyone who lived
like he did. He had no running
water or electricity. He told
himself he would never be unhappy
again. He wanted to be free, and
serendipitously he found his own
paradise in Formentera. His was an
interesting way of life and he was
always on my mind. Writing was
our only form of communication,
unless his kids were visiting him,
and then we would use FaceTime.”
(See Tribute to Diki Medow, page 56)
Mike Medow is a sensitive, funny
man. He loves to make you smile
and laugh. He has one of the
biggest hearts. He describes art as
something that creates emotion
but acknowledges that for him art
in itself is hard to define. “I never
worked because of the money, it’s
about making something I love to
make. I am so fortunate that people
want to buy it. I never got rich,
making all of this, but I am rich. I
am blessed with a beautiful wife
and kids. What more can I ask
for?”
Mike Medow is represented
by Goldenstein Gallery
in Sedona.
Sedona ARTSource
55

A Tribute to Diki Medow,
Diki Medow Wanted Freedom. Sculptor, 1940-2018
Growing up in Chicago, Diki said
the 1950s was a time of paranoia
and felt the American public
was being brainwashed with a barrage of
television nonsense. The way of the world
made him unhappy. He felt alienated, lost,
and unprepared for a life with rules and
regulations as he searched for a better place.
Through his travels he came upon the island of Formentera,
which is the smallest of Spain’s Balearic Islands in the
Mediterranean Sea. It’s reachable by ferry from its betterknown
island neighbor, Ibiza. Since the 1960s, Formentera
has been attractive as a destination for the hippie community.
It was once considered part of the “Hippies
trail” that ran from Europe to India —
an underground railroad of stoners
and people seeking a perpetual
bohemian vacation.
A model of Diki’s house in Formentera, made by his brother, Mike Medow.
It was Diki’s belief that
in order to be free, you
need to live a life without
attachment. And if you
can live a life without
attachment you will
live a life of richness.
His house had no running water or electricity, but the view to the Mediterranean was exquisite. The weather
determined how he was going to live that day, which is hard for most of us to comprehend. He felt so rich
and proud to live a very simple life, without wants or needs. “When you look at yourself humbly, you become
closer to who you are,” Diki said.
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“My brother, Mike, came to visit. He
brought me a set of tools: A knife, chisels,
mallet, and knife sharpener. He made a
sculpture in front of me rather quickly and
left me the tools. I told him I didn’t think
I could do a sculpture and he replied, “You
only need two things: To like working
with your hands and lots of time. Now
you have both!” I searched Formentera for
wood and found a small piece of an olive
tree. As I began working, it felt awkward at
first, but before I finished, I had this feeling
that this sculpting was a wonderful thing
for me to do. Since then, I called myself a
Woodpecker!”
His first sculpture was the most difficult, he said,
simply because he didn’t know what he was doing.
Soon he came to realize that all he needed to do was
follow the wood and it would take him where he
needed to go. Metaphorically, this particular lesson
sounds like his life and his quest for freedom.
“My brother is my inspiration … and to work in
nature and with nature, the peace and feeling
that I have goes into my woodcarving. At my age,
everything is difficult. I accept that.”
In the end, a beauty in it all, is that Diki Medow
lived a life in his paradise, nurtured by a brother’s
thoughtful attention and fulfilled by the awakening
of his own creative spirit.
Sedona ARTSource
57

ARTIST PERSPECTIVE
FILMMAKING
with BRYAN REINHART
By Carol Kahn
“Film is one of the most powerful mediums to tell
stories. It’s a forum to reach the masses and tell the
truth about a particular subject.” — Bryan Reinhart
Bryan Reinhart is a filmmaker with a 360-degree
view of what it takes to produce, direct, and
shoot films. His resumè includes: Editor,
Cinematographer, Actor, Writer, Projectionist,
and Teacher. Most of the time, he works as a
projectionist for the Mary D. Fisher Theatre and
the Sedona International Film Festival, but in his
spare time, he does what he loves — making films.
A native of Northwest Indiana, Reinhart was
raised in a theatrical family and was on stage by
age six. By thirteen, he was making short films.
In his first Hollywood experience, he produced a
documentary on the feature film Hoosiers. Reinhart
went on to produce the nationally televised
American Highways for Public Television.
Last year, Bryan completed a film titled Born to
Rewild that was shown during the 23rd Sedona
International Film Festival. He did it to honor a
friend, Ed George, a Cinematographer who died
suddenly of a heart attack before the documentary
could be finished. This film chronicles the amazing
5,000 mile-long expedition of outdoor adventurer
and conservationist John Davis, who, in search of
wildlife corridors, traveled along a landscape that
runs from Mexico to Canada.
“It was really sudden. I received a call asking if I
could fill in the gaps,” says Bryan. “Ed had a third
of it done; I just finished the other two-thirds,
trying to do it in his style — the way he would have
done it. Ironically, we showed it at the Sedona Film
Festival almost a year to the day of his passing.
“Filmmaking is one of the most powerful mediums
we have, especially documentaries,” says Bryan.
“But we have to be careful with the message. There
are people out there who will twist the truth and
abuse what documentaries are supposed to be
about. Journalistically, there is a code of ethics
at play here. Storytelling in this form can be
extremely powerful and can reach a lot of people.
Therefore, it’s important to research the topic in
order to get the facts right, interview the subjects
for their perspectives, and keep the storyline
focused, so that the audience will understand the
point to the story.
“You have to be a reporter, a journalist, a
documentary producer. You also have to be open,
in case the story goes where you didn’t expect it.
That’s when the magic happens. Those magical
moments are few and far between, but when they
do occur, you recognize it in an instant. It’s an
amazing feeling! It could be something as simple as
one sentence that becomes the title of the movie. I
love when something unexpected happens!”
Documentary filmmaking is about capturing
reality. The script is often written after the
shooting has begun, and the story unfolds as
events occur. With narrative filmmaking, on
the other hand, the story and script are crafted
in the beginning. Bryan’s preference is to direct
narrative films, rather than documentaries, even
though these two forms have many similarities.
“Filmmaking, whether a documentary or a
narrative, utilizes many of the components
associated with art. Cameras are used to capture
the visual element; audio for sound; music creates
an emotional impact; writing emphasizes the
storyline; actors are used to relate the narrative.
Film is really a collaborative art form; it is not
a one-person art form. Everything I have been
working on by myself is still sitting on the shelf
in my house. But anything I am working on with
a group of people — that’s what gets done. I love
collaboration and brainstorming,” says Bryan.
“It’s my favorite part of the process.”
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Sedona ARTSource

There is a process
to filmmaking, and
learning curves are
inevitable. Bryan
knows that all too
well. He used to be
an instructor at the
Zaki Gordon Institute
for Independent
Filmmaking and
the Sedona Film
School. He was
the coordinator of
the documentary
program for eight
years before the school
closed. Today, he still
finds time to teach
filmmaking at the Sedona Arts Center.
“First of all, teaching humbles you. You think you
have all the answers, but then you realize, ‘Oh, I don’t
have all the answers’ and you begin to learn from your
students. I try to educate them to be flexible in their
careers. Too many times people believe that if they
can’t actually do what they want to do, they should quit.
Others allow their wounded ego to get the best of them.
Instead, both types need to try again — another attempt
might get their foot in the door. That doesn’t mean you
can’t be great at what you do immediately, but if you try
to be Steven Spielberg right out of the gate, it might not
work out the way you expected.
“When someone tells me they are a filmmaker, my
first reaction is, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry!’ I try to tell budding
filmmakers, ‘Film festivals may not be the place to
launch your career, but they are good ways of getting
your films out there and seeing how people react to
them.’ The younger filmmakers coming to the festival
will learn what it’s like to make a living by making films.
A lot of them don’t want to compromise. They come
into the business wanting to be a Director and nothing
else. I have seen some great films and try to find the
person who made it in order to follow their career …
only to find out that they are no longer in the business.
That bothers me. Then, there are others who keep
themselves open to do other things and at least stay
within the industry. It’s a curse. It’s not something you
want to do, it’s something you have to do. Sometimes, I
wish that I could do something else, but filmmaking just
“People have forgotten how to tell a story.
Stories don’t have a middle or an end anymore.
They usually have a beginning that never stops beginning.”
keeps coming back.
There have been
times when I said
I am going to quit,
and then it sucks
me back in again.
So, I guess I am
sticking with this."
— Steven Spielberg
Bryan Reinhart and crew on location in Sedona, Arizona
At one point,
Bryan wanted to
be just like Steven
Spielberg, whose
work he admires,
but the lifestyle
in Los Angeles
was too much of a
deterrent for him
and his family.
“My wife Lori has been a huge supporter, and she
encourages me to do what I love. I can tell you this, I
wouldn’t want to be married to me,” he laughs.
“I always believe in ‘picking the freedom you want.’ It’s
my motto. I asked myself, is living in Hollywood and
making those kinds of movies the freedom I want? If
it is, then I’d have to pay a heavy price to live there,
around millions of people, fighting traffic every day. If I
can find what I love to do, in a place and living a lifestyle
that makes me happy, then it doesn’t matter where I do
it, just as long as I am doing what I love — and Sedona
is that perfect place!”
Sedona ARTSource 59

Lori
Reinhart
One Thing Leads to Another…
By Lynn Alison Trombetta
By Lynn Alison Trombetta
The Sedona Cultural Park was Lori
Reinhart’s first introduction to the
events world in Sedona. Hired as box
office staff prior to the Cultural Park
opening in May of 2000, little did she
know that job would lead to a career
working with two of Sedona’s most
celebrated events: The Sedona Arts
Festival and the Sedona Film Festival.
“I’d been in Sedona for a couple
of years before that job happened.
About the same time that I started
working for the Cultural Park, my
husband, Bryan started working
for the film school. We were both
right there on that Yavapai College
property ... it was great. I would walk
around out there thinking, ‘I can’t
believe this is real!’”
At that time the Sedona Film
Festival was a product of the Sedona
Cultural Park, and Reinhart became
involved with their box office as
well. When the Sedona Cultural
Park quit operations, Reinhart stayed
active with the Film Festival. She
explained, “When Patrick Schweiss
came on as Executive Director for
the Film Festival he asked me to
manage the box office. So for years
62 60 Sedona ARTSource
“Never in a million
years did I think
I would be in events!
But now, after twenty
years I can say,
‘Yes, I am an
events person.’
That’s what I do.”
LORI REINHART
I was seasonal, I would come in and
work for the Film Festival from the
beginning of November until the
end of March, and then I would move
on to the jazz festival in the summer.
I worked with Jazz on the Rocks for
probably four summers before it
dissolved.”
When the Executive Director
position for the Sedona Arts Festival
came available, Reinhart was the
perfect candidate. Soon, the Mary
D. Fisher Theatre was built. New
ticketing software needed to be
installed, and her combined position
became year round. Ten years have
passed, with her serving as Executive
Director for the Sedona Arts Festival
for nine of those years.
She commented, “I work for two
non-profits, the Film Festival and
the Arts Festival. It’s actually been a
lovely arrangement because they’re
in two different seasons, and it’s all
consuming in different times of the
year. So it works out great.”
The Sedona Arts Festival has
benefitted from Reinhart’s previous
experience with the various

associations and ties to the music and art communities, and on a few occasions
has been able to do collaborations with the Film Festival and show a film at the
Mary D. Fisher Theatre as part of the Arts Festival.
Reinhart and husband, Bryan Reinhart had moved to the area shortly before
she began working for the Sedona Cultural Park. Both grew up in northwest
Indiana, just outside of Chicago and have known each other since their teen
years. She added, “And then, the last year of college, he came to visit a friend
who was living with his girlfriend and all they did was fight. I lived a block away
and Bryan would run to me and say, ‘Those two are fighting again, can I come
here?’ And of course, we were already friends and liked each other, so our
relationship developed from there.”
She continued, “He’s from a big family of eight. They never went anywhere and
he never got to travel, while I traveled extensively as a kid. One year, our choir
was going to a musical in Chicago and Bryan plunked himself down on the bus
seat next to me and said, ‘I hear you’ve been to the Grand Canyon. Tell me
about the Grand Canyon.’ So we talked all about it and when we started dating,
the first thing we did was go to the Grand Canyon on spring break. Then we
ended up getting engaged at the Grand Canyon, and now we live an hour and a
half from there!”
Reinhart was a psychology major and went into social work right after college.
“I learned in very quick time it is a low pay-high burnout area and decided I
wasn’t going to do that. As an aspiring filmmaker, Bryan wanted to go and do
the LA thing for a while, and he also worked on movies here in Arizona. So for
me it was just sort of like, ‘we’ll go together.’ I wasn’t really career-oriented, like
‘this is what I have to do with my life,’ whereas Bryan is very much, ‘this is what
I have to do with my life!’ And so I just always took jobs at whatever worked.
We didn’t stay in L.A. for long; it sucks you up, spits you out and we made that
life choice based on what we wanted our quality of life to be.”
It was back in Indiana that they married, bought a house, and had two children,
but a different lifestyle called to them. The decision to move to northern
Arizona came swiftly. Reinhart explained, “My daughter was just two and we
were on spring break. Since my parents were snowbirds and my sister has
lived in Phoenix since 1972, we decided to go there and get away from the bad
weather. While there, Bryan saw an ad in the Phoenix paper for an editor’s job
in Sedona. We came up and interviewed and took it on the spot. When we
left to go back to Indiana, we didn’t tell any of our family that we were going to
leave. We sold our house and we were back here in six weeks!”
Reinhart reminisced, “It took us a good solid three years to know that we were
going to stay. It’s not a place where you can easily get work and make a living. It
was about three years before Bryan got hired at the film school, then I got the
gig at the Cultural Park and it’s been good ever since then. So it has worked
out. Bryan’s gone back to being a freelance filmmaker and is working on a big
film right now. My situation, being able to blend the Arts Festival and the Film
Festival together, working two separate three-quarter-time jobs makes me a
living here. And I feel very fortunate that I have that.”
She added, “Never in a million years did I think I would be in events! But now,
after twenty years I can say, “Yes, I am an events person. That’s what I do.”
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Lori Reinhart
TALKS ABOUT THE SEDONA ARTS FESTIVAL
SAS: Lori, as Executive Director of
the Sedona Arts Festival, please share
your thoughts on the Festival, both
past and present.
LR: First and foremost, I think that the
Arts Festival is the longest continuous
event that there is in Sedona right
now. This is our 28th year! There’s
pride in that. When it started in
1989, it was the Apple Festival, and it
was very much a community event. It
wasn’t focused only on art. Over time
that’s what the focus became.
Today, the Festival attracts artists from
across the country, and showcases
a diverse lineup of over 100 juried
artists as well as continuous live
music, food, and fun art projects for
the kids. The event as a whole is
well respected. People in town look
forward to it all year, visitors plan their
vacations around when it is going
to be. And it’s always the second
weekend in October.
SAS: Behind the festivities,
approximately $300,000 has been
distributed to arts education groups
as well as to graduating seniors
pursuing higher education in the arts
since the Festival’s inception in 1989.
LR: Yes, I think the Festival’s biggest
contribution to the community is
that we are supporting scholarships
and grants. Kids who are pursuing
a career in the arts in college are
eligible for our scholarships. We
give anything from $250 to $2000.
Depending on their need and where
they’re going and how much we have
available to give each year. There are
a lot of factors that go into the award
amounts.
Then there’s the Grants program,
which has funded projects like
Gardens for Humanity, and Camp
Bear Wallow. There are several
organizations that have been the
recipients of funding provided by the
Sedona Arts Festival.
SAS: Going forward, what one
message about the Festival would you
most like to impart?
LR: The Sedona Arts Festival is
really the sole fundraiser for that
education piece. Many don’t realize
that the Festival is a fundraiser for the
community. In spite of the fact that we
heavily promote it; it’s in everything we
print, it's in our Mission statement, and
on our website, but still often people
will say to me is, “I didn’t know that!”
SAS: What’s the most rewarding part
of your job as Executive Director of
the Sedona Arts Festival?
LR: Probably the most rewarding part
of my job is going to those scholarship
award ceremonies and giving out
those award amounts. It just feels
good to contribute to a kid’s future,
even if it’s in a small way.
Above: Aerial view of the Sedona Arts Festival
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Meadowlark Trio
Music Among the
Red Rocks of Sedona
In addition to fine arts and crafts, continuous live music is featured
throughout the annual Sedona Arts Festival with special performances by
two innovative groups whose music is inspired by the natural environment;
William Eaton and his group Earth Speak and Rick Cyge’s trio, Meadowlark.
WILLIAM EATON AND EARTH SPEAK
William Eaton, a four-time Grammy nominee, has recorded sixteen
albums for Canyon Records and tours nationally and internationally.
Earth Speak offers a soundscape fusion of folk, new age, world music
and jazz, blending original and familiar songs. Band members also include
flutist-vocalist Claudia Tulip, percussionist-vocalist Susannah Martin,
harp-bass guitarist Bart Applewhite.
SAS 2 Carol Kahn:Layout 1 7/20/18 4:58 AM Page 1
RICK CYGE AND MEADOWLARK
Meadowlark’s nine album releases reflect a deep
passion for the planet in a vibrant, colorful mix
of world-influenced music inspired by the beauty
of natural places. Fingerstyle guitarist, Rick Cyge,
flutist Lynn Trombetta and violinist Allen Ames
meld influences as diverse as Celtic, African, and
Mediterranean to create captivating, organic music as
distinctive in sound as it is diverse in scope.
Patti Polinard Quarter Ad Final:Layout 1 4/16/18 11:46 AM Pa
Earth Speak
A B S T R A C T P H O T O G R A P H Y
Heart Stones of Mother Earth
Transformational Art Revealing A Connective Thread
Available at:
Art & Soul Gallery of Sedona in Hillside Shopping Ctr.
Sedona’s New Day Spa at 3004 W SR 89A in West Sedona
CAROLKAHNDESIGNS.COM 336.339.4709
For Special Orders Contact Artist — PATTI POLINARD
commonthreadsforus@gmail.com
Sedona ARTSource 65

THE COOKING STARTS EARLY FOR
Chef Gerardo Moceri
“We are more artists
than ordinary cooks.” – CHEF GERARDO MOCERI
Chef Gerardo Moceri’s interview took place in his Sedona restaurant,
Gerardo’s Italian Kitchen, many hours before the patrons would arrive. As he spoke
passionately of both the past and future dreams for himself and his family, young men
patiently worked the pasta for his mother’s recipe of spinach ravioli. With the rhythm
of the kitchen staff gently pacing the ambience, and the hint of basil and spinach
beckoning from the oven, the stage was set for the story of a chef.
Interview by Lynn Alison Trombetta
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GM: When I was a kid, just seven or eight, we lived in
Detroit, outside Canada. We’d get snails from Canada
and cook them in tomato sauce and red wine. I’m little
and I’d take a pin and I’d pop out snails - that was my
job! And I cleaned all the calamari.
SAS: Was your family in the restaurant business?
GM: My family started the first produce company
in Michigan back in 1896 and went back and forth to
Sicily, between the wars and everything else happening.
At first they had a horse and
buggy! My grandparents
started the Eastern Market,
the Western Market, and I was
in the produce business.
Usually each seller had one
thing; “I sell carrots,” “I sell
celery,” “I sell potatoes.” My
grandfather was the first one
to have a cooler warehouse.
He started buying a little bit
of everything and saying, “I
got potatoes, onion, carrots,
lettuce, and this and that.”
That’s what started it all. It
was a tough business – get up
early, meet the farmers from
Canada, Ohio, Michigan ... I
grew up in the market.
SAS: So, you had first-hand
experience with the very freshest
produce ingredients.
GM: Yes, and because I sold
at the market, I met chefs. I
literally was in everyone’s kitchen. I’d go through the
back door and I’d see stuff going on and I kind of got
involved in a little bit of it.
I met German chefs, Italian chefs, all different ones and
I fell in love with the cooking. So, it was either cooking
or produce.
SAS: When did you become more dedicated to the cooking?
GM: In Italy I met a very famous chef, Angelo
Paracucchi. I didn’t know who he was. He knew I
didn’t know who he was, so he gave me room and
board and took me in. He became like my dad, so I
lived there for years off and on while he trained me in
his restaurant, Locanda dell' Angelo Paracucchi, in
Sarzana, La Spezia, Italy.
My chef gave me the opportunity to apprentice in his
restaurant and I became dedicated when I saw the
passion of Italian cuisine from him and the love for food
through my mother. I never went to school – that was
my school. He was my mentor and then he sent me to
other restaurants to work. I went anywhere he set it up.
I always had work at three restaurants planned ahead;
but my home was with him
in Italy.
I studied the culinary arts
all over the world from Italy,
Hawaii, Switzerland, Paris,
California, and New York.
SAS: What was the biggest
original influence on your
cooking?
GM: My mother and
grandparents by far. Then
came the farmers and the
technique and creativity of
Futuristic Italian cooking.
SAS: You gestured toward the
intriguing plate collection on
the wall. Are those some of the
restaurants where you worked?
GM: The plates on the wall
represent just some of the
restaurants I worked at, like
La Mora in Lucca Italy; da
Romano in Viareggio Italy; Locanda dell’ Amorosa in
Sinalunga, Siena, Italy; and Ristorante Charleston in
Palermo, Sicily. And in America, my friend’s plates are
Marcelo’s in Suffern, New York and Dragos in Santa
Monica, California.
I worked on all the Hawaiian Islands doing Italian
cuisine for the Hyatt, Donderos at the Grand Hyatt
Kauai in Hawaii, and I worked and opened Hyatt Kauai
and Grand Wailea on Maui.
SAS: What do you consider to be your career turning point?
GM: The turning point was when my mom passed
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away, and then my daughter was born,
all within a year. You realize that
you want to go back to the roots.
And now, instead of cooking
for John Travolta, James
Caan, or whatever celebrity
is coming in, the way we
did in Hawaii, you want to
go home and be with your
baby.
I don’t have to prove to
anyone any more. Before, you
felt like ‘you’re a chef, you’re
cooking and showing everyone what
you can do.’ When my mom passed away
it was like, ‘I don’t need that anymore.’ And
then my daughter comes in, later my son is
born. And they look at you like you’re the
celebrity; you’re “it,” right? And that’s
all that matters!
SAS: What influences your
cooking today?
GM: I wanted to go back to
the cooking of Italian food
so the kids understand –
and be a Dad – I enjoy that.
My son is in Italy now,
studying farming. He planted
Italian parsley. “How many
recipes can we get out of that and
smell it? Wow, that Italian parsley is
really good – put it with basil and pine nuts
and oil and cheese and now you’ve got
pesto! Wow, now that is flavor!”
He’s going back to even a step
farther than I did: I got it
from the farmers. Now he’s
a farmer. Learning farming
now is another step closer
to understanding these
products.
SAS: What recipe, are you
most proud of?
GM: The ravioli dish we sell
in the restaurant, Mama Pearl’s
Florentine Raviolis. That’s my mom’s
recipe, her name was Pearl Rose. We had
two kitchens in our house and the day after
Thanksgiving my grandparents and my aunts
and everyone comes to the house and they’re
making spinach and cheese raviolis for
Christmas Eve and going to freeze them.
It’s not Black Friday, it’s not shopping.
The day after Thanksgiving, it’s right into
preparing for Christmas Eve and Christmas
Day! I’m helping cut them and doing all that.
I did that from the time I was little. And all
the scraps from those raviolis, I would eat
with tomato sauce. It was like heaven for me!
So when we did this restaurant, we said we’re
doing those raviolis here. We make them
every day and it’s our biggest seller. We want
to interpret the stories with the dishes.
SAS: What are your essential ingredients, the
things you couldn’t live without?
GM: The basic roots are still your anchovies,
your golden raisins, your almonds, your
pine nuts, your extra virgin olive oil, your
parmesan cheese. These are all staples of
a really good Italian kitchen. I’m always
cooking with figs. I do gelato with figs,
fig pastry, and we made flambé dish called
Semifreddo – it’s a classic Italian dessert.
SAS: What would you describe as your
ingredient obsession?
GM: Quality is a big deal, you’re always
trying to find that super quality until you
make that dish the way you want it. You
want to make it somewhat perfect, but
that means finding the best, like if I want
Hawaiian fish, I’m calling Hawaii.
It all goes back to the memories of my
mom, memories of working with my chef,
and now giving that to my kids and my
sous chefs and all my employees who work
underneath me. There are people in Hawaii,
Mexico, California, and New York that have
learned something from me. And that’s a
good feeling – you pass it on. That’s the real
thing when that the knowledge is getting
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passed on from my mom’s passion, and from my chef’s
knowledge and creativity and his desire to teach others
and bring them in.
SAS: Have you written any cookbooks?
GM: We wrote a cookbook before my mom passed
away. My cookbook is called Cucina Creativa Italiana.
We want to do a new one, from this restaurant.
The first book was recipes I grew up with and recipes we
did in Hawaii. My mom helped me write the cookbook
while in the hospice care. We gave the money to
hospice. No money for us. If I do another book, it will
be for a cause. Because giving, that’s the real key.
Also, my first book was very fun, but now I want recipes
with my kids: ‘What do you guys like to make? What
do you like to eat?’ I’d like to go from that generation
to this generation. And let me tell you, they’ll be really
different!
SAS: You seem to be building a bridge between the old
traditions and the new.
GM: We want to educate and teach the staff that cooks
here. They’ve been with me for a long time – let them
keep learning. They see it from the beginning, and
that’s important. The people that come in the front of
the house, we try to educate them on food, wine, real
Italian, kosher and authenticity. I lived there so I know
the difference.
Same with the wine; we just don’t have a wine dinner
saying ‘this is the wine and this gentleman is going to
talk about the wine.’ When we have a winemaker come,
it’s a completely different experience and you see the
world of Italian food like he would.
SAS: Imported Italian flour, local wines, and made-fromscratch
sauces! Give us a little taste of how you would put
those beautiful ingredients together into a favorite recipe.
GM: So, here’s our thing; we make a Mozzarella
Caprese on the menu. We like to make all different
types of mozzarella. We make it and we put basil in it.
We roll and slice the mozzarella a little bit at an angle, so
that when you get a Caprese with heirloom tomatoes,
you see the basil in it and you know that this isn’t from
a store.
We put it on our eggplant, we put it on our chicken
and on our pizzas. We won’t be lazy about the food.
There’s nothing I can’t make, so it’s just taking the time
to make it. When you know how to make it, it feels like
you’re cheating yourself if you don’t, if you buy it from
someone else.
My Chef, Angelo Paracucchi, man … there was none of
that happening in his world! He made jams. He even
made the table decorations!
SAS: What big changes have you noticed over the last
twenty-five years?
GM: Everybody’s going too fast. We need to slow
down. That’s why this is only open for dinner – we
want it to slow down. So, the slow food movement is
just another thing that that the restaurant wants to be
into, and we do. It all ties in.
And I think in time, people will understand. We
will teach that we make our doughs fresh daily with
imported flours from Italy and I get my olive oil from
pure sources. The pepperoni is different – it’s naturally
cured meat and the sausage, we make ‘in house.’ We
make everything here and it’s all authentic and good
quality. It all takes time, but everything we can make,
we make!
SAS: People have become very switched on about things like
seasonal and local produce. What excites you about food
now?
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GM: We want to keep the quality up. We’re
finding out things every day about people growing
different produce locally. We can do this in a little
restaurant. We always support this. When I go
to Italy I’m sure I’ll discover new things, and that
information needs to be passed on.
It’s the generation, like my son, that says, ‘we
can become more green, more sustainable.' I’d
never heard that word before. It has to start with
someone to say, ‘this can be.’ My dream would be,
let’s turn this little restaurant into that.
SAS: You seem to have a ‘recipe’ in mind for the
restaurant itself!
GM: We want a restaurant where the staff, can
learn. I give them my recipes from my chef in Italy,
and they can learn and can create their own. And
that’s the real thing.
We have a lot of ideas to make the restaurant more
natural and more organic.
It’s very tough because we still have an American
palette, but we also have an international crowd.
I know the difference between doing Italian-
Italian and doing the American-Italian cooking.
I was born in the States. I never grew up like
an American; never ate peanut butter and jelly
sandwiches. I’m Italian. I ate Italian food cooked
by my mom, my grandparents, my aunts … they
were just great cooks. The flavors are so nice,
and the cooking slow. Everything took time and
preparation. And that’s where I want to do a little
more here.
Even making the basic lasagna, we don’t make it
in batches. I never made lasagna in Italy - it’s not a
dish you find.
Over here we make homemade pasta, we cut them
stracci and we make grass fed meat sauce with
really nice beef, slow-cooked for three and a half
hours. Then, we combine it with really fine ricotta
cheese, made to order, and then we bake it in a
wood-fired oven. So it’s our version of lasagna,
but it’s a fresh one. We do specialty versions
with spinach and butternut squash, cook it in a
terracotta pot and we let that slow bake for an
hour. It’s not frozen, there’s no microwave, we let
the flavors come of age, and when we’re out we’re
out.
SAS: What is your main goal going forward?
GM: The goal is to become more sustainable, and
as authentic as I can be working with dairy farmers
and the farmers themselves. We get grass fed
meat and natural chickens. To continue getting
the right products, the right grains, the right flour
and the Italian products. It’s fun, it’s a small place.
Another goal is to have these guys go to Italy and
work, where I worked. As I mentioned, my son’s
there now.
SAS: You’re not just passionate about the food and the
experience here, but also for teaching and passing the
torch, this is also quite evident.
GM: They always have a job. That’s the real key
– I don’t want to limit it. It’s true; I have a lot of
history. But we want to look at the future, because
that’s what my kids are doing. They didn’t know
the past. They didn’t know him, [Chef Paracucchi].
SAS: We take it for granted and think our children
know us, but they really don’t.
GM: Exactly, that’s why I’m taking my son and my
family to see where I lived and cooked when I was
his age. The trip’s going to be really exciting and it
will be quite emotional when we are there.
We’re going to eat right there where I worked.
It’s a dream it’s a ‘bucket list’ thing. It’s amazing!
They’ve seen pictures, now they’ll understand it.
They’ll come full circle with me. They’ll say, ‘This
is why Dad’s so passionate about authentic Italian
food.’ My kids will get to see and understand a
little bit more.
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And then after, it will be like, ‘Ok guys, what do
you want to do here?’
Gerardo's Italian Kitchen is located at 2675 W. State Route 89A in Sedona. (928)862-4009 GerardosItalianKitchen.com

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A LITTLE SLICE OF
Tchotchke Heaven
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Sedona ARTSource
By Carol Kahn

“When someone is creating with their hands,
that’s art. I don’t care if you are painting, sculpting,
working with clay - you are creating art. I think we
are all doing the same thing – creating things that
are coming out of our head – that’s how I see it.”
BILL ROBSON
Bill Robson is a recognized ceramic artist with over fifty
years’ experience in the medium. He has exhibited
his work throughout the southwestern United States
including the prestigious Laguna Beach Arts Festival.
Bill’s Master Degree in Art Education led him to a
fifteen year teaching career, as well as a year teaching on
the Navajo reservation where he further explored the
area of design.
“When I first arrived on the Navajo Reservation, I was
told that I couldn’t teach art here and I had to teach
sixth grade studies. They told me there was nothing
I could teach the Native Americans that they didn’t
already know about art. I didn’t believe it at first, but
it turns out, they were right!” Bill found himself in the
midst of the finest artisans: rug weavers, basket makers
and potters. At that point in his life, he had no interest
in any of it. “Looking back,” he says, “I certainly could
have learned a thing or two from the Native Americans
and their craft. I should have paid closer attention! It’s
ironic that now I carry some of the very same things I
could have learned about years ago.”
In 1962, Bill created his first ceramic pot and
immediately fell in love with the medium. “I still have a
few prized pieces,” he proclaims. “I don’t do art shows;
there are no blue ribbons for my work; that’s not what
I am about. But, there are some proud moments I
can attest to
during my
career. I was
fortunate to have worked alongside of F. Carlton Ball,
one of the greatest ceramists of my time. His work can
be found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the
Smithsonian. I should have collected one of his pieces.
His work is definitely worth something now, he explains.
That seems to happen a lot to me in life. I don’t realize
what I had until years later.”
His extensive travels throughout the Southwest in
search of unique antique objects led him to Sedona.
It was Sedona’s natural beauty and the potential of a
home and business site that led Bill and his wife Rose to
move to Arizona and establish Son Silver West Gallery.
“I used to sell my art to a woman who owned this
gallery years ago.”
“La Galeria” as it was known, was devoted to Western
Art and included works from two of the founding
members of the Cowboy Artists of America, Charlie
Dye and Joe Beeler. “One day she asked if I would buy
her gallery, and the rest is history! I got rid of the artists
and decided to do my own thing,” says Bill.
Driving on State Route 179, between Sedona and the
Village of Oak Creek, Son Silver West is now a landmark
that catches everyone’s eye. It’s a destination that is
hard to miss! A huge chicken, strategically positioned,
greets visitors as they enter the parking lot. “Rio, my
son, and I found that chicken in Tucson and the minute
I saw it, I thought it would be a hoot if we put that
outside our gallery. I had to have it!” says Bill.
Roaming through Son Silver West you will find a lot
of things you may never have seen before. A giant
dinosaur hovers over the entranceway. This prehistoric
creature looks like it escaped from Jurassic Park, but
it seems to fit right in. Bill found it in Mexico and
knew he had to have that too! Porcelain advertising
signs hang throughout the property; many of those
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usinesses and their logos are long gone. These mementos
of the past are all part of Bill’s private collection, and
something he is not willing to let go of. Bill likes to collect
things – lot’s of things. Most of his prized possessions can
be seen while milling around the property. Each building
is filled with object’s d’art. Each piece has it’s own unique
story and purpose. One building in particular contains
nothing but tribal art. Picking up a drum-like object, he
describes what it is and how nice it would look as a wall
sconce. “You just need a little imagination,” he says. African
masks, fetishes, and carved sculptures adorn the space. “All
of it is authentic,” Bill confirms. “Most of it is frightening
to look at. Some were made to ward off evil spirits – or
maybe just for annoying people,” Bill jokes. He explains how
he acquired each piece, what part of the world it came
from, and a brief history. It’s all interesting, especially the
backstory. Laughing, he reiterates that
stories can make a piece of artwork
more attractive. Admittedly, he mentions
that he may have embellished, a time or
two, on some of those stories.
Bill and his son, Rio, have their own
working studios tucked away within
the confines of the gallery. Rio
specializes in metal work and creates
the plethora of metal signs, sculptures,
decorative garden pieces and wall
sconces found throughout. Bill creates mixed
media artwork incorporating unusual leather pieces with
antique bells, objects from India and even primitive-style
reproduction farm tools and glass hanging terrariums.
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Bill Robson & his son Rio
Every now and then you may find him creating a new piece
of pottery. “Typically, I will work nonstop in the studio for
one month straight every day and then it may be six months
before I get back in the studio again. It’s harder now with
three businesses to focus on but I like going to sleep at
night with visions in my head of what I can make next. Just
thinking about my work and the process, keeps my mind off
of the negativity in the world,” says Bill.
As the sound of wind chimes dance in the gentle breeze, a
synchronistic “flow of chi” weaves throughout the nooks and
crannies of this Tchotchke Heaven. Smoke from the logs of
burning pinion permeates the air – as though a smudging
ceremony is about to take place. There are three vortexes
on the property as Bill describes it. “Some guy stood right
here," he says as he points to a bench underneath a juniper
tree. “He told me that he could feel the energy, and that
his body was vibrating. He convinced me that this spot is a
vortex. So, I put up a sign marking the location,” laughs Bill.
For over 38 years this combination art gallery, retail gift
store and ceramic/leather studio has been an ever-evolving
favorite of both locals and visitors coming to Sedona. It has
a little bit of everything, and something for everyone. “I just
want people to have fun,” says Bill. “That’s what Son Silver
West is all about.”
Currently, Son Silver West has three locations in Arizona:
Sedona, Cottonwood and Wickenburg.
Son Silver West Gallery is located at 1476 State Route 179,
in Sedona. (928) 282-3580 SonSilverWest.com
Sedona ARTSource
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THE FUTURE OF THE ARTS IN SEDONA
Some Notes about What’s Possible
by Jim Peterson, President of the Sedona Culture Collaborative.
In the inaugural issue
of Sedona ArtSource,
we introduced you to
the Sedona Culture
Collaborative’s current
direction and activities. These signal
a new chapter in our service to the
community, and we’re very excited to be
implementing them!
But one thing I’m often asked
about is our longer term objectives.
Where will our current initiatives lead,
and what do we hope to accomplish in the
community as a result? To answer that,
I’d like to share a few thoughts (maybe
even a dream or two) about our vision for
the future of the arts in Sedona.
I’ll start with an observation
about the current state of affairs. One
phenomenon I’ve long noted during
the 11 years I’ve lived here is that local
artists and arts groups tend to be pretty
scattered. I don’t mean geographically
scattered – we’re all working within
the same region, after all. But
organizationally, we tend to be quite
independent of each other. We might
occasionally get together to collaborate
on an event or exhibit, but much more
commonly we work alone.
That’s not necessarily a bad
thing, of course. Artists typically want
to immerse themselves in their work and
avoid distractions, and organizations are
usually most effective in meeting their
short term goals when their efforts are
narrowly focused.
But to identify our community’s
needs, the Collaborative has been polling
local artists and organizations and
researching other communities known
for nurturing a vital arts scene. What
we have learned from this is that the
resources and facilities needed to support
arts activities are generally in short supply
around here, compared to other locales
recognized as notable arts destinations.
Many of us, for example, need
more space for our activities - studio
space, performance and exhibit spaces,
rehearsal and practice spaces, teaching
space, and office space. And many
individuals and organizations would
benefit greatly from increased access to
business services (insurance, accounting,
legal, ticketing and sales, etc.), assistance
with marketing and publicity, fundraising
training and support, organizational
development, etc.
We believe that needs such as
these within the local arts community are
not likely to be addressed when everyone
works in isolation. Based on our research,
we believe that artists, arts groups, and
arts-related businesses have the potential
to accomplish much more by working
together than they are likely to achieve
separately. And we’re here to help!
We kicked off our Arts Service
Organization initiative (described in our
previous article) as a very significant step
in bringing more unity and cooperation
into our arts community, and we’re taking
other important steps in addition.
For example, we’re in
discussions with the Sedona Arts Center
and SCORE to establish workshops and
mentoring programs that will help artists
and arts groups address their business
and organizational needs. We’ve worked
with the Sedona Chamber of Commerce
to help identify ways to attract visitors
who are interested in our many local arts
opportunities. We’re partnering with
city government and several performing
arts organizations in a working group to
help chart the future of the city’s Posse
Grounds Hub performing arts space.
And we’re working with other
arts groups as well, such as the Sedona
Conservatory, the Fine Art Museum of
Sedona, Chamber Music Sedona, Sedona
Chamber Ballet, and Sedona Camera
Club, plus businesses like Creative
Gateways, Gandolfo’s Art Studio, and
ALT Gallery. We see such collaborations
as essential to serving our mission, which
is to help make Sedona an internationally
recognized destination for education and
engagement in the widest possible range
of artistic disciplines.
So (back to the original
question) what would it look like if our
dreams all came true – if we were able to
fulfill our mission completely? Let me
offer a few examples of what we could
have some day:
• Institutions and facilities that
attract the world’s top artists and teachers
across a wide range of artistic endeavors
• Performances and exhibits
that rival the best anywhere and attract
international audiences and accolades
• A thriving ecosystem of arts
businesses and nonprofit groups that
serve the needs of the community, its
artists, and its visitors
• Available and affordable
resources and facilities that allow artists
to focus their energy on what they love:
creativity
• Residency programs,
educational and mentoring programs,
internships, and other development
opportunities that turn out renowned
artists and arts managers
• A robust partnership
between institutions, artists and
groups, businesses, foundations and
philanthropists, government entities,
and volunteers, all working together
to sustain a flourishing arts scene that
significantly boosts the local economy
Is all of that too much to hope for? We
truly don’t think so; we believe that it is,
in fact, eminently achievable. It won’t
happen overnight, of course, and it
certainly won’t be handed to us on a silver
platter. But if the many fine and talented
individuals and groups in our community
really come together to support this
vision, there’s nothing that will stop us!
* * *
To learn more about the Sedona Culture
Collaborative or to get involved in
its exciting projects and activities,
contact Jim Peterson at 928-554-4340 or
President@sedonacollaborative.org.
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Sedona ARTSource

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prime steAks & Fresh seAFood | gourmet burgers
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Patio Dining
928-282-1447 • 2545 W. SR 89A • SEDONA, AZ
(in front of Andante inn)
goldengoosegrill.com
Sedona ARTSource
77

GALLERY PROFILE
The
Village
Gallery
Artists - Our Human Hummingbirds
Brian Myers
By Patti Polinard
Artists and hummingbirds have something in common. They
both seed humanity by taking their messages out into the
world. Hummingbirds use nectar as fuel for their body heat,
as they pollinate flowers. Artists use inspiration for creativity,
as they impact the minds and hearts of individuals, cultures,
and the world at large.
Lenore Hemingway, co-owner of The Village Gallery
with Suzen Brackell; rescues and assists with banding
hummingbirds. Her appreciation and understanding of these
birds lend an insight into the nature of her art and the artists
in their gallery.
In the summer Lenore hosts a hummingbird event; assisting
with capturing then banding the birds for research. She
also hosts two photography workshops where guests find
themselves surrounded by over 1000 hummingbirds with 30
feeders. Lenore says they are a huge inspiration carrying a
spiritual message into her life and in her art.
Lenore moved to Sedona in 2006 and hand-built a 'green'
home with her husband. She was raised on a farm with
a reverence for nature and animals and her home is a
sanctuary for all that surrounds her. She is also a veteran of
27 years, having served as a Lt. Col. with the
Air Force. She never imagined she had an
array of artistic abilities before retiring and
residing in Sedona.
Her media of choice became mosaic art;
which happened quite by accident at
a garage sale where she found a small
table she turned into her first mosaic
piece. Focusing on abstracts, she
began creating wall mosaics. Later, her
signature mosaics became all kinds of
shapes from Kokopelli, spirit animals,
lighthouses and suns, to hummingbirds.
She also creates beautiful glass jewelry. Lenore
is currently participating with the Women’s
Kindness Group in Sedona, creating mosaic
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Sedona ARTSource
Lenore Hemingway
Iam Allah Ali
Earthday

ench designs with Lucy Paradise and
other women, to Spread the Message
of Kindness.
The Village Gallery is a true cooperative,
where each artist not
only showcases their art; but
also contributes to its success by
participating on different committees
running its day to day operations. In
2009 the building was a timeshare
displaying a little local art in its office.
It was later transformed into The
Kathy O’Connell
Village Gallery through the vision of
Suzen Brackell. Suzen, co-owner of the
gallery with Lenore; is a unique fabric
designer who takes scraps of materials
and creates beautiful, one of a kind,
fashionable clothing for women. Suzen
and Lenore “believe the success of the
gallery is because they put love in their
art.”
Lenore joined The Village Gallery
in 2011 and in 2016 she and Suzen
became owners and partners in the
gallery but chose to maintain it as a
co-operative. Artists today, see art in
everything from nature to industry
as they view the colors and
shapes of our world. These two
women have created a venue
that supports an artistic freedom,
to create art from literally
everything on the planet. These
art mediums have launched a
magnificent array of repurposing,
or ‘art-cycling’ from everyday
objects and nature, to what
was once considered trash.
Although ‘Fine Art’ still maintains
a reverence all its own; people
today are exploring and relating
to art in ways they never imagined.
There are forty artists in The
Village Gallery. The art represented
showcases everything from mosaic,
fabric design, jewelry, Native American
crafts, wood carvings, furniture, pottery,
gourds, acrylic, oil, and watercolor
paintings, photography, and glass work,
to mixed media. Each artist is juried
in so they don’t have too much of
anything, with enough variety for every
taste. Some like June Payne Hart, have
spent a lifetime painting. Others like
Joanne and Art Hiscox mix up medias
with functional art furnishings and
large outside installations. Much of
what a visitor will find in this gallery is
reflected from nature. However, there
is also an industrial aspect of creative
energies with forged metal objects
produced from recycled materials. Tom
Williams creates cactus sculptures
from the horseshoes of the Grand
Canyon mules; and transforms propane
cylinders and tanks into drums and
bells.
Lenore showed me two hummingbird
nests in my interview with her. The
first one had an unhatched egg. The
nest itself was only about the size of
Peggy Doig
a half dollar and made of cobwebs,
feathers, bark, leaves, lint, flowers
and other soft materials. The second
was slightly larger because it had
stretched to accommodate four
baby hummingbirds. If we are to fully
appreciate art in all its forms … we
must stretch our nests to include
everything we see and experience in
life. These interdisciplinary artists give
us an opportunity to view the world
with a new sense of appreciation and
awe. They illustrate aspects of the web
of life, and remind us of the connective
thread to everything. Such vision
nurtures us and our world in a way
we can all embrace and share … the
hummingbird’s message.
Suzen Brackell
The Village Gallery is located at 6512 State Route 179 in Sedona.
Open 10 am - 6 pm Seven days a week.
Phone: (928) 284-1416
SedonaLocalArtists.com
Sedona ARTSource
79

78 Sedona ARTSource

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Sedona Art Galleries - See Map pageS 78-79
E2
Adonai Chrisan Fine Art Gallery
101 N SR 89A
D3
Great Southwest Gallery
336 SR 179
E2
R.C. Gorman Navajo Gallery
285 Jordan Road
B3
D3
D3
D3
A5
D3
D3
C3
D3
D2
D3
E3
E3
D3
C3
E3
D2
ALT Gallery
2301 W SR 89A
Andrea Smith Gallery
336 SR 179
Art & Soul of Sedona
671 SR 179
Azadi Rug Galleries
336 SR 179
Bearcloud Gallery
7000 SR 179
BearcloudGallery.com
Big Vision Art Gallery
& Design Studio
251 SR 179
BigVisionArts.com
Carre D’Arstes
336 SR 179
Creave Gateways
45 Birch Blvd
Eclecc Image Gallery
336 SR 179
El Dorado
101 N SR 89A
El Picaflor Gallery
336 SR 179
Eve Franc - A Bryant Nagel Gallery
431 SR 179
Exposures Internaonal
Gallery of Fine Art
561 SR 179
ExposuresFineArt.com
Gallery of Modern Masters
671 SR 179
Gallery Tesla
2030 W SR 89A
Garland’s Navajo Rugs/
The Collector’s Room
411 SR 179
Goldenstein Gallery
150 SR 179
GoldensteinArt.com
E2
A3
E1
D3
D3
D3
D3
E3
D3
E3
E3
A5
D3
E2
E2
D3
Greg Lawson Galleries:
Art Tasng Room
270 N SR 89A
GregLawsonGalleries.com
Greg Lawson Galleries:
Passion for Place
2679 W SR 89A
GregLawsonGalleries.com
Hoel's Indian Shop
9589 N SR 89A
Honshin Fine Art:
Gallery of Wholeness,
Harmony & Radiance
336 SR 179
Honshin Fine Art:
Gallery of the Ascending Spirit
336 SR 179
Inner Eye Gallery
336 SR 179
James Ratliff Gallery
671 SR 179
Kopavi
411 SR 179
Kuivato Glass Gallery
336 SR 179
KuivatoGlassGallery.com
Lanning - A Bryant Nagel Gallery
431 SR 179
Lark Art
431 SR 179
Magical Mandala
Kaleidoscope Gallery
7000 SR 179
Mountain Trails Galleries
336 SR 179
Nave American Traders
321 N SR 89A
Nave Jewelry of Sedona
276 N SR 89A
NaveJewelryGallery.com
Navarro Gallery
336 SR 179
D3
D3
B3
E2
B3
A5
E3
B4
D4
D2
C3
E2
E3
A5
A5
D2
D3
C3
Renee Taylor Galleries
336 SR 179
Rowe Fine Art Gallery
336 SR 179
Sedona Arst Market
2081 W SR 89A
SedonaArstMarket.com
Sedona Arts Center
15 Art Barn Road
Sedona Giclee Gallery
2055 W SR 89A
Sedona Hummingbird Gallery
6560 SR 179
Sedona Poery
411 SR 179
SedonaPoer.com
Soderberg Bronze
45 Finley Drive
Son Silver West Gallery
1476 SR 179
The DeSerio Gallery
101 N SR 89A
The Melng Point
1449 W SR 89A
Touchstone Gallery
320 N SR 89A
Turquoise Tortoise
- A Bryant Nagel Gallery
431 SR 179
Van Loenen Gallery
7000 SR 179
Village Gallery of Local Arsts
6512 SR 179
SedonaLocalArsts.com
Visions Fine Art Gallery
101 N SR 89A
Vue Gallery
336 SR 179
Wayne B. Light Gallery
40 Soldier Pass Road
B3
Gordon’s Clock Soup Gallery
2370 W SR 89A
D3
Quilts Ltd. Gallery
313 SR 179
ArtSource adversers listed in bold
80 Sedona ARTSource

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83

Extraordinary
and
Unforgettable
“One of the Largest and Most Unique Galleries in the World”
800-526-7668 561 State Route 179, Sedona, AZ 86336 928-282-1125
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