Held against the backdrop of Sedona’s breathtaking red rock vistas, the Sedona Arts Festival will present its 28th annual fine art festival on Saturday, Oct. 13 and Sunday, Oct. 14, 2018. Attracting artists from across the country, this renowned festival will showcase a diverse line up of over 100 juried artists as well as live music, food and art fun for the kids. The Sedona Arts Festival is held on the campus of Sedona Red Rock High School, 990 Upper Red Rock Loop Road in West Sedona.
Previous Best of Show winners displaying their works at Sedona’s oldest and largest premier arts event will be Jeff & Donna Tousley (Rio Rico, AZ, ceramics), Virginia Kerr (Phoenix, AZ, Fiber), Michael McKee (Fountain Hills, AZ, drawing/paper), Melissa Hollis (Hayden, ID, metal), Pamela Williamson (Mancos, CO, glass) Brian Lensink (Phoenix, AZ, wood) and William and Barbara Fickinger from Sagle, Idaho, the 2017 Overall Best of Show honoree for their handcrafted metal sculptures.
Complementing the already high caliber of work presented on the field, local and regional artists will showcase a liminted number of original works to the Gallery Collective, a new area of the festival launched in 2017. Over 100 pieces – paintings, prints, drawings, photography, sculpture, ceramic, fiber and jewelry – will be displayed and offered for sale in the Gallery Collective tent with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Sedona Arts Festival’s Scholarships and Grants Program which financially supports art education in the greater Sedona area. Since the Festival’s inception in 1989, approximately $300,000 has been distributed to arts education groups as well as to graduating seniors pursuing higher education in the arts.
“The Gallery Collective is an exciting new way to supplement our giving programs.” said Sedona Arts Festival Executive Director Lori Reinhart. “We’re thrilled to showcase artists who call Sedona home as well as artists from across the region. It really provides a terrific blend alongside our remarkably diverse and talented roster of artists on the field.”
This year’s Sedona Arts Festival will also see the return of Mata Ortiz pottery with featured Master Potters Laura Bugarini Cota and Hector Gallegos Martinez. The husband and wife team are two of the best second generation potters from Mata Ortiz, Mexico, learning the art of Mata Ortiz Pottery from their incredibly talented parents. Laura’s first inspirations were the ancient Paquime designs and her initial pots sold for $5 to the tourists who visited the village of Mata Ortiz. Laura noticed that most of the potters were using similar designs, so she began experimenting with something totally different. After a year of practice she was able to create her own finely detailed band work design, a design that would come to be known as the Bugarini Style. Today Laura is one of the most sought after artists in Mata Ortiz, and her work is considered to be some of the finest art work in the village. Hector Gallegos was born to Master Potters famous for the amazing quality and artistry of their work. Hector learned from both of his parents but quickly moved away from his parents’ precise geometric style in favor of etched sgraffito work incorporating finely detailed animal designs. Hector and Laura have taken home numerous prizes over the years, including the top two prizes at the 2013 Mata Ortiz pottery competition with Hector winning the Best in Show Award and Laura winning the Excellence Award.
Continuous live music is an integral part of the festival each year and this year’s selection of artists is sure to please. Special musical performances by two innovative groups whose music is inspired by the natural environment will be part of the lineup: William Eaton and his group, Earth Speak and Rick Cyge with Meadowlark.
William Eaton, a four time Grammy nominee, has recorded 16 albums for Canyon Records and tours nationally and internationally. Acknowledged as one of the world’s leading designers of stringed instruments, his innovative multi-stringed instruments and harp guitars have appeared in exhibits, magazines, books and posters. 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
Fingerstyle guitarist, Rick Cyge’s discography includes 2 solo CDs and 9 releases with his group, Meadowlark. The ensemble performs a vibrant, colorful mix of world-influenced music inspired by the beauty of natural places. 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.
The Sedona Arts Festival also offers a variety of food truck choices, raffle prizes, a Gourmet Gallery with locally produced kitchen, bath, and home items, and the interactive KidZone, which gives children 12 and under the chance to create their own masterpieces with help from local artists. A variety of make-and-take art projects are available at no cost thanks to the generous support of the Arizona Community Foundation of Sedona. Children 12 and under also enjoy free admission to the festival when accompanied by a paying adult.
Festival hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 13 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 14.
Tickets can be purchased for $10 online in advance at www.sedonaartsfestival.org. Admission at the gate is $12. Children 12 and under are free. Coupons for a $2 discount may be used at the gate and are available at all local hotels and the Sedona Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center.
The Sedona Arts Festival is supported by the City of Sedona, Sedona Chamber of Commerce and the Arizona Commission on the Arts.
Due to the location on public school property, the Sedona Arts Festival is a smoke-free event and only service animals are allowed.
For information, visit www.sedonaartsfestival.org or call 928-204-9456.
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