The playful mix of colors, media, and styles shown in the exhibit will engage your senses and remind you of the joyful, lazy days of childhood summers. Featured artists are: Gale Craig (Mixed-media), Sue Hunter (Pastels), V. Norton (Calligraphy & Ceramics), and Norma Cox Miller (Mixed-Media).

Norma Cox Miller working

The exhibit is lovingly dedicated to Norma Cox Miller who died expectedly on July 22.  Her spirit, her talent, her passion for art, and her love of life will always be part of the Sedona Arts Community.  She will be missed!  The Friday night reception will be a celebration of her life and her art as we showcase her newest and final works together with the works of the other featured artists. Please, join us to bid her farewell in the way that she would have wanted.

Norma Cox Miller grew up on a small farm in Kentucky. Her memories of the sunlight and shadows, the small stream near her home and the changing colors of the leaves, season by season, influenced her paintings throughout her life.  She did not have the opportunity to formally study art until she entered Morehead State University where she learned the basics, which was only the beginning.  An avid life-long art student, with an insatiable appetite for learning and improving her skill, she was always seeking more and studied with many well-known artists such as Edward Betts, Charles Reid, Gerald Brommer and Virginia.

When she was no longer as challenged by landscape painting, she turned to abstraction.  At first she used landscape elements in her work, and slowly began to paint completely non-objective abstractions, reverting occasionally to semi-abstraction. She preferred stretched canvas or watercolor paper using acrylic paint and various collage and texturing materials to add variety and interest to her pieces. She began showing in juried exhibitions in 1970 and has received numerous awards for her work in acrylic and mixed-media.

“NEPTUNE'S DANCE” by Gail Craig

Gale Craig is both a painter and designer of one-of-a-kind jewelry. Gale paints primarily in oils, acrylics and encaustics, a 2,000 year old process which uses heat to fuse layer upon layer of pigmented beeswax and damar resin. The wax delivers color in a way no other medium can, producing magnificent translucent effects.

The first thing that strikes you when you look at Gale’s vibrant, colorful abstract paintings is that she paints from the heart. Her remarkable use of color reflects her passion for the mystical and healing arts. However, what is truly unique about Gale’s style is that you can feel the essence of spiritual energy in everything she paints.

She states, “I see in the Universe a mystical world of flowing energies. My visions are inspired by the colors and movement of the energies I see within and around an object. It is the beauty and vibrancy of this universal energy that I try to capture in my paintings.”

Sue Hunter was born in Arkansas but has lived in Arizona since 1960 and thinks of Arizona as home.  The lovely desert colors, wide open spaces, and diverse landscapes of the southwest provide her with endless subject matter for her paintings. She works in pastel, oils, watercolor and acrylics.  Her subjects include landscapes, still life, figures and animals.  She is known for her paintings of roosters.

Color is an important aspect of Sue’s art which is reflected in her impressionistic style.  “I try to put into my paintings the emotions I feel using color, light and shadow effects to create design.”

Sue graduated from Western International University and has studied art at Scottsdale Artists School, Scottsdale Community College, with local art instructors and has attended numerous workshops locally and in Europe. She is a consistent award winner in juried exhibits and her work is included in many private and public collections.

V. Norton (Victoria) is a dual artist – ceramicist and calligrapher. She has been a resident of Sedona for 25 years, and works in a studio overlooking the beautiful red rocks. Her inspiration comes from the exquisite landscapes, animals, and people around her.

Sue has traveled extensively in North and South America, Europe, and Africa, which has influenced her amazing masks and has impacted the artistic path which she is currently following. She takes the realistic and interprets it in abstract forms and designs, using the clay as her canvas. This occurs both with her sculptural and figurative pieces.

Her calligraphy has been another 30-year adventure.  Sue was a teacher at the Arts Center for fourteen years, dating back to the time when the studio was downstairs in the Art barn. From there, she became an adjunct faculty member at NAU for five years. Now her focus is on original commissions: evolving a series of calligraphy cards, and most recently, getting back into creating one of a kind, hand bound books.

The Sedona Arts Center is located at the corner of 15 Art Barn Rd. and State Rte 89A in Uptown Sedona – on the right just before entering Oak Creek Canyon. For more information about the Poets Corner or the Sedona Arts Center please call 928.282.3865. The evening event is free of charge and open to all who would like to attend.

Betty Carr "Paint Out on Main Street" 2008

Artistic Magic is in the Air!

 5^thAnnual Sedona Plein Air Festival 2009

SEDONA, Ariz. (October 15, 2009):  The cool weather has arrived, the leaves are turning and thirty-two nationally-recognized plein-air artists will soon begin to paint the mystical beauty of Sedona. The spell has been cast and magic abounds.

The 5^th Annual Plein Air Festival, hosted by the Sedona Arts Center and the presenting sponsor, L’Auberge de Sedona, will still your hearts and stimulate your imagination for nine full days, beginning Oct 24 through Nov 1.

The festival provides something for everyone!  Visitors and residents alike are invited to watch the artists transfer their vision of the beauty that surrounds them onto canvas or paper ~ capturing magical moments in time right before your eyes. 

Sedona is a plein-air artist’s paradise with its abundance of picturesque scenes and exquisite landscapes. The ever-changing light, shadows and colors in late October, make the setting almost perfect.

The art form is not easy.  Painting out-of-doors, from life, requires stamina and the ability to stay focused and completely absorbed in the work regardless of the shifting elements. The award-winning artists from around the country  will spend six days painting in a variety of media to capture the unique scenes of Sedona, Jerome, Oak Creek, and the surrounding area, followed by weekend events that present the body of work created by the artists earlier in the week.

Join the excitement by watching the artists in the creative process.  Four events have been planned for this purpose: Saturday, Oct 24, enjoy the Paint-out on Main Street from 2:30 – 5:00pm, sponsored by Sedona Main Street Program.  Tuesday morning (7:00am), Oct 27, you will find some of the artists painting the scenes and landscape around the Sedona Heritage Museum.  All day Wednesday, Oct 28, Jerome Chamber of Commerce and Jerome  ArtWalk will host the artists as they paint Historic Jerome.

"Tranquil" by Clark Mitchell - Winner, Collector's Choice 2008

Then, begin the weekend on Friday morning Creekside at L’Auberge de Sedona, the Festival’s generous presenting sponsor. The artists will create paintings from start to finish in just two hours. The unique Quick Draw event, starts at exactly 10am and ends at Noon. Trolley service will be available from the Uptown City Parking Lot on Jordan and Schnebly Road. 

For those who want to be more personally involved and actively participate, there are events designed especially for you. Learn about plein-air painting from the artists, or try your hand at “painting from life.”

Monday through Thursday (11am – 1pm) lunchtime lectures/demonstrations by one of the participating festival artist are offered ~ and ~ four free plein-air painting classes (two sessions each/$25 materials fee) are available. Space is limited and reservations are recommended for both the lectures and the classes (call 928-282-3809). For details and a complete schedule visit the Festival Website: www.SedonaPleinAirFestival.com.

For those who love to rub shoulders with the artists in an informal, social setting, two receptions will be held: Monday evening (6:30 – 8:00), October 26, the Arts Center will host an Opening Reception for the Artists Showcase Exhibit in the Community Gallery, presenting prior works of the 32 participating artists. 

A mid-week highlight, Wednesday evening (7:00 – 8:30pm), there will be a presentation by special guest speaker, Wm Scott Jennings, a national-recognized master plein-air artist, will discuss his process in a lecture titled, Plein Air to Studio. The presentation will be followed by a wine reception in the Theatre Studio at the Arts Center.

"Side Street Surprise" by Betty Carr, 2008 Plein Air Festival

Friday, Oct 30, at 6pm, an Evening Extravaganza with the Artists will be held at L’Auberge de Sedona in the Monet Ballroom.

Those who attend will be the first to see and have the opportunity to purchase the artwork that has been created throughout the week. The evening filled with fine art, music, delicious hors d’oeuvres and fine wine in one of Sedona’s most luxurious settings is an event not to be missed! Only a few tickets are still available, so make your reservations today. Tickets are only $125.00 and can be purchased Online www.SedonaPleinAirFestival.com or by calling: 928-282-3809.

Saturday, Oct 31 (10am – 5pm) and Sunday. Nov 1 (10am – 3pm) a Public Sale and Exhibit will be held in both galleries at the Sedona Arts Center. There is no admission and everyone is invited to view and purchase the amazing, original art by the talented cadre of Festival Artists – all created during Festival Week.

All events and activities, except the Friday night Gala, are open to public and free of charge. The Sedona Arts Center campus is located in Uptown Sedona, corner of State Rte 89A and Art Barn Road.

The week-long event is made possible by an ever-growing list of Festival sponsors:  L’Auberge de Sedona (presenting sponsor), Sedona-Oak Creek Chamber of Commerce, Sedona Magazine, Sedona Monthly, Sedona Red Rock News, Sedona Red Rock TV, Excentric, Sedona Trolley, KNAU Arizona Public Radio, Windrush Gallery, MacPherson ART.com, M. Graham & Co, Southwest Art Magazine, Valley Guide, and Connoisseur Art Supplies; plus a generous grant from the City of Sedona.  We also want to thank our community partners whose support expands the boundaries of possibilities: Sedona Main Street Program, Jerome Chamber of Commerce, Jerome Artwalk, and Sedona Historical Society.

Special Festival Workshops are being offered by the Sedona Arts Center’s Art School in conjunction with the Festival – before, during and after.  Before the Festival: Plein Air Painting in Oils, Oct 19 – 23 with Jill Carver,  Artists’ Choice Award 2008. Pastel Painting in the Sedona Landscape, Oct 20 – 23 with Clark Mitchell, 2008 Festival Poster Award (2007) and Collectors’ Choice Award 2008. During the Festival: Plein Air Painting with Oils, Oct 26 – 30 with Wm Scott Jennings, Master Plein-air Artist and 2009 Festival Guest Speaker. Following the Festival: Sedona – Fall Colors (Watercolor or Oil), Nov 2 – 6 with Betty Carr, Festival Artist 2006 – 2009.  Watercolor Secrets, Nov 3 – 5 and  Plein Air Painting ~ One day Workshop, Nov 6 ~ both workshops led by Tom Lynch, Festival Artist 2006 – 2009. To register for a class, or for more information call (928) 282-3809, or visit www.SedonaArtsCenter.com.

Sedona Arts Center VIDEO:

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SEDONA, Ariz. (August 11, 2009 ) Joanie Wolter’s Big Ass Raven Sculpture won the People’s Choice Award during the Sedona Arts Center’s 3rd Annual Members Open Exhibition held July 3rd through July 26th . The award was determined by ballots cast by all visitors to the 3rd Annual Members Open Exhibition which ran July 3rd through July 26th in the Community Gallery. The award was presented by Shirley Eichten Albrecht, the Art Center’s Gallery Director, on August 7th, during the First Friday Reception.

The artist, Joanie Wolter, was born and reared in Southern California. She earned a degree in sociology at the University of California at Santa Barbara and a teaching credential in elementary education from Long Beach State. Most of her teaching career, which lasted 37 years, was spent working with “at risk” students in alternative educational settings.

Joanie has always been a crafter, having done knitting, crocheting, sewing, and tole painting as hobbies for years. She fell in love with mosaics after taking classes in Long Beach, where she and Charlie lived. After working with very needy students all day long, she found that going out to her workshop was a welcome respite, and offered her a sense of peace and solitude.

She discovered the Sedona Art Center shortly after their move, and took many classes before finding that ceramics was her favorite medium. As a result, she’s a regular at SAC’s ceramics studio, and has taken additional classes from guest artists, where she learned to work with paper clay. She’s always had an appreciation for the beauty of the outdoors, particularly flowers, and began making them from paper clay to embellish her hand built pieces.

Recently Joanie has taken another artistic turn and has found a new passion – sculpting. The whimsical pieces she creates reflect who she is – a little goofy and fun loving. These sculptures are made from a low-fire fiber clay which she finds gives them durability and sturdiness. Most of her “senior series” pieces are modeled after her – a full figured, middle-aged woman ready to live life to its fullest.

The winning piece was the result of Joanie’s fascination with the ravens in Sedona, which are so much larger than the ones in her native state of California. She loves to watch them soar endlessly in the sky and “make themselves heard” seemingly communicating with fellow ravens while gazing at the world from a chosen perch in trees near her home. She couldn’t resist using that fascination to create the charming winning piece, which has already been purchased. However, for your enjoyment another raven piece is currently being shown the Arts Center’s Fine Art Gallery located at the end of Uptown Sedona – on the right, just before entering Oak Creek Canyon.

She and her husband, Charlie, became full-time residents of Sedona the day after Joanie’s retirement was official in 2007 – and have not looked back. They and their three cats love the serenity and beauty that surrounds them.

This Members Open Exhibition was created in 2007 to afford all Sedona Arts Center Member Artists the opportunity to show a piece of their finest work in a non-juried exhibit. The Annual JURIED Members Exhibition is held in March. For more information on the gallery and upcoming exhibitions, please call 928-282-3865 or visit our Website at http://www.sedonaartscenter.com/.