November at Sedona Arts Center: Gratitude, Community & Creativity

Greetings!

I always love the month of November. It’s a time to reflect on gratitude and hope, and this year, perhaps more than ever, I find myself especially appreciative of both.

To start with, and on behalf of all of us at Sedona Arts Center, I want to send our deepest and heartfelt condolences to all those who lost everything in the recent flooding. While we were evacuated – SAC was in one of the GO zones – we were relatively unscathed. We did have to close for a day and we had a LOT of water fall in a short time. We are still evaluating whether any further damage was done to our already tentative retaining wall and whether we sustained any leaks. But we are lucky in comparison.

I think it remains to be seen just how extensive all the damage to our region will impact us in the year ahead. And we are planning a fundraising effort to help those impacted – stay tuned for more on that.

We recently wrapped up the 22nd Sedona Plein Air Festival, featuring 25 incredible artists from across the country. Despite some challenging weather and event interruptions, sales were strong throughout the week. Our guests and artists were wonderful, showing tremendous understanding and flexibility—even through the tornado warnings!

If you missed the Festival, there is still time to experience the work. Pieces by participating artists will remain on view in our Special Exhibit Gallery through November 22. Please stop by and see it. This was an exceptional group of artists, and the work they created is among the best we have ever presented.

If you find yourself down in the Valley, be sure to visit our exhibition at the Tolleson Civic Center Art Gallery, She Speaks. This juried exhibition celebrates the creativity, perspectives, and artistic voices of Arizona women, featuring the work of Jo Ann Briseno, Rhonda “Shakur” Carter, Karen Friend, Karen Hugues, Kyoko Iwasaka, Marla Kuhn, Andrea Lhotka, Kathryn Maxwell, and Christine Veitch.

There is always plenty happening in the Dennis Ott Ceramics Studio, too! This month, we have several exciting workshops, including sessions with Heather Spontak, China Painting with Brad Klem, and Holiday Ornament Making with CJ Henderson. We also have a variety of additional workshops available, so be sure to visit our website for the full schedule.

When you’re in Uptown, I hope you’ll take a moment to explore our featured artists in the Gallery Shop: Jillian Sander, John Post, Barbara Mulleneaux, and Robin Hanna, along with the work of our newest Gallery artist, Leslie Aine McKeown. Together with our other 90 talented artists, they offer an incredible selection of unique pieces that are perfect for holiday gift giving. It’s never too early to get a head start on your holiday shopping!

And, of course, we’re already preparing for our Holiday Market! The Market will open during Celebrate Sedona on December 4, from 4–6 p.m., and continue throughout the weekend, December 5 and 6. We hope you’ll join us!

As you can see, there is always something happening at SAC, and we love having so many opportunities to bring our community together through art.

Most of all, please know how grateful we are for you—our supporters, patrons, and friends. Your continued enthusiasm and generosity mean so much to us.

I hope to see you at SAC soon!

Warmly,

Julie A. Richard
CEO

Our mission is to connect, enrich, educate and lead through the inspiring power of the arts and creative discovery.

Sedona Arts Center (SAC) is a cornerstone of Northern Arizona’s cultural community and serves as the creative heart of Sedona. Founded in 1958, this nonprofit organization is based in Uptown Sedona and offers year-round classes, exhibitions, festivals, and cultural events that enrich the artistic life of the Verde Valley.

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