When we say “artist community,” what city comes to mind? Santa Fe, New Mexico? Certainly. Sedona, Arizona? Absolutely. How ’bout Tubac, Arizona? Oh, you’ve never heard of it? Well, here’s to learning something new every day!

Tubac is a quaint southern Arizona artist community that, in addition to an eclectic array of restaurants, galleries, wineries, and boutique shops, boasts many amenities and activities, including mountain biking, horseback riding, hiking, bird-watching, cave exploring, and more. Surrounded by lush grounds and magnificent mountain ranges, the community is bejeweled by the Tubac Golf Resort & Spa, home to a stellar 27-hole championship golf course (where “Tin Cup” was filmed), beautiful hacienda-style spa and salon, and stylish 18th century mission-style wedding chapel.

There’s no time like the present to get to know this charming town because this week, there’s a great cultural and culinary event happening in Tubac.

Click to view larger at TubacOriginals.com

Restaurant Daze and Twilight in Tubac will start this Wednesday, May 18 and run until Sunday, May 22. The event features 13 unique restaurants that will serve specially selected meals at discounted prices. Lunch specials will be $9.95 per person, a 3-course dinner special is $16.95 per person, and a couple’s 3-course dinner special is $29.95. Tubac Golf Resort & Spa’s own Stables Ranch Grille will be participating and thus offering the special prices and menu. In addition, over 30 shops and galleries in the area will be celebrating Twilight in Tubac by staying open till sunset and offering specials as well. Restaurant Daze and Twilight in Tubac is the perfect time to explore all of southern Arizona’s hotspots!

Event At-a-Glance:

• Where: Tubac, Arizona – approximately 1 hour south of Tucson on I-19
• When: Wednesday, May 18 through Sunday, May 22
• What: 13 participating restaurants and 30+ shops and galleries offering specials and extended hours for unique dining experiences and strolling the village streets, finding art and collectibles.

Check out these Tubac, Arizona tourism resources and more information about Restaurant Daze and Twilight in Tubac:

• Tubac2Day.com Blog
• TubacOriginals.com
• Tubac Golf Resort and Spa

Google Map of Tubac, Arizona:

View Larger Map

Source: www.travelvideo.tv Nov 03, 06

New! – You Spa of Sedona Opens
The newest world-class Sedona spa located at 7000 Highway 179 Ste D-202 in Tequa Plaza uniquely personalizes a wellness spa experience just for you. You Spa’s approach to health and beauty stems from the Asian approach of treating each individual uniquely. Offering massages, facials and aromatherapy, in addition to unique offerings such as oxygen therapy, hydrafacials, an herbal pharmacy and an innovative approach to Chinese medicine and acupuncture. The beautiful setting of the You Spa of Sedona will add to your enjoyment.
Call You Spa today at 928-203-4229 or visit their website at http://www.youspasedona.com

Sedona’s Mii Amo Rated #1 in American Among Top Destination Spas
October issue of Travel + Leisure reveals the winners of the magazine’s eleventh annual “World’s Best” readers’ survey for spas. Mii amo, a destination spa at Enchantment in Sedona was voted America’s #1 destination spa joining 14 other spas around the world that subscribers deemed to be “the world’s best.” Mii amo’s overall score was 85.98 and it came in fifth for top value, second for best treatments and third best in the world overall. Also, Enchantment Resort with Mii amo scored 88.36 earning it a place on the list for Top 25 Hotel Spas in the Continental U.S. and Canada. Enchantment was the only resort in Arizona to make that list.

For room reservations and information, please contact the resort at 1-800-826-4180, or 928-282-2900, or visit the website, www.enchantmentresort.com For Mii amo, please call 1-888-749-2137, or visit the website, www.miiamo.com

Amara Creekside Resort: Modern Luxury in the Heart of one of Sedona Even though only two years old, Amara Creekside Resort has invested over $1 million in renovations this year alone, which include the conversion of all 100 rooms and suites to the exclusive Mascioni Italian linen and bedding line, installing flat-panel televisions, upgrading all common areas and meeting rooms to new designer carpet, and building a 3,800-square foot spa. “Elements Spa,” opening in November 2006, will feature treatment rooms, exercise facilities, and the exclusive London-based Elemis line of products.

Sedona Ranked #5 As Top 25 Arts Destination
The results of the AmericanStyle magazine 2006 Top 25 Arts Destinations poll have been announced. Readers of the magazine ranked Sedona the No.5 Small City in the 9th annual Top 25 Arts Destinations readers’ poll. Climbing 19 places from last year’s ranking, Sedona has appeared on AmericanStyle magazine’s Top 25 Arts Destinations list seven times since the poll’s inception. This is Sedona’s highest ranking since 1998.

AmericanStyle magazine has been devoted to cultural tourism in the United States since its inception in 1994. According to publisher Wendy Rosen, “Cities such as Sedona clearly understand the value of the arts in their community, putting significant effort behind promoting cultural institutions as tourist destinations. As is evident by Sedona’s inclusion on the Top 25 list, the arts in your city continue to draw the support and appreciation of both natives and visitors alike.”

Random Acts of Art Show
The Sedona Visual Artists’ Coalition (SVAC) will share unique perspectives about the creative experience in a group exhibition, “Random Acts of Art” during November, 2006, at Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village, 336 Highway 179, near the “Y” in Sedona. This 7th annual group exhibition by local Sedona Artists will be open from November 3-26, 2006, on the second level above Rene’s Restaurant. An opening, free to the public, is scheduled on Friday, November 3rd, 6:00-9:00 p.m. This reception provides the opportunity to meet and chat with many of the artist’s whose work will be represented in the show and to see how this theme can be interpreted playfully. There will be music, refreshments, a raffle and several surprises or surprise performance art pieces!

The theme for this year’s SVAC exhibit is the creative process. “Random Acts of Art” honors the artist and the value of the creative process, including the creator and the viewer. Go to www.sedonaartistscoalition.com for more information on this exhibit and the artists.

L’Auberge de Sedona Builds Spa
L’Auberge de Sedona, one of Sedona’s finest properties has completed their 1,500 square foot spa which features 4 treatment rooms with an after treatment lounge with fireplace. Spa cabanas will be located on Oak Creek for creekside massages.

Where better for an outdoor painting festival than Sedona?

The area’s signature red-rock formations and sweeping vistas seem tailor-made for the style of painting known as plein air.

This type of art came about in the late 1800s, when artists began taking materials out of the studio and into the field, says Jennifer Reddington, spokeswoman for the Sedona Arts Center, which is sponsoring the festival.

“It’s an attempt to capture the whole moment on canvas – the light, color and constantly shifting shadows,” she says. “So the artists work fast (and) in a loose style. It’s a different experience, both for the artist and the collector.”

Twenty-eight artists representing seven Western states have spent the week capturing those moments, working everywhere from downtown Sedona to remote trailheads. Although most of the paintings are landscapes, some depict urban scenes. But all were painted outdoors, and quickly.

The festival, which started Monday, wraps up this weekend with several events. On Saturday, the public can watch the artists at work when they gather for a couple of hours during the Sedona Paint Out in uptown Sedona.

“It’s really interesting to watch the artists as they work almost instinctively to capture the immediacy and spontaneity of the moment,” Reddington says. “They will experience the weather, good or bad, to try to capture those fleeting shadows and light.”

The process is evident in the results.

“(Plein air) pulls you into the moment in a way that studio paintings can’t,” Reddington says.

You can mingle with the artists Saturday evening at the Patrons Gala, which features fine wine, live music and top-notch catering. The festival wraps up with a public exhibition and art sale Sunday, when the artists display and sell the results of their week’s work.

Source: John Stanley, The Arizona Republic, Oct. 27, 2006

Main St. and Marshall Way will be overflowing with cowboys and cowgirls when the 17th annual Western ArtWalk returns to the Scottsdale Arts District on Thursday, Oct. 19 from 7-9pm.

Kick off your ArtWalk with the traditional and contemporary western paintings of Michael Swearngin and Zane Mead at Joan Cawley Gallery. Trailside Gallery hosts its annual Fall Open House featuring new works by some of the country’s most distinguished western artists, including: Bill Nebeker, Jim Norton, Gordon Snidow, Wayne Baize, Fred Fellows, Gary Niblett, Don Crowley and Clark Kelley Price. Watch the desert come alive at Wilde Meyer Discoveries in the exciting exhibit “Inside Outside,” showcasing artists Melanie Corradi, Alix Stefan and Lawrence Taylor.

All that and more awaits you at this year’s Western ArtWalk. The streets will be saturated with the music of Arizona’s own Rhonda Towns, John Mark, String Gravy, Jim Pipkin, Mark Barry and a stellar “Soliloquies” lineup featuring David Lewis and Mary Hoffman. ArtWalkers will also be treated to free food samples from Starbucks, Naked Juice, Malee’s On Main and others.

The Western ArtWalk is presented by the Scottsdale Gallery Association, in conjunction with Scottsdale Downtown. For additional info visit www.ScottsdaleGalleries.com or call the Scottsdale Gallery Association hotline 480-990-3939.

Source: October 16 , 2006 by Kathleen Gorden for evliving.com

Tuscon Museum of Art exhibit shows its splendor in many forms

By Doug Kreutz / Arizona Daily Star

Tucson, Arizona | Published: 09.15.2006

The name says it all: Our world-famous Canyon is Grand.

Artists have noticed.

Over the past century, they’ve captured the geologic, chromatic, superstructural splendor of the Grand Canyon in media from paint and photographic film to artsy arrangements of rocks and dirt.

A rich sampling of their work is on display at the Tucson Museum of Art in an exhibition called “The Grand Canyon: From Dream to Icon.”

“It’s about seeing the Canyon in a new way — and reconnecting with it in an old, familiar way,” says Julie Sasse, the museum’s chief curator.

The exhibition showcases 60 works by 55 artists. Among them are famous painters such as Thomas Moran and Ross Stefan and photographers including legendary Ansel Adams and Tucsonan Jack Dykinga. Works by conceptual artists such as Beth Ames Swartz and collaborators Rebecca Davis and Roger Asay add a measure of experimentation and whimsy.

“The whole intent of this exhibition was to show that the Grand Canyon isn’t a static place,” says Sasse. “It’s just as compelling to a conceptual artist as it is to a traditional pictorialist.

“Seeing this work is to find out about the many different ways people connect with the Canyon.”See examples of Grand Canyon photos and art on www.thecanyon.com.

Join the summer celebration of art, music and more in downtown Scottsdale at the M&I Bank Summer Spectacular ArtWalk, on Thursday, July 6 from 6-9pm. As the sun goes down, the streets of Scottsdale’s arts district on Main Street and Marshall Way come alive for this popular annual event.

Scottsdale’s famed art galleries welcome all with a fantastic party, complete with live entertainment, free food and drink samples, artists demonstrations, and gallery show openings. It’s all free to the public.

This annual event is presented by M&I Bank and hosted by the Scottsdale Gallery Association (SGA) in conjunction with Scottsdale Downtown. M&I Bank will repeat its hugely popular “Cold Cash Ice Sculpture Contest,” where ArtWalkers are invited to guess the total value of hundreds of coins encased in a beautiful ice sculpture, which drip-drip-drips toward an answer (and somebody’s prize!) in the warm summer evening air.

ArtWalkers will enjoy many show openings and artist receptions at dozens of galleries along the ArtWalk route. Complete gallery schedules can be found on the Scottsdale Gallery Association’s website at www.scottsdalegalleries.com/schedules.html

In addition to the latest art works, this year’s M&I Bank Summer Spectacular ArtWalk has lined up some exciting live music and entertainment. Headlining this year’s lineup is the award-wining, high energy band, Mojo Farmers, with a hybrid of rock styles that has a little bit of something for everyone. Additionally, the mellow sounds of Kairos Jazz, Gradymusic, Sarah Vanell, Mark Barry, Matt Yaki and Tim Lyddon will delight ArtWalkers, as will “Soliloquies,” a unique collaboration featuring some of the Valley’s best up & coming singer-songwriters: Josh Foster, Jumbo Jr., and Mary Hoffman.

For those who need sustenance along the way, M&I Bank will be keeping the crowd cool with free bottles of cold water at their booth. There will also be food and drink sample stations from Naked Juice, China Mist Iced Teas, Fleming’s Restaurant, Malee’s on Main, Roy’s Restaurant, and other surprises!

It all takes place from 6-9 p.m. on Thursday, July 6. Admission is free of charge and there’s plenty of free parking nearby, plus the trolleys are running! For more information, call the Scottsdale Arts District hotline at 480-990-3939 or visit www.scottsdalegalleries.com

by Kathleen Gorden for www.evliving.com

A San Francisco Chronicle reader shares her Sedona, Arizona recommendations

Fleeing to Sedona for some heat and art

Following weeks of spring rain in California, we decided to go to Sedona, Ariz., to warm up at the Casa Sedona Bed and Breakfast Inn. The lovely 16-room inn was designed by a protege of Frank Lloyd Wright.

We stayed in the Trickster’s Den, a whimsical, art-filled room created by Robert Shields, the former San Francisco mime. It featured a fireplace, a whirlpool tub for two and a private patio overlooking lush gardens and an outdoor hot tub. We also had a view of the monumental red-rock formations that surround Sedona and glow in amazing colors at sunset.

Breakfasts served in the garden were delicious (quiche verde, poached pears, banana pecan French toast), and hors d’oeuvres were available every afternoon. The inn charges $180 to $295 per night.

Contact: Casa Sedona Bed & Breakfast Inn, 55 Hozoni Drive, Sedona AZ 86336. (800) 525-3756, www.casasedona.com.

We bought $20 day passes for the nearby Sedona Spa at Los Abrigados Resort, where we swam in the large pool where you float effortlessly in its saltwater (no chlorine). The Spa also offers a full gym and a wide range of treatments.

Contact: Sedona Spa, 160 Portal Lane, Sedona, AZ 86336. (928) 282-1777.

We also made a day trip west to the ghost town-turned-art colony of Jerome (founded 1876). We felt as if we were back in the 19th century as we rode into the hills in a horse-drawn carriage and learned about local history from our amusing driver, cowboy poet Wyoming Bob.

The Sedona area also features jeep tours, nearby Native American ruins, art galleries and plenty of opportunities for mountain biking and hiking.

Deborah Dallinger -Lafayette, CA

Check out sedona.net for information on where to stay and what to do in Sedona, Arizona.

Visitors to the Prescott Valley Civic Center are being greeted by an atmosphere of creative inspiration.

With eleven new pieces added this year, the Civic Center is now home to 19 sculptures, seven of which the town owns.

The sculptures range in style from modern to western and are spread in and around the Civic Center.
Information from: The Daily Courier

Phoenix, Arizona – In braided costumes of red, blue, orange and white, the dancers swirl around a sand circle to the chanting of a dozen elderly Indians, all the while balancing up to 30 flexible hoops on their body.

The scene takes place outside a museum in Phoenix, Arizona; the dancers are competing for the world title in the centuries-old tradition of the hoop dance.

Every year, Native Americans from the United States and Canada come together in Phoenix to celebrate the dance. Participants form figures resembling flowers, eagles or the sun by balancing dozens of metre-wide rings on their feet, legs, arms and shoulders and in their mouths.

‘This is a great example of our culture, and of culture in the Southwest,’ says Brian Hammel, 35, a dancer from the Hochunk tribe in West Wisconsin.

The dancers’ annual meeting place, the Heard Museum in Phoenix, pays tribute to Native American culture all year long. With eight exhibits of tribal art, crafts and history, the museum is the ideal starting point to explore Native American culture in the southwestern United States.

Arizona is home to 21 different tribes with an overall population of more than 250,000 people. Reservations and tribal communities occupy over a quarter of the state’s lands.

Local operators offer trips from Arizona’s major cities to the reservations of the Hopi and Navajo tribes, where tourists can eat indigenous foods and learn more about the traditions of America’s first people.

White European settlers also left their imprints on the region. The flow of cowboys, railroad men and gold-diggers to Arizona in the 19th century kicked off the famous Wild West era, traces of which can still be found across the state.

Visitors can walk the streets of violent cowboy ghost towns like Tombstone or try to find forgotten treasures in the remains of former goldmine camps.

Several sites like the Desert Caballeros Western Museum in Wickenburg, the Skull Valley Railroad Depot or Prescott’s Whiskey Row aim to give visitors a real taste of the old Wild West.

Arizona, however, is best known for its natural beauty. The World Heritage Site of the Grand Canyon is in the state’s north-west, where it attracts more than 4 million people annually to explore the Grand Canyon National Park by foot, air, river, mule or train.

Popular activities are wild-water rafting down the Colorado River, jeep tours through the park’s desert landscape and helicopter tours giving a breathtaking overview of the canyon.

But there are other sites off the beaten tracks which are also worth a visit.

The Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix showcases more than 50,000 local plants including a vast variety of flowers somewhat unusual in the desert. Small birds and local butterflies including Painted Ladies and the regal Queens are regular guests in the floral gardens.

Possibly the oddest desert site is the so-called Mystery Castle. Built in the 1930s outside Phoenix from trash found in the desert, the house looks like a Wild West version of a Hundertwasser design – with furniture created by America’s best known architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

The house is still inhabited by the builder’s daughter Miss Gulley, who gives tours of her home. From the Mystery Castle it is only a short ride to Frank Lloyd Wright’s former winter residence in Scottsdale.

The architect famous for designing New York’s Guggenheim Museum built a whole complex including a cabaret theatre, a music hall as well as an architectural studio and living space using local rocks and desert sand. Wright’s winter camp is now managed by a foundation and open for public visitors on guided tours.