Sedona Art Source - Volume One

Always has been 

Always will be ... 

The Art of Fine Dining 

Reservations - (928) 282-5219 

dahlanddiluca.com

FROM THE PUBLISHER 

Sedona ArtSource has a simple yet purposeful 

mission: Support the arts and support the rich 

artist community in Sedona. Our privilege is 

to trumpet the talent while promoting available 

options for embracing it. 

I appreciate being associated with a team of 

like-minded people in accomplishing this 

effort. The talented group that comprise the 

ArtSource team have invested their lives as 

creators and promoters of the arts — people 

with backgrounds in the performing, literary, 

visual and design genres. Gratitude goes to 

Carol Kahn, Kristina Gabrielle, Rick Cyge, 

Patti Polinard and Lynn Alison Trombetta, 

core members of an even larger team 

committed to bringing Sedona ArtSource 

to successful fruition as the entity supporting 

all the arts in the stimulating presence of 

Sedona’s accessible energies. 

Greg Lawson 

6 Editor’s Message 

8 Mayor Sandy Moriarty 

Perspective 

11 Nancy Lattanzi 

Art Enthusiast 

12 City of Sedona 

State of the Arts 

16 Frasca & Halliday 

An Ode to Mother Nature 

22 Native Jewelry of Sedona 

24 John & Ruth Waddell 

Common Ground 

30 A Parallel Universe 

The History of Tlaquepaque 

2 

Sedona ARTSource 

ON OUR COVER 

Frasca and Halliday’s 

“Mother Earth” depicts 

nature’s majesty. “We 

had just come back 

from a trip and had 

seen beautiful forests 

and lakes. It was one 

of those peaceful 

experiences that only 

nature can provide. 

The flower in the 

center of the piece has 

branches and vines 

that represent the 

intricacies of life.” 

— Connie Frasca and 

Karen Halliday 

Frasca & Halliday - An 

Ode to Mother Nature, 

PAGE 16 

Sedona 

ARTSource 

Published by Sedona ArtSource 

2679 West State Route 89A 

Sedona, AZ 86336 

Volume One 

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 refl ect the views of the publisher.

CONTENTS 

36 Patrick Schweiss 

5 Questions 

38 Mary Margaret Sather 

“I am a Potter” 

44 Patricia Saxton 

En Pointe 

49 James N. Muir 

Spiritual Storyteller 

53 Tom & Shondra 

Many Faces 

59 Michael Colpitts 

Artist Spotlight 

60 Mariposa 

A Metamorphosis 

70 Anthony Mazzella 

Heavenly Music 

74 Michael McClellan 

Artist’s Perpective 

76 Sedona Culture Collaborative 

A New Arts Initiative in Sedona 

79 Artwork on the Secondary Market 

80 Vince Fazio 

What is Art? 

82 Sedona Summer Colony 

85 ArtSource Resource 

86 Sedona Gallery Map 

88 Sedona Gallery Index 

24 30 38 49 60 

Publisher 

Editor 

Graphic Design 

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 

Gifted voice commands an ear 

Vision charms the eye 

Compositions will inspire 

While stars inherit sky 

— Greg Lawson 


5

A vision of Old Mexico 

with five restaurants and 

over 45 shops and galleries 

around every corner. 

Open daily -10 am. 

Enjoy our magazine at tlaq.com 

Tlaquepaque arTs & CrafTs Village 

336 State Route 179 in Sedona , Arizona • www.tlaq.com • 928-282-4838

FROM THE EDITOR 

Welcome to the Premier Issue of Sedona ArtSource. 

It is an honor and a privilege to introduce you to our first 

volume, as well as some of the talented artists who reside in 

this beautiful place we call home. 

Sedona's beauty is majestic and enchanting. This magical 

place captured my heart and soul nine years ago and became a 

personal sanctuary. I was living in Las Vegas at the time, and 

visited Sedona every three months without fail for six years. 

It became my home away from home. In 2015, while dining at 

Mariposa, a friend asked, “Why don’t you move here already? 

You're here all the time.” I shared with him my fear of moving 

to Sedona and having it lose its magic. “Well perhaps the 

magic will be enhanced," he said. After considering that 

thought, as well as questioning my own limitations, Sedona 

actually showed me the way. I am proud to report the magic 

has been enhanced in more ways than I could have imagined. 

The amazing and talented people I have met here enrich my 

life on a daily basis. 

Sedona as an art destination boasts more than 50 galleries within a very small radius. It is 

an art-filled community, brimming with creative people. Every day they work at their craft, 

while tapping into an infinite energy that many call “the zone.” Each day they immerse 

themselves into their creative passions. “Creativity takes courage,” as Henri Matisse once 

said. It takes an enormous amount of courage for artists, to put their work out into the 

world on a daily basis, to be finally judged by the public. Such artists are risk-takers who are 

doing what they love to do, regardless of the outcome. Perhaps we can all learn something 

from this. 

Art is all encompassing. We are surrounded by art in every created form, and we see it as 

well in nature. Nature exudes color and form. But, what is art? I have asked this question 

hundreds of times hoping to get an answer that could explain it all. I am often met with an 

inquisitive blank stare. Many, including artists, have a hard time explaining what art is. In 

all of its abstractness, art is in the eye of the beholder. 

As an avid art enthusiast and a creative, the role of Editor of Sedona ArtSource is the perfect 

fit. I must thank Greg Lawson, our Publisher, for recognizing my love and passion for the 

arts along with my exuberance for storytelling. I believe that everyone has a story. With that 

comes an enormous responsibility of sharing these stories with the world, hoping to inspire, 

motivate, and perhaps change a life, as they are told. Within the pages of Sedona ArtSource lie 

the heart and soul of those who embody art. We would like to share with you their gift, their 

journey, and their persistence to follow their dreams and passions, sometimes unrequitedly. 

I would like to thank each of the artists, our advertisers, the Sedona ArtSource team and all 

those who support us as we embark on this new adventure together. 

Carol Kahn 

Editor 

Sedona ARTSource

PERSPECTIVE 

MAYOR 

SANDY MORIARTY 

For me, the importance of the arts is simply undeniable. 

Throughout the history of mankind, the arts have always been 

an integral part of life. They open our minds and speak to our 

hearts and souls. In today’s complex world, communication is 

all-important, and when we think of communicating, our first 

thought is of doing so with words, but language barriers often 

intervene. The arts come to the rescue, offering a rich source 

of non-verbal communication, which can be understood across 

cultures, and languages, bringing out the creativity in all of us. It 

is creativity that allows us to learn, grow, and solve the many 

problems that are a part of everyday existence. 

Those of us who live here are so lucky to be able to live amidst 

the great beauty that we see as a natural work of art that inspires 

us every day. It is fitting that the City's mission statement 

recognizes that we are a city animated by the arts. I am proud 

of living up to that mission in meaningful ways, such as our 

incomparable Artist in the Classroom program, our Moment of 

Art at City Council meetings, and the contributions to public art 

made through our Art in Public Places ordinance. 

8 



NANCY LATTANZI 

By Carol Kahn 

Exuberant. Passionate. Artistic. Creative. 

These adjectives well describe Nancy Lattanzi, 

Arts and Culture Coordinator for the City of 

Sedona. Nancy and her husband discovered 

Sedona in 2008 while on a road-trip. They fell 

in love with the natural beauty and the artfi 

lled community. Feeling right at home, it didn’t 

take long for her to realize that this is where 

she wanted to be. Not wasting a moment, she 

quickly opened an art studio, Planet Art, teaching 

students about taking care of the earth, and 

creating art from found and recycled objects. 

That was just the beginning of her artistic 

endeavors in Sedona. 

Nancy’s life imbues art! Her sentences run 

together as she talks excitedly about her 

passion. Art, she says, is a universal language. 

It’s a form of expression whether you are 

an artist, an art appreciator, or simply an art 

observer. “I think art is healing and therapeutic. 

'There is no right or wrong,' I tell the kids I 

teach. It’s subjective. It helps us understand the 

differences we have. I think it opens our eyes to 

show how we are all different, yet we are all the 

same.” 

Nancy is certainly not someone you would 

describe as being complacent or satisfied 

with status quo. Her life story 

proves it. She is always thinking, 

creating, inventing and discovering 

new ways to bring art into the 

forefront. 

While in college, she decided she 

wanted to be a graphic designer. 

Her college didn’t offer a 

program that would give her the 

necessary skills she would need. 

Instead of making due with her 

college curriculum, she decided 

to create a work-study program, 

Art Enthusiast 

‘An Intro to Graphic Arts,’ that earned her nine 

credits and eventually became an accredited 

course at her school. Upon graduating, she 

found a job as a graphic designer and later 

became a creative director. Nancy worked for 

a variety of publishers including The New York 

Times, Discover Magazine, Fortune, People and 

McGraw Hill Publications. 

Photo: Rick Dembow 

NANCY LATTANZI 

Arts & Culture Coordinator 

City of Sedona 

A happenstance conversation following jury duty 

changed the direction of her career. The fellow 

juror was a director of a progressive school in 

New York and was looking for an art teacher. 

She invited Nancy to visit the school and offered 

her an opportunity. The school, modeled after 

The Reggio Emilia School in Italy, made headlines 

in Newsweek, touting their philosophies 

on valuing children’s possibilities, potential, 

capabilities and competencies. “After working 

in Corporate America for so long, I decided to 

accept this offer even though my salary was to 

drop substantially. It was the first time I realized 

that I was doing what I loved. It wasn’t about 

the money; it was about my love for art.” 

“I am proud of what I have done, and I am 

passionate about art. I look back and think, 

‘How did I do this? How did I do all of this?” 

Nancy has volumes of scrapbooks filled with 

stories and achievements – all 

documented – of the projects 

she has created. Working with 

the City of Sedona for the last 

five years, she is hands-on in 

implementing programs and 

initiatives: the Mayor’s Arts 

Awards, Arts in the Classroom, 

Art in Public Places, City Hall Art 

Rotations and Arts and Culture 

Initiatives work group are just a 

few of these. Her hands are full. 

But to Nancy, it’s never enough. 

She’s already on to the next thing, 

blazing a trail. 


11

"There is an endlless play to shapes, color 

and light in the gardens and flowers for me 

to paint. The garden is the place to go to 

recover lost innocence ..." MEG MUNRO 


“DREAMER” FROM MEG MUNRO’S “IRIS INTEGRITY” SERIES. 

Meg Munro’s “The Garden of Life” will be featured at 

Sedona City Hall, May through August, 2018.

THEArts 

STATE 

OF 

By Nancy Lattanzi 

In the words of Friedrich Nietzsche, “The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude.” 

I am very grateful to live in a place that IS a work of art. This spectacular landscape and ever 

changing light that accentuates the sandstone cliffs, copper canyons and towering crimson red 

rocks is truly palpable beauty. It is no wonder that Sedona has attracted a diverse group of talented 

artists that have found inspiration here. As Arts & Culture Coordinator for the City of Sedona, I am 

thankful to work with so many artists who cross my path daily and feel fortunate to work for a City that 

supports a wide range of creative programming. 

The main areas under my purview that keep my days full are: the City Hall Art Rotation program, Artist in the 

Classroom, the Mayor’s Arts Awards, Art in Public Places, the Moment of Art and the Street Performance Program. 

CITY HALL ART ROTATION PROGRAM 

currently exhibits 2 artists every 4 months in 

the Council Chambers and Vultee Conference 

room. Press releases go out to all local media 

and artists are also featured on our website, as 

well as given a public reception. The public can 

make an appointment to view exhibits and many 

have passed through our campus to admire and 

purchase work. Exhibits in 2018 include “Uplifting 

Inspiration,” featuring exuberant paintings by 

Michael Colpitts; “A Flower For Your Hair,” 

relationship themed paintings by Allison Rae 

Nichols; and “The Garden of Life” watercolors by 

award winning painter Meg Munro. 

ARTIST IN THE CLASSROOM PROGAM 

employs 25 accomplished artists; including 7 new 

artists added this school year. Visual, performance 

and literary artists are requested by educators in 

all local schools servicing K through 12th grade. 

Once matched, the team is connected and meets 

to collaborate on engaging creative projects that 

augment curriculum. This school year the program 

has supported: drawing, painting, pastel and clay 

classes, as well as writing, journalism, storytelling, 

mask making, dance, theater, sewing and creating 

mobiles. There is an outdoor peace & unity mural 

by students at West Sedona Elementary, as well as 

a beautiful origami display in the Red Rock High 

School library. 

Photo: Greg Griffin 

PEGGY LANNING (left) receives 

Lifetime Achievement Award. 

MAYOR SANDY MORIARTY (right) 

MAYOR'S ARTS AWARDS was celebrated to a full house 

in June 2017 at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. Honored 

recipients were: Peggy Lanning for Lifetime Achievement for 

her 45 years running her thriving art galleries, Turquoise 

Tortoise and Lanning Gallery, as well as founder of the 

Sedona Gallery Association and First Fridays. Joe McNeill 

was celebrated as Individual for preserving Sedona’s film 

history in his tome, “Arizona’s Little Hollywood.” Dennis Ott 

received an award for Education for his 20+ years as leading 

arts educator in ceramics and for his Loving Bowls annual 

benefit. The Red Rock Arts Council was honored for 25+ 

years of work and creating the first Sculpture Walk, installing 

iconic sculptures, such as Sedona Schnebly at the Sedona 

Library and for helping the city adopt a Public Art Ordinance. 

ORIGAMI QUILT Photo: Karen Elaine Parsons 


13

Photo: Nancy Lattanzi 

ART IN PUBLIC 

PLACES How 

opportune to 

have a city that 

has a Public Art 

Ordinance, where 

a percentage of 

new development 

is put towards 

our Art in Public 

Places fund. When 

enough money is 

accrued, a request 

for proposal 

goes out and the 

ARVEL BIRD 

process begins 

for submissions 

for a new sculpture to be commissioned. The last 

project installed was “The Open Gate,” placed in 

the Schnebly Hill roundabout. The talented Reagan 

Word created this magnificent piece and symbols 

include elements indigenous to our community: 

a Great Blue Heron, an apple tree and red rocks. 

The gate motif is a beautiful way to welcome 

residents and visitors into Sedona after driving up 

our scenic highway. 

MOMENT OF ART Being a city animated by the 

arts, it was agreed to invite an artist to perform 

at the beginning of the City Council meeting 

on the second Tuesday of each month. It is a 

pleasure to have a variety of artists to have this 

exposure, which is recorded and kept in our 

archives. Poets, actors, dancers, a mask maker, 

musicians, and photographers all have shared their 

craft. In January, the talented Arvel Bird, a Celtic 

Native American, played fl ute and violin from his 

classical recording, Tribal Music Suite: Journey of a 

Paiute. This performance was about birth and new 

beginnings. In February, Oman Ken, a talented 

multi-instrumentalist, performed his original song, 

Love is the Way on guitar. 

STREET PERFORMER’S PROGRAM has 

been established for artists to perform in our 

community. There are 9 designated areas in 

Uptown Sedona suggesting where to perform. 

Guidelines and an area map are provided to those 

who are interested. 

I am always happy to be a conduit and 

collaborator for Arts & Culture groups 

locally, as well as with other municipalities. 

It is nice to know other municipalities 

look to Sedona and seek answers on 

what the process is to install artwork on 

a roundabout, or how they can create 

a rotating exhibit program for their 

community. The most common question 

is: “How can we bring our creative 

community together?” 

“THE OPEN GATE” designed by Reagan Word 

The founders of Sedona ArtSource are 

defi nitely taking charge in answering 

that question. I wish this resourceful new 

publication great success going forward in disseminating information and connecting all artists to one 

another, because in the words of Einstein, “Creativity is contagious passion.” 

Photo: Erick Hale 

14 


Now available in hardcover and softcover editions at select locations. 

ArtSource is the Smart Source 

This is more that just a tagline. Here’s why: 

• ArtSource acknowledges all arts 

opportunities in Sedona, not only 

those affi liated with a particular group 

or organization. This increases public 

awareness, which in turn increases public 

support, appreciation and opportunity. 

• ArtSource quarterly volumes in print 

feature interviews and articles about artists 

and their genres ranging from performing 

to visual to literary to culinary to design. 

Visit us online at SedonaArtSource.com 

• ArtSource promotes the arts and the 

artists in Sedona by forging a benefi cial 

alliance between the arts and business 

communities. 

• ArtSource online publishes performance 

venues as a public service. All Sedona 

venues have a free promotional 

opportunity for their events and 

performances at SedonaArtSource.com/ 

sedona-event-calendar 


15

“Earth at Peace in Sedona” 

FRASCA & 


There’s no such thing as being alone in 

the universe, and so there’s no such thing 

as creating alone. Everything – every 

impulse, every creative gift of beauty – 

everything is a co-creation. 

GARY ZUKAV 

When artists labor together, a profound connection may 

manifest itself: They are co-creating — making individual 

expressions while they dance with one another to a silent 

rhythmic beat. This cooperative process can be quite the 

conundrum. There is an inner essence driving each artist to 

express themselves, while a subconscious force is simmering 

beneath the surface, preparing to explode as a symphony of 

creativity. “We explore creativity like we explore the infinite 

mysteries of the universe. Trying to capture infinity while 

trying to create infinity is the epitome of inspiration,” says 

Connie Frasca of the Frasca and Halliday creative-arts team. 

An Ode to Mother Nature 

By Carol Kahn 

Connie Frasca and Karen Halliday are partners in 

art as well as partners in life. They don’t complete 

each other’s sentences, but they do complement 

one another’s creative ingenuity. Karen is visual, 

creative, and enjoys free form art with no restrictions. 

Connie is also creative, but, on the other hand, she’s 

more linear thinking, logical, and intuitive. “Karen 

is definitely more right-brained, but I exude both 

right and left-brain qualities,” says Connie. “It’s 

definitely a dichotomy. I wish I could explain it, but 

the creative process is something I just need to do.” 

Individually and collectively they have a relentless 

need to create. It’s not a choice. Both consider this 

proliferation an ode to nature. Together they create 

one of-a-kind mixed media wall pieces and vessels 

using exotic woods, and choosing to emphasize the 

inherent beauty of the elements. “People are drawn 

to the uniqueness and the color. The color pops! It is 

not one-dimensional. We started doing mixed media 

thirty years ago when no one was doing this particular 

kind of work,” says Connie. 


17

Mixed media art refers to a visual art 

form that combines a variety of mediums 

in a single work. Many artists will explore 

new techniques and combinations of styles 

when working with mixed media while 

they continually evolve the art form. Notable 

artists such as Max Ernst, Edgar Degas, Marcel 

Duchamp, Paul Klee, Pablo Picasso, and Man 

Ray have dabbled in mixed media. Robert 

Rauschenberg’s art has always been one of 

thoughtful inclusion. 

Frasca and Halliday’s work celebrates both art 

and life. With wood, stone, sand and even 

fossils, they create art that is organic in feel 

and timeless in style. Their wall pieces are 

made from exotic woods such as buckeye, 

lace wood, redwood, and maple, which 

work to accentuate the natural beauty 

of the materials. They intricately 

cut each piece by hand; their work 

is free flowing and natural. The 

collaboration might begin with a 

singular piece of wood; then they 

layer in other pieces like one big 

jigsaw puzzle. “We never know 

exactly what we are going to do,” 

says Karen. “We just get in there 

and start, and something takes 

over.” They take turns inspiring 

one another with their own unique 

creativity. 

Their processes and 

media have enough variation and 

color that there really is no plotted 

beginning or perceived finish, though 

each piece will take months to complete. 

Their vessels are created from a burl or 

root of a redwood tree. 

Each piece is 

rough-cut then set aside to dry. Hours 

upon hours are spent carving and adding 

texture to the vessel. Each is a one-ofa-kind 

production and may contain 

wood inlays or stone. 

Frasca and Halliday’s work evolves 

and revolves. When a piece is 

complete, they both look at it 

objectively. Karen describes 

the process as an out-of-body 

experience with no attachment. 

Connie on the other hand likens 

it to a bull ride. “It’s a fascinating 

phenomenon that takes place. We 

are fully into the creative side; and it 

takes a lot of exerted energy, but when 

we fall off, we are done! We have no idea 

what happened within that experience. 

Sometimes the ride is incredible and 

sometimes it’s not,” she says. 

Each piece of artwork they create 

releases a different energy, drawing 

the viewer in again and again. 

With each glance, something 

new appears. Both of them 

want people to understand 

something beyond just the 

intellectual aspect. “We 

never know what we are 

going to come up with next. 

Collectors tell us that our 

work is refreshing,” says 

Connie. “A client, who is a 

pilot, described our wall art as 

the geological landscape of the 

earth below. I never thought of it 

that way. As a pilot myself, I know 

what he is talking about. Perhaps that 

is a subliminal influence in our work.” 

Their varied backgrounds are completely 

opposite, yet their work speaks eloquently 

of the synergy found in the composition of 

their art. Connie was a production engineer, 

a pilot, and a self-taught custom homebuilder, 

as well as a writer. “She lived ten lives before 

I met her. I actually met her on the back 

half," says Karen laughing. Karen was in the 

entertainment business , but wanted to pursue 

art. While Connie nurtured Karen’s talents 

by pushing her to achieve her dreams and 

ambitions, she had to deal with her own 

worthiness. Connie has reached many 

goals and realized many aspirations in 

her life, but most of these have come 

through trial and tribulation. As 

a child, she was a ‘military brat’, 

Left: “Refi ned By Birth” Vessel 

Opposite: “Organic Elites" 

18 



19

Today, Frasca and Halliday are busy working on 

their next big creation. Lips sealed, they won’t 

say what it is. But with a twinkle in their eyes 

and a childlike exuberance, they know it will 

be big. They are both in it for the long haul, 

loving every minute of it. “I am totally happy,” 

says Connie. “I think I have way too much 

dopamine! I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

Karen nods her head in agreement. 

“Artistic creation is a mystery. Perhaps it is like 

nature, something that simply is.” 

Frasca and Halliday are two soulful artists cocreating 

with nature. They both exude a joy of 

life and a heart for art that is truly meaningful. 

Frasca and Halliday’s vessels, panels, and threedimensional 

wall art can be found in their own 

gallery space within Exposures International Gallery 

of Fine Art in Sedona. Their art is embraced 

throughout the world and has been exhibited from 

Dubai in the UAE, to Phoenix in the USA where 

it is displayed in the Phoenix Museum of Art and 

Children’s Hospital. 

moving twenty-three times by the time she was 

eighteen. Her father pushed her to be the best that 

she could be. Regardless, she felt that she was never 

good enough and always wanted to do better. 

She spent much of her life working as an 

entrepreneur. She built, remodeled, and flipped 

everything from antique cars to homes. As a 

self-taught builder, designer, and contractor, 

she began constructing custom homes in the 

Pinnacle Peak area of Scottsdale. Her designs 

were ‘out of the box’ adding unique features and 

incorporating the finest materials. “We had to be 

out of our minds to do things the way we did,” 

says Karen looking back. “I had no fear of making 

a mistake, because I knew I would be able to fix 

it,” Connie emphatically concludes. 

In 2001, during the home-building phase, they 

collectively gave birth to the fantastic threedimensional 

wall sculptures they are known for. 

Following this creative milestone they became 

inspired by the natural beauty of Sedona and 

decided to move here to create their art full time. 

20 


F r a s c a & Halli d a y 

“Loving Embrace” 

90”h x 84”w x 4”d 

Connie Frasca and Karen Halliday 

Sophisticated collectors world-wide have been moved by 

their gorgeous, three-dimensional interpretations for over two decades. 

©2018 Exposures International LLC 

800-526-7668 ExposuresFineArt.com Sales@ExposuresFineArt.com 561 State Route 179, Sedona, AZ 86336 

“One of the Largest and Most Unique Galleries in the World” 

G A LLERY 

23 

C ATA LO G

NATIVE JEWELRY 

By Patti Polinard 

OF SEDONA 

Irena Galovic, owner of Native Jewelry of Sedona, 

buys directly from a network of artisans from the 

Navajo, Hopi, Santo Domingo, Zuni, and Apache 

tribes; the same people that she has been working 

with for generations. 

Her Uptown Sedona gallery has the largest 

collection of strictly native, always unique, 14k 

gold jewelry pieces in Sedona. Everything here is 

authentic and one-of-a-kind. 

Native Jewelry of Sedona is located in Uptown and 

operates seven days a week. The gallery features 

the work of several noted Native Americans 

including Zuni artist, Effie Calavaza who famously 

took her copyright protection case all the way 

to the Supreme Court. Navajo artist Lori Smith, 

known for creating 24k liquid gold inlays aligned 

with sleeping beauty turquoise in her pottery is 

also represented. Other artists featured include 

Andrew Alvarez, Gerald Lomaventema, Bruce 

Morgan, Marlene Rosetta, Charlene Reano, and 

Christopher Niete. 

Irena and her daughter, Daniella, are happy to 

educate collectors. Most of the work displayed is 

enveloped with stories that include articles about 

the artisans. The gallery also displays raw stones to 

aid in helping customers learn more of the process 

that goes into creating original jewelry pieces. 

Whether traditional or contemporary, Native 

Jewelry of Sedona features original pieces, and 

serves as an international collector’s haven for 

acquiring genuine Native American jewelry. 


24 


Common 

Ground 

The camaraderie of seven decades of shared creativity, shared art, 

and shared memories comes together in this interview with two of 

Sedona’s most notable artists, John Henry Waddell and his wife, 

Ruth Waddell, who have lived in the Verde Valley near Sedona, 

Arizona, since 1970. 

By Lynn Alison Trombetta 

Inside the spacious working studio of artists 

John Henry Waddell and Ruth Waddell, a 

small, barely audible tapping sound became 

evident. As if to illustrate the quiet of the setting 

just outside, a lone bee searched for a way in, 

tapping its body ever so lightly against the window 

pane. 

The only evidence of the nearby towns of Sedona 

and Cornville lies back along the dirt road that 

traverses to the top of the hill where the studio 

sits — amid decades of creativity formed into 

figures poised in graceful clusters around the 

expansive property. 

The studio is a place of quiet solitude: nearly 

sacred ground that it seems would naturally call 

the creative spirit into action. Yet, on some days, 

one might arrive at a peace-filled state of mind 

and spirit that could reveal things that even the 

artist did not notice as he worked so long ago. 

As we studied John’s smaller three-dimensional 

works displayed in cubicles that lined the entire 


25

One thing you learn through the years is 

that you never know what each other’s 

experience is. 

RUTH WADDELL 

studio wall from floor to 

ceiling, Ruth explained that 

John worked first in clay, 

sometimes in wax, before 

casting the final figures. His 

work is found in collections, 

civic squares and sculpture 

gardens from coast to coast 

and as far away as Austria. 

“We didn’t start off with 

a studio this big,” Ruth 

explained as we left the 

building. “He had begun 

working on the ‘Dance' 

sculpture down in Tempe, and when we came 

up here after the fire that destroyed everything 

there, he continued working on it. We were 

very fortunate to be able to build the studio big 

enough for work on the twelve figure group that 

is ‘Dance.' 

housed the few fire-damaged figures that were left 

standing after the 1984 blaze. 

As colder-than-usual winds stirred the dried 

winter grasses near one of the clusters of figures, 

we moved past still more along the path toward 

the bottom of the hill, and into the comfort of the 

Waddell’s home. 

The walls inside were lined with intriguing images 

of trees deep along a creek and figure studies done 

in pastel. “These on the wall are all mine,” Ruth 

explained. “I still like to show my work with the 

Sedona Visual Artists, of which we are honorary 

members. There was a show at the Sedona Arts 

Center this year that we each had a few things in, 

and another at the Hub, and we showed a couple 

in Phoenix at The Herberger Gallery at Arizona 

Center.” 

Ruth paused near one of the pastel nude studies, 

Following the studio tour, 

we stepped back outside 

to walk to one of the 

many groupings of lifesize 

sculptures atop a hill 

overlooking Spring Creek. 

Each bronze figure, sculpted 

from live models, whether 

dancing, posed, or seated in 

introspection, seemed as if 

a personality had found its 

way to this place and left a 

material presence behind, 

while the misty spirit of that 

moment of creation still 

soared in the breezes that 

wound around us on the 

hilltop. 

Ruth walked on, leading 

the way to peer through 

the dusty window panes 

of a smaller building that 

26 


a moment of sunlight calling attention to the image’s beautiful 

skin tones. “She was modeling for John. He did a life-size 

sculpture of her. I did a lot of sketches.” 

It was here that the conversation turned to the ways that the 

couple’s lives have intertwined over the years as we joined John 

in another room. 

“We met at Chicago Art Institute; married in 1949 in Chicago … 

it will be 70 years in 2019! Our art has been our livelihood since 

John left teaching when he was forty, which was 56 years ago. So 

we have really lived off the art.” 

John smiled, “I think it’s been wonderful. We have a great deal 

in common. We were very fortunate.” 

Ruth was first to comment about the early influences that led 

each of them to the life they created for themselves as artists. 

“In our family we did everything — we did art, we did music, 

literature, studied cultural things, all of that. So it was meant 

to be part of life … for everybody. Not necessarily ‘doing’ it, but 

Anything before today is historical. 

RUTH WADDELL 

also ‘seeing it, appreciating’ it, the whole thing. 

But we ‘did’ it too, because we started going to the 

Art Institute classes when we were quite little.” 

John commented, “My parents started me in 

art classes at Drake University in Des Moines 

when I was seven years old. That’s what I’ve 

been preoccupied with ever since that time. My 

parents weren’t artists, but they were sensitive.” 

Ruth added, “The curriculum at the center was 

well-rounded, but he gravitated to the threedimensional 

work. He’s also always been good at 

drawing and has done tons of painting, although 

people don’t always realize this.” 

As for their influences, Ruth explained, “We grew 

up in the Art Institute of Chicago, where you’ve 

got this huge collection of Impressionists and 

Rembrandts — all those guys and the German 

Expressionists, the Romanticists. We spent a lot 

of time in those galleries. And then, wherever 

John and I traveled, we just feasted on galleries — 


27

that’s the main thing we do when we travel.” 

John offered some insight into his artistic process 

as he spoke about his creation, ‘Dance.’ “That 

one can be seen in front of the Herberger Theatre 

in central Phoenix. Each figure is different; they 

are not stylized. I call it ‘the beauty of individual 

differences.’ That’s why I like to work with 

different people as models … It’s so exciting. It’s 

a form of psychoanalysis, except that it’s visual.” 

He continued, “My own most intense group is a 

memorial to the four girls that were killed in the 

As with most artists, the task is to translate what 

they experienced to the person who observes the 

art at a later point in time. This is something John 

and Ruth have achieved, both separately and 

together. 

Ruth explained, “While I think the joy can happen 

while you’re working, it’s not always happening. 

Most of the time, it’s this search, search, search. 

This is what makes my own work come out the 

way it does. It’s a search for what you’re trying 

to get, but sometimes, something happens that 

makes you smile.” 

She paused a while, deep in her 

thoughts before elaborating, “As 

with the images of the trees, it’s 

not the place — it’s how the place 

affected me at a certain point in my 

life. Like, I can walk back to the 

place where I did these, and I just 

did recently, but it’s not the same 

for me. I’m objective. I’m looking 

at the place; I know I’ve had a 

lot of experience there — I did 

about seven on that same place — 

moving around and working, and 

I put down what I experienced, so 

it’s not the spot. Instead, it’s the 

experience that I’m having and 

what it’s saying to me. It speaks to 

me, figuratively. Everything I do is 

because of that — to capture that.” 

Birmingham, Alabama, church bombing in 1963. 

It’s called ‘That Which Might Have Been.' The 

Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church 

in Phoenix on Lincoln Drive was a good friend 

of mine, and he said he would put them at a 

beautiful spot behind the church, where they are 

on permanent display. There are four figures, and 

they are of different proportions. One of them is 

quite sturdy, one is quite thin and I used different 

models for them. I was very engrossed in that 

process.” 

She then added, “One thing you 

learn through the years is that 

you never know what each other’s 

experience is.” 

In spite of the truth of her comment, one must 

also acknowledge the times when two people 

can appreciate that a process is there, as well as a 

common language that is shared, whether the art 

is discussed in actual words, or merely absorbed 

as a common experience. Through this, the 

camaraderie of seven decades of shared creativity, 

shared art, and shared memories came to the 

forefront in the room as the energy between them 

grew softer and more tender. 

28 


Regarding the ‘historical’ photographs of the 

artistic couple in younger years that had been 

requested to go along with this article, Ruth 

quipped, “Anything before today is historical.” 

Then she paused, and a smile came across her face. 

“I don’t know if I still have it, and I have no idea 

where it would be, but there’s a photo of our first 

date which was a costume ball at the Art Institute. 

He came as Charlie Chaplin with a mustache and 

all that!” 

John chuckled. 

Ruth smiled, “And I took a lamp shade and put a 

great, big rose on it, and painted my lips and put 

a beauty mark on my face: I was Theda Bara, one 

of those early movie stars. And I had a sweater 

that my mother had worn back in 1920, and rouge, 

and stuff that I didn’t wear all the time … a good 

photographer did catch a nice shot of the two of 

us. Yes, he used to do a great Charlie Chaplin!” 

John chuckled once more, and their eyes danced 

with the memories of that night, while the 

sculpted figures continued their vigil on the hill, 

just outside the door. 


29

A PARALLEL UNIVERSE 

The History of 

By Carol Kahn 

“This is such a great place, and Abe 

Miller was a wonderful man with a huge 

vision. He created Tlaquepaque as a 

labor of love, and it shows. It was not a 

commercial venture, which made 

it incredibly special. If you ask me how 

to describe Abe, I would tell you that you 

need to read the words on the plaque that 

hangs in the Tlaquepaque Chapel. 

It says: ‘Some men only dream. Others 

make dreams come true.’ ” 

Wendy Lippman, General Manager and 

Resident Partner of Tlaquepaque 

Historic images 

provided by Wendy Lippman. 

30 

Mr. and Mrs. Abe Miller and daughter Carolyn 

Published in Tucson Daily Citizen 


In a setting of superlative natural qualities man has created something of 

beauty, quaintness and picturesque design that make it almost impossible 

to close the eyes and contain the soul — Arizona Highways 

Dream on. Walking through 

the gates of Tlaquepaque, you 

are transported back in time to 

a village with historic intrigue. 

You are not sure whether this 

mirage is a Spanish mission or a 

fortress of sorts. Or perhaps it’s 

a place conjured up in a dreamstate 

of imagination. Either 

way, Tlaquepaque is a magical 

interlude of past and present. 

Huge sycamore trees surround 

the property, along with plantings 

of stately evergreens enhanced 

by compatible understory. 

Stucco facades, arches, steeples, 

and hand-laid stone walkways, 

along with wrought iron 

elements add to the charm 

of the village. Alleys that lead 

to open patios feel more like 

secret passageways leading to 

undiscovered treasures. Every 

corner turned reveals another 

element of surprise. Seemingly 

ancient water fountains with 

seasonal flowers grace the 

courtyards and pathways, adding 

brilliant color. Like any Mexican 

village, sounds of bells from 

majestic towers ring every hour. 

It’s romantic. It’s enchanting. 

It is a place with the “best of 

everything.” Tlaquepaque really 

is a dream come true. 

“Tlaquepaque” means 

the “best of everything" 

in Nahuatl, the ancient 

language of the Aztecs. 

Abe Miller, a Las Vegas 

businessman, traveled often 

to Mexico. He loved the 

architecture that provided 

an artisan's workplace, noisy 

markets, soaring churches, and 

places people could go to mill 

about. He became particularly 

fascinated with a village known 

as San Pedro Tlaquepaque, which 

is in the Mexican state of Jalisco. 

This historic center evoked the 

charm of beautiful colonial-era 

churches, old mansions, colorful 

flowers, and artistry. It became 

the inspiration for the village he 

wanted to create. 

The land where Tlaquepaque 

now stands once belonged to a 

nurseryman, Harry Girard, 

Artist's rendering of Tlaquepaque 

featured in Arizona Highways, August 1973. 


31

who, with his wife Ruby, moved 

from Illinois to Sedona in 1955. 

They opened Tranquil Waters 

Nursery ten years later. In 1969, 

Harry sold a major portion of 

the property to Abe, convinced 

that he would preserve its 

beauty. Abe’s fi rst intention was 

to build a house somewhere on 

the property and then sell the 

other three or four lots, making 

Tlaquepaque Executive's Suite, 1973 

it an exclusive small compound. 

Fortunately, he soon realized 

that Sedona was the perfect 

place to construct his visionary 

masterpiece. 

Abe, along with architect 

Robert McIntyre and builder Bill 

Herrick, spent time in Mexico 

photographing, documenting, and 

sketching various structures and 

places. Upon visiting Sedona, the 

trio set out to create a village 

within the trees — emerging 

as protectors and creators of 

beauty, rather than its despoilers. 

Abe was enthralled with the 

property's many sycamores, as 

well as a singular ponderosa pine. 

His mission was to preserve 

the trees that graced the site, 

and they were given priority in 

the planning. Envisioned as an 

integral part of the total beauty, 

they were not to be destroyed 

or harmed. The workmen were 

instructed to unlearn much of 

what they had been taught about 

the essentials of straight lines — 

in order to cradle the curving 

limbs and build around the 

towering trunks. 

In 1971, construction began 

on Tlaquepaque; it took seven 

years to complete. An enclave 

of fine galleries, shops, and 

restaurants, as well as a nineunit 

artisan center where 

gifted craftsmen produced and 

marketed their wares was finally 

32 


uilt. Tlaquepaque seemed like an enigma 

to many. Visitors thought that it was an 

old mission. Most could not pronounce 

it. (Tuh-lah-kah-pah-key). Abe Miller 

beamed at the inquiries. He felt that his 

attempts to age a brand-new venture were 

successful. “The atmosphere and feeling — 

that’s what we are all about,” he said. “If 

we haven’t achieved it, we’ve failed.” 

Nearly forty-fi ve years later, a few of its 

long-time merchants still exist and are 

part of Tlaquepaque’s history. Esteban’s 

was one of the very fi rst tenants, along 

with Ninibah’s, Kuivato, El Rincon, Rene, 

and Cocopah. Bill Hardwicke and 

Deanne Sabeck, who own Kuivato and specialize 

in colorful handmade stained glass, created much 

of the stained glass seen on the property, as well 

as within the Chapel. The Chapel was one of the 

absolute necessities of Tlaquepaque — mandatory, 

despite any fi nancial issues, according to 

Abe Miller. He felt that the 

Chapel should not 

be dedicated 

nor sanctifi ed. 

It would be 

a chapel in 

architectural 

style only; a place 

suitable for rest 

and meditation. 

With the spirit of 

Mexico now behind 

its formation, Abe’s 

vision was complete 

when he passed the 

baton to his daughter 

Carolyn to manage the 

property. 

Fast forward to 1998, 

where history was about 

to repeat itself. Two women, 

who lived two thousand 

miles apart, were about to 

fi nd out that their lives were 

synchronistically intertwined. 

Carolyn Miller in Sedona and 

Wendy Lippman in New York 

lived parallel lives. Coincidentally, 

both of their fathers were visionaries; both 

owned Tlaquepaque (Wendy’s father purchased 

Tlaquepaque in February of 1998); both shared 

a similar dream of having an 

artisan enclave; both fathers 

entrusted the management 

of Tlaquepaque to their 

daughters. Wendy Lippman 

remembers the day she 

received a call from her 

father asking her to come 

to Sedona. 

“He wanted me to take 

a look at this property 

he purchased — I 

thought he had lost 

his mind,” she says 

laughing. “But I was 

going through a 

transition in my life, 

and I was ready to 

leave New York, 

so I thought I 

would try it.” 

Wendy was 

living in New 

York and was 

working as 

a national 

sales director 

for Tommy Hilfiger. She 

made a deal with her father that if she 

were to manage Tlaquepaque, she wanted part 

ownership of it. She planned on staying in Sedona for 


33

three years and then would fi gure out the next 

phase of her life. That was twenty years ago. 

“I believe Tlaquepaque is a bona fi de landmark,” she 

says. “We are ingrained in the soul of Sedona. I feel 

like we have established a place in the community, 

and people have learned to love it as much as I do. 

Hopefully, it’s because of all the love I have given 

it. Everyone who knows me knows that I ‘live and 

breathe’ Tlaquepaque. It is my child. 

“Dad loves this place. It does something to him. 

I’m always amazed. He comes to visit, and he just 

wants to sit here and take it in. He loves to talk to 

the shop owners. He is mesmerized by this place,” 

she says, beaming proudly. “He has been my mentor 

— in so many ways throughout my life. I am so 

lucky I have him. He is my teacher and allowed me 

to do the things that inspire me. Yes, he is thrilled 

with the progress, and that means a lot to me.” 

Today, Tlaquepaque serves as the cultural icon 

it was envisioned to be years ago. Art is the 

cornerstone of this incredible village. With over 

nineteen galleries, among other retail shops, one 

can find art in all genres and mediums — from 

classic Southwestern fine art to contemporary, 

abstract, Native American, and spiritually 

contemplative works. 

In 2016, Tlaquepaque North was completed, just 

across the street — with the same attention to 

detail and the same concern for building around 

the sycamore trees. One may wonder if this is 

it, or will there be more things happening with 

Tlaquepaque? “I have ideas, but nothing I am ready 

to share,” says Wendy. “Change is everything. I 

would be crazy to say I’m done. You are never 

done. I just keep going.” Wendy Lippman is a 

visionary. Her commitment to honor Abe Miller’s 

beautiful journey through time is, without a doubt, 

a labor of love. 

This legacy is exactly what Abe Miller wanted: 

To carry on his vision and keep his dream alive. 

Historic Artisan Center, Tlaquepaque 

34 


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35

5 QUESTIONS 

for 

PATRICK 

SCHWEISS 

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

OF THE SEDONA 

INTERNATIONAL 

FILM FESTIVAL AND 

THE MARY D. FISHER 

THEATRE SPEAKS ABOUT 

FILMMAKING AND THE 

ART COMMUNITY OF 

SEDONA 

Interview by Carol Kahn 

The Sedona International 

Film Festival, founded in 

1994, brings filmmakers 

and audiences from 

around the world to 

this nine day, worldclass 

event. The festival 

showcases feature films, 

documentaries, short 

films, independent 

films, animated films, 

and workshops and 

is gaining recognition 

as one of the top film 

festivals to attend. 

Celebrating its twentyfourth 

anniversary, the 

Sedona International 

Film Festival gets bigger 

and better, both in the 

number of films shown 

(over 170 this year) 

and in the number of 

people attending the 

festival. Patrick Schweiss, 

Executive Director of 

SIFF for the last 14 years, 

spoke to Sedona Art 

Source recently about 

film as an art form. 

Left to Right: Patrick Schweiss, Jane Alexander, Mary Y. Frates, Richard and Susan Loveless 

SAS: You have been the 

Executive Director for the Sedona 

International Film Festival for close 

to fourteen years. How has the 

festival evolved over the years? 

PS: We are definitely seeing 

higher-quality films. Our festival 

has gained a lot of stature, and 

our reputation in the industry 

has increased. Filmmakers are 

now sending us their films, but 

may not have considered this 

festival in the past. We are 

hearing, from both filmmakers 

and audience members, that 

the Sedona International Film 

Festival is getting better and 

better, and they feel it is a 

legitimate festival from which to 

launch or showcase their films. 

SAS: Do you think Sedona is the 

place to be for art and artists? 

PS: Sedona is an art mecca. For 

a tiny little town, we have a large 

number of galleries, as well as a 

plethora of artists who live here. 

Couple that with what we bring 

with the Mary D. Fisher Theatre, 

the Sedona Film Festival, as well 

as all the community events. It’s 

quite amazing! There is so much 

that Sedona has to offer. We 

hear compliments from people 

all the time because there is 

always something to do. We are 

so lucky. As a resident of the 

community, I am very proud and 

blessed to be here. 

SAS: You are a major influence in 

the cultural progression of bringing 

film, as an art form, to Sedona. You 

have a bird’s-eye view of what is 

out there and a pretty good idea of 

what will work here, don't you? 

PS: That’s so exciting for us. 

We know what we are about 

to expose to the public, and we 

know what kind of reaction we 

are going to get from it. That 

is a real feeling of joy, because 

then we know people will be 

talking about it for a week or 

more. We are very fortunate to 

have the Mary D. Fisher Theatre; 

it allows us to bring art and 

cultural events to Sedona year 

round. We went from a threeday 

festival to a nine-day festival, 

and we now are able to include 

visual arts and performances 

like theatrical productions 

from London and Broadway, 

concert events, and independent 

films. We have adapted the 

36 Sedona ARTSource

slogan: “The cultural heart of 

Sedona.” I always say you can 

come here and experience the 

world, without ever leaving your 

seat. We are humbled by how 

much support the community 

has given us in wanting to 

experience these art forms. 

SAS: What do you say about 

fi lmmaking as an art? 

PS: The big screen is the 

fi lmmaker’s pallet, just like a 

painter paints or a sculptor 

sculpts or a dancer dances or 

a culinary artist creates food. 

For filmmakers, this is their art 

form. This is their expression. 

Whether it’s the director, the 

cinematographer or the costume 

designer, this is their art world. I 

believe fi lm as an art form unifi es 

people. 

SAS: What is Art to you? 

PS: It’s pretty simple for me. 

Art is something that makes you 

feel. Whether you are looking 

at something, and you have a 

certain inner reaction, or you 

are touching something, like a 

sculpture, and you experience 

some type of emotional, 

moving feeling. If you are 

feeling excitement, joy, sadness, 

or inspiration then you are 

experiencing something. Dance, 

ballet, music, opera, going to a 

gallery, all elicit something that 

makes you feel — it is all art. 

And in our case, when you leave 

the Theatre, you will continue to 

think about it, talk about it, do 

something about it, join a cause, 

or be part of a movement. 

That is art in action.

MARY MARGARET SATHER 

"I am a Potter"By Carol 

“Thank you for a life of clay. 

Thank you for family and 

friends who support me. 

Thank you for a home 

whose name is Sedona. 

Fifty years ago, I happily 

put ‘potter’ on the line 

that asked ‘occupation.’ 

It’s the only title I claim. 

The word potter covers my 

life in clay. I have never 

had a degree or a coll ege 

education. Museums, travel, 

and potters along the way 

have been my teachers. 

I wouldn’t have it 

any other way.” 

Kahn 

MARY MARGARET SATHER 

The comment above is a prayer 

of gratitude that appears in 

Mary Margaret Sather’s book, 

“50 Years of Fire & Clay.” It 

indicates her life’s ambition. 

But what it doesn’t tell in 

great detail is her adventurous 

journey getting there. Sure, 

there are bits and pieces of who 

she trained with and where she 

traveled, but how she got there 

is the real story. 

Mary Margaret Sather has 

chutzpah, a Yiddish term that 

38 


means, “guts, nerve, and 

boldness.” She can attest to 

that. She has the guts to go 

after something she wants 

to do, has the nerve to stand 

up for herself, and is bold 

enough to tell you she is not 

complacent about the word 

“No!” Mary Margaret is a force 

to be reckoned with. She tells 

a story about a high school 

teacher who wanted her to do 

a clay project. Mary Margaret 

was adamant that she did 

not like clay — she preferred 

working in metal, welding and 

creating jewelry. 

After having a dream about 

making pots, though, she 

approached her teacher and 

said she was ready to try her 

hand at being a potter. The 

teacher refused to believe 

her, so off she went on her 

own, traveling from Northern 

California to Mexico 

City. With a little money 

in her pocket and a lot of 

determination, she applied and

was accepted to train at the 

famous Bellas Artes School. 

She got as far as Guadalajara, 

where she met some students 

from the United States on a 

summer study program and 

decided to stay with them. 

She worked at Ken Edwards’ 

Stoneware, where the factory 

workers were her teachers, and 

she learned all she could about 

being a potter. Whether it was 

digging clay or making pottery 

wheels, Mary Margaret learned 

what she needed to; and 

learned it from the ground up. 

“I will never forget the day my 

teacher and his wife showed 

up and told me that I had 

made my point. They asked if 

I was ready to go home.” She 

laughed proudly, “Not yet!” 

The next venture took Mary 

Margaret to England where 

she wanted to be an apprentice 

under the tutelage of Thomas 

Plowman, a master potter. 

She bought a one-way ticket 

and upon arriving, used her 

boldness and explained to 

Plowman that she wanted to 

work with him. “He told me 

that I was crazy enough to fit 

in. He made a deal with me 

and said that he would work 

me so 

hard that 

either I 

would 

become 

a potter 

for life, or 

I would 

never 

want to 

touch 

clay 

again.” 

She 

worked day and night, 

rising through the ranks of 

apprenticeship, journeyman, 

and finally achieved the title of 

Master. “It means something, 

but only to me,” says Mary 

Margaret. “I do have a stamp 

registered in England, and 

I have the right to use it. In 

order to be certified, I had to 

design my own line of domestic 


39

ware, create glazes, and develop 

my own style. I did part of my 

work in England and part in 

America. When my studies 

were completed, I took all my 

work back to England to the 

master potter who taught me, 

and it is he who critiqued my 

work. This is the only way you 

can get certified and be given 

the right to use a registered 

mark on your pottery.” 

Mary Margaret’s career moved 

as fast as a potter’s wheel, and 

seemingly with fate at her 

side. She has trained with 

Elizabeth White on the Hopi 

Reservation in Arizona and 

attended classes led by Juan 

Quezada at the famous Mata 

Ortiz pottery in Mexico, where 

some of the finest ceramics in 

the world are created. 

The style of her work is 

influenced by Japanese and 

English traditions, specifically 

potter Shōji Hamada. “I love 

creating utilitarian pottery. 

I worked at nothing but the 

wheel for 20 years. I like 

making pots, and having 

people use them, especially 

mugs. People seem to love my 

mugs and keep coming back 

to buy more. I get to connect 

with people through my 

pottery,” she says. “I would 

rather have someone get one of 

my mugs than for me to get an 

award. An award doesn’t really 

mean anything to me.” 

Mary Margaret’s studio is 

nestled among tall bamboo 

trees and her fruit and 

vegetable garden on one acre of 

land is blessed with a babbling 

stream. Not surprisingly, 

English and Japanese 

influences that are found in 

her pottery are also on the land 

that surrounds her studio in 

Copper Cliffs. It is here that 

she taps into a universal energy 

that simply beams down upon 

her. “I wish I could explain it,” 

she says. “I can tell you this: 

I go to work every day. I have 

clay in my hands every day. I 

usually have all the pieces in 

place, but I have no idea what I 

am going to make. The instant 

that creativity hits, I don’t 

stop, I barely breathe, I don’t 

eat, I just keep on going. The 

world has gone by. Somewhere 

between a cup of coffee and 

five candy bars, I look down 

and I am surprised to see what 

I have created. I ‘d love to be 

able to tell you how it happens, 

but I am moving so fast I don’t 

even take note.” 

Reflecting on her life as a 

potter, she understands the 

responsibility of honoring the 

40 


traditions of her craft and not 

taking anything for granted. 

“I want to constantly do 

better,” she says humbly. “If 

you take your craft and push it 

to your highest potential, then 

you can call it art. I believe art 

is everyone’s finest work.” 

As for her legacy, Mary 

Margaret responds 

emphatically. “It has nothing 

to do with pottery. I have 

cultivated the land where my 

studio is, and I just want to 

leave it better than I found it. I 

am so thankful for where I am 

today. Every day I say, ‘Thank 

you!’ I love my life. I love my 

husband. I love my pots and 

my dogs, Mert and Albert. I 

have to admit that my dogs do 

come above everything else,” 

she says jokingly. 

Truth is, Mary Margaret 

wouldn’t have it any other way. 


41



En Pointe 


Creativity Begins At The Point of a Pencil 

for Designer/Author/Ill ustrator, Patricia Saxton 

Her daughter’s love of mermaids 

served as inspiration for 

Patricia Saxton’s first book. 

Newly located to Sedona, 

she shares her books, 

creative journey and 

her illustrative process. 

Patricia Saxton’s imaginative career began 

when she was quite young and first learned 

to use a pencil for drawing out the images 

that danced in her mind. This award-winning 

fine art and graphic artist’s work is found in 

corporate and private collections around the 

country and her talents are put to good use in 

her well-established graphic design, illustration 

and writing firm, Saxton Studio. 

The graphic of a sharpened pencil point is a 

fitting logo for her design business and she 

toys with the image, illustrating her thought 

process. “I take the pencil point and turn it into 

everything you could possibly imagine, and I’m 

still thinking of things to do with it!” 

As further example of her creative process, 

her imaginative designs for her postcard book, 

52 Weeks of Peace, combine the universally 

44 


ecognized peace symbol with images 

found in daily life. 

A different kind of imagination 

fills the pages of her children’s 

books, The Book of Mermaids, 

A Book of Fairies and 

Book of Dragons as well as Patricia's game, 

Magnetic Mermaid Dress Up. 

Her daughter’s love of mermaids served as 

inspiration for Saxton’s first book. “When my 

daughter was six or seven, we went to the library 

and discovered there was hardly 

anything there about mermaids. 

So, we decided to make our own 

book, just for fun! We talked 

about it and I got ideas from her. 

She actually contributed some of the 

artwork in the final book. That was a 

fun thing, and we got picked up by a 

publisher.” Later, Saxton’s daughter and 

her friends served as models for some of 

the fairies in her second offering. 

Saxton’s books have allowed her to 

combine creativity and technical skills 

in each publication. “My work is very 

diverse, my books have allowed me to bring 

all of my work together … so there’s painting 

in there, there’s drawing, there’s writing, 

and there’s graphic design (that has been my 

profession for most of my life).” 

She added, “I’ve always been interested in art. 

As a kid, it was something I always did, and I’ve 

always written … it all just kept calling me.” 

Recently, she heard another call and followed 


45

her heart and her imagination to a new home/studio in the red rocks of 

Sedona. 

“I had lived here for about six months twenty-two years ago − as kind 

of a sabbatical for myself − and I just fell in love with it. This time 

around, my daughter is graduating from college, New Jersey taxes are 

high, and Sedona is a perfect place for my art and me. The general 

magic of the place has inspired me ever since I came here all those years 

ago.” 

Saxton sees her life as an evolution with many more books and 

paintings in the works. “It’s endless. It has been going on forever. 

I never have a dry spell, and I don’t mean that in a bragging way, but 

inspiration just keeps coming.” 

Her process is graphic in design and artistic in result, utilizing a variety 

of mediums. She explained, “I often start with a sketch, then pretty 

tight drawings, to which I’ll add color with watercolor or acrylics. 

For the books, I incorporate them with background paintings on 

the computer. So you have mixed media using pencil, pen and ink, 

markers, acrylics, and oils.” 

Bringing us full circle, back to that simple, sharpened pencil, Saxton added, “There’s no particular 

order, but usually I start with pencil drawings.” 

46 


I take the pencil point 

and turn it into everything 

you could possibly imagine... 


47

Tlaquepaque North 

Pump House Station Urban Eatery 

Caravana North u Quilts ltd. Gallery 

The Artist’s Kitchen Shop 

Renee Taylor Jewelry 

tlaquepaque north • 313 State Route 179 • Sedona, az 

928.282.4838 • www.tlaq.com

James N. Muir 

SPIRITUAL STORYTELLER 


Not long ago, I had the 

honor of a private 

and revealing studio 

interview with our beloved 

bronze sculptor, James N. Muir. 

Before we began, he paused for 

a moment of silence and then 

shared his deepest thoughts on 

his bronze creations. 

Above: “Our Lady of Mercy” by Miguel Martinez 

Right detail: “Christ of the Holy Cross" by James N. Muir 

For this largely self-taught sculptor, steps along his journey in life 

have laid themselves out one at a time, illuminated by his own light from 

within. They have been crafted into bronze, many of them monumental in 

size, and through them, Muir has shared his personal journey with the world. 

He lovingly shapes the clay, forming the intricate, allegorical details for which he 

is known. "My challenge is not just doing what I must do, but to always do it better. 

And you know this yourself; once you recognize the concept that talent is God’s gift to 

a person, what we do with that talent is our gift back."

James N. Muir puts the fi nishing touches on “Christ of the Holy Cross" 

As testament to a lifetime of sharing that gift, his 

book, “Lanterns Along the Path: The Allegorical 

Art Of James N. Muir,” lies open on the coffee 

table. Muir’s subjects range from historical to 

contemporary, table-sized to huge. With more 

than sixty life-size, and larger, public sculptures 

throughout the United States and abroad, 

including over twenty in Arizona, Muir captures 

meaningful moments in time that speak to the 

inner self. His monuments are found worldwide, 

from Sedona to West Point to Auschwitz. 

He commented, “I would probably describe 

myself as a storyteller, a spiritual storyteller … a 

storyteller of our spiritual journey to our ultimate 

and inevitable destination. A number of pieces 

tie in as being yet another lantern, but farther 

down the path that I've been traveling; each one 

connects to previous lanterns and points toward 

the next one to be looked for even farther down the 

path, around the bend, over the mountain." 

True to his mission, Muir works quietly and 

alone, allowing the story, the journey, and the 

clay to speak to him. With hands that left no 

detail unspoken, and a heart that pressed into the 

work, he neared completion on the maquette, or 

preliminary aspect, of a very special new piece, 

“Christ of the Holy Cross.” 

It was in 2016 that Muir was one of three artists 

commissioned by the Diocese of Phoenix to 

create pieces for the Chapel of the Holy Cross 

in Sedona. This spring, the resulting 33-foot-tall 

sculpture was installed in the Chapel so that all 

could experience this magnificent depiction of the 

Living Christ. 

Crucified upon the Tree of Life, the Living 

Christ depicts humanity’s journey from its 

primal roots in the depths of earthly creation 

to the spiritual perfection of the Holy Trinity. 

Muir explained, “From the Crown adorned 

with 100 thorns representing the ‘90 and 9 + 1’ 

for the ‘lost sheep’ found by the Good Shepherd 

— that none shall ever be truly ‘lost’ — to the 

Golden Rose symbolizing that incremental, 

inevitable unfolding of perfection as epitomized 

by the Christ whose omnipresence, though often 

concealed, has always been, and will always be.” 

The Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona 

is open to the public, 

www.chapeloftheholycross.com 

The work of James N. Muir is represented 

by Goldenstein Gallery in Sedona, 

www.goldensteinart.com 

50 


“Christ of the Holy Cross" by James N. Muir Photography by Greg Lawson

GERARDO’S 

Italian Kitchen 

2675 West State Route 89A, Sedona 

GerardosItalianKitchen.com 

928.862.4009

The Many Faces of 


Mix two extroverts, decades of 

entertaining experience and a keen 

sense of comedy. Combine well for 

40 years and you have the recipe 

that is the dynamic Tom & Shondra. 

TOM& 

SHOND A 

R 

The trajectory 

that brought 

these two 

Sedona entertainers 

together was clearly 

present from 

the start, yet the 

stars in their eyes 

originated worlds 

apart. For Shondra, 

the experience of 

watching her parents 

from backstage led to 

more than 40 years 

in the entertainment 

business. 

“I wanted so badly 

to be a part of a play, 

part of a musical. I 

love community and 

I think of the theatre 

as very community 

oriented. Backstage, 

when my parents 

did a ‘magic circle’ 

with the cast before a show, there was this sense 

of family, and I just love that, which could be 

the main reason I love theatre as much as I do. I 

feel really at home on stage. I’m in love with the 

greasepaint smell and the whole bit!” 

For Tom, a keen interest in astronomy was a first 

step on his journey. “I loved science, excelled 

in math and science in school and ended up 

with a scholarship and the idea of doing that. 

Continued on page 56... 

But, when I looked at the reality of being an 

astronomer, I understood that I was going to be 

stuck on some mountaintop for the rest of my 

life. It’s very introverted but I’m an extroverted 

person. I realized this was not something I could 

really do as a profession. I certainly had the 

passion for it, but my obsession was probably 

because I loved the idea of space travel, which 

sparked an interest in writing science fiction. 

However, music was always intertwined with 


53

Tom Talks 

About Shondra 


Who’s the real girl behind the country 

twang, greasepaint, and exaggerated bosoms 

of “Emmylou Doll y Loretta South”? 

"Tammy Whynot" 

LT: Tom, of the many comical characters that Shondra 

portrays, which most reveals her true personality? 

TJ: There’s a little bit of her in all of those characters, so all 

the idiosyncrasies that are ‘her’ do come out. I recognize them 

because I know every little thing of her. We’ve actually been 

together over forty years. She’s not a frilly gal. I call her a 

‘dudette.’ She can lift equipment; she’s the sound person. Years 

ago, we were in San Diego and were bringing down the 

equipment. These sound guys asked what 

we had. I said, "You’re going to have to talk 

to her, she’s the sound person." The guys 

asked, “You mean the chick?” We still 

laugh about it. 

Anytime she’s doing a character where 

she’s got ‘moxie,’ that’s her. So, I’d say that 

the most revealing character’s name is, 

“Emmylou Dolly Loretta South.” She’s 

like every country western singer, 

and she’s got the ‘Dolly part’ for sure. 

Shondra’s been doing that character 

ever since her own shows in Vegas 

and Reno when she was about 

twenty-three! As she says, “That’s 

an old character that keeps showing up.” 

"Gladis" of "Harry & Gladis" 

LT: It seems the ‘moxie’ serves Shondra well! 

TJ: Yes, Shondra’s an amazing fundraiser and organizer. That’s why 

she received the 2017 awards - she’s got a big heart, but more than 

that, she’s just tremendous at being able to get people together to do 

things. 

"Emmy Lou Dolly Loretta South" 

LT: Thanks, Tom! 

54 


Shondra Talks 

About Tom 


Find out who reall y lurks behind the 

greasepaint and character study 

that is Al Catraz! 

LT: Shondra, of the many comical characters Tom 

portrays, which most reveals his true personality? 

SJ: That would be one of the Murder Mystery Characters, 

who is just a cracker! It’s “Al Catraz,” a character originally 

created by Dev Ross. Here’s the thing about Tom; people 

think that he is really intense, but he isn’t – he’s really 

funny! Al Catraz shows up like a gangster, lurking around 

the corner, holding a violin case, and he comes in like a 

real gangster. He looks like you 

might think, “Uh, Oh…” when 

you see him. However, we find 

out about him and really, he’s 

a softie inside. He’s funny. 

That’s Tom; he kind of looks 

like a tough guy, but he’s a 

softie inside. 

Tom is always ready to gift, 

always ready to support a 

fundraiser, anytime. Most 

often, because I book us, 

the people come to me. 

Or, if I have an idea, like 

Artists for Animals or the 

prior fundraiser we did 

for Sammy Davis and two other families, 

he says “yes.” He’s always supportive of anything and 

everything that I want to do. 

"Otis" at the Blazin' M Ranch 

"Al Catraz" 

"Harry" of "Harry & Gladis" 

LT: Thanks, Shondra! 


55

my life, especially with my family and me. I 

always sang, so it became clear that this is what 

I needed to do. I started extended courses at 

UCLA and USC. The rest is history.” 

“Both of our families were musical,” Shondra 

commented. “Tom’s singing had always 

been recorded by his family, and I have the 

same thing. We were always doing funny 

commercials, recording them on reel-toreel. 

Tom’s great aunt was head of the music 

department at BYU …” 

Tom finished her sentence, “She was a 

Mormon, and she actually conducted Mormon 

Tabernacle Choir at one point! She was a 

renowned singer whose whole life was involved 

with church and going around organizing 

women’s choruses! My grandfather marched 

with John Philip Sousa! Hello! Composer, 

musician, all that was just there!” 

There was no breaking free of that orbit, and 

for both, a love of music won. 

“For me, it was all about music and theatre,” 

Shondra exclaimed proudly. “I grew up behind 

the stage and 

got the theatre 

bug. It became 

my passion to 

do anything 

and everything 

I could in 

theatre all 

through high 

school. I won 

awards, got 

accepted into 

Juilliard School 

of Drama, and 

then came back 

to the music. I 

worked alone 

and in every 

combination 

of music band 

you can think 

of from duos, trios, full bands, rock and roll 

and standard bands, did eighteen years of club 

work and had my own shows in Vegas and 

Reno, and did concerts throughout Southern 

California. I created characters at Sea World 

with their own shows and developed a huge 

catalog of original songs that covers a vast 

range of genres from rock, pop, country rock, 

blues, power ballads, theme songs, anthems 

and New Thought inspirational pop tunes 

— many have been published in songbooks. 

I’ve done studio recording, voice-overs for 

websites; I’m a MIDI sound designer who can 

play all types of instruments and am currently 

recording my third CD. I’m producing 

events, mentoring students, getting kids into 

conservatories in London, New York and 

L.A. and now I also do a lot of life coaching 

for adults. I’ve served ten years as the Music 

Director for Unity of Sedona and Center for 

Positive Living, Sedona. I’ve done lots of 

theatre and musicals. I also worked at Mingus 

High School coaching the principal leads for 

their musicals, composing songs for shows, and 

co-producing and performing, while still doing 

my shows with 

Tom and giving 

back, giving 

back, giving 

back!” 

Tom 

reminisced, 

“The music 

was always 

intertwined 

in our lives. 

Shondra’s 

mother ran a 

talent agency 

and that is how 

we met in San 

Diego. We 

just celebrated 

our 40th 

anniversary! 

I grew up in 

56 


Los Angeles. My dad was 

a singer, my grandfather 

a composer. So, I’m now 

seventy-five, which means I’ve 

been performing for almost 

fifty-five years as a singer, 

actor, producer, director, 

writer, emcee, voice-over 

artist and overall entertainer! 

I did leads in school and my 

first professional gig was 

soloist at churches. I went 

into theatre, did Broadway. 

I was in national tours 

of Camelot, South Pacific, 

Oklahoma, played Gurdjieff 

in the musical Crazy Wisdom, 

portrayed Al Lewis in the 

Sunshine Boys and played 

Frank in How the Other Half 

Loves. I could go on and on 

about the shows I’ve done! 

I did some television and 

film and I was close friends 

with James Drury and Doug 

McClure, when we were all looking to make it in 

the business.” 

Shondra recalled that they had both performed 

shows on several cruise lines and added to Tom’s 

list of highlights from his career: “He performed 

in Lake Tahoe and Vegas as the warm-up act 

for Tony Bennett, Shari Lewis, Red Buttons 

and J.P Morgan, to name a few! Tom has also 

performed in musicals with Florence Henderson, 

Chita Rivera, Leslie Nielsen, Darren McGavin, 

Earl Holliman, Ricardo Montalban, Dorothy 

Warenskjold, Juliet Prowse, Johnny Mann, 

Celeste Holm, and Burt Lancaster. He toured 

the USA in shows with Jane Powell & Company 

and Dorothy Warenskjold Opera Tour too!” 

Through their many years together, the couple 

has created numerous stage characters for their 

productions. In fact, Shondra has so many 

disguises that she’s been referred to as “The 

Tracey Ullman of Sedona.” 

Shondra laughed, “Tom’s been ‘Otis’ at the 

Blazin’ M Ranch for twelve years and often 

people don’t recognize him. But I’d say that 

of the disguisers, I’m the one now. We have 

pictures on the wall including one of me 

dressed as a ninety-seven year old, and people 

say there’s no way those are me!” 

Their roster of characters includes “Harry” 

and “Gladis,” “Emmylou Dolly Loretta 

South” and “Tex,” murder mystery characters, 

children’s show characters and more. Shondra 

commented, “I have more characters than 

Tom does and they are complete disguises. It’s 

hard to not recognize Tom, we’re not putting 

boobs on him … although I will tell you that 

he did play a woman once, he was one of the 

‘Devil Mint Twins,’ and we’re talking long 

hairpiece, heels and the whole bit, and that was 

hysterical!” 

When asked what song would be an 

appropriate theme song for their relationship, 


57

their reply was robust. “For Good,” they 

chimed in unison. Shondra explained, “That 

song comes from Wicked and it is by far my 

favorite song I sing with him.” 

Tom added, “It’s a great song, just perfect for us 

because the most important thing is friendship. 

We are each other’s best friend. On that note, 

my grandparents were married for seventy-six 

years. I remember at 

some point, maybe 

fifty or fifty-five years, I 

asked my grandmother, 

‘What’s the secret?’ 

She didn’t hesitate, 

‘We are best friends.’ 

And that’s how we feel. 

I want the very best for 

Shondra and I know 

she wants the very best 

for me. That sums it 

up.” 

The year 2017 was 

eventful for the 

pair. Shondra was 

recognized with 

awards for community 

service including 

Arizona Foundation's 

2017 “Community 

Collaborator of the 

Year” Award and the 

National Association 

of Women Business 

Owners, NAWBO 2017 “Community 

Involvement Award.” Also last year, she wrote 

songs for Delta Dental’s touring show The 

Mouth Project. 

This year looks bright, as the musical she 

wrote with creative partner Dev Ross, Hot 

Flashes on the Trail returned for another run 

this spring with three new songs Shondra 

wrote. 

Tom has penned several Sci-Fi/Fantasy short 

stories ready to be published in 2018. He 

added, “We also have more monthly murder 

mystery dinner shows coming up too and are 

currently preparing two separate performance 

tours for 2018 – one in southern Arizona and 

the other in France.” 

When asked what message they would deliver 

if given the opportunity to fill a one-minute 

public service announcement on national 

television, they answered, “We feel really 

strongly about 

mentoring, and 

also about music 

and performing 

art programs in 

schools.” 

“Prevention of cruelty for animals.” 

Tom added, “We are 

both very grateful 

that we have these 

talents and can offer 

them and also make 

a living; it's all about 

paying it forward.” 

Their passion spilled 

over into a list that 

revealed the depth 

of the commitment 

to give back to the 

community. They 

took turns adding 

favorite causes: 

“Shelters for women 

and children.” 

“Walking Free Against Sex Trafficking.” 

“We believe strongly in standing for those who 

can’t stand for themselves,” they both agreed. 

Their energy suddenly merged into one 

palpable force, as their words finally came to 

rest on a single, loving phrase: “We’re both 

‘on page’ with this; our reason for doing what 

we do is to be of service and make a positive 

difference in our community.” 

58 


ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: 

By Nancy Lattanzi 

Michael Colpitts 

Michael 

Colpitts has 

displayed 

the radiant 

joy and 

passionate 

energy of 

his mixed 

media 

paintings 

at Sedona’s 

City Hall 

and is a 

MICHAEL COLPITTS 

resident 

artist at Creative Gateways Gallery. 

Originally a pilot for TWA, Colpitts decided 

to pursue an unpredictable adventure, 

packing up and moving to Ibiza, Spain from 

1975 to 1982. His extensive travels continued, 

eventually taking him to India, where he 

began studying spiritual teachings. It was 

here that he met his wife Sumati, a ceramics 

artist. Now a proud Sedona resident, his 

adventures are reflected in his artwork. 

pilot, to the natives of the North African 

deserts, to the beauty of natural structures. 

More than anything his artistic intention 

involves a connection with his audience. 

“There’s a quality of suggestion without 

definition, which creates feelings and 

emotions allowing space for the viewer’s 

own personal and unique interpretation,” 

Colpitts says. 

Colpitts work has been shown in Barcelona, 

Ibiza and Manises, Spain, as well as Sun 

Valley, Idaho and Marin County, California. 

To view more of his paintings and see his 

working studio, visit Creative Gateways in 

West Sedona. 

Colpitts employs a wide variety of 

techniques and materials in his mixed media 

paintings including: the use of gesso, fabrics 

and papers, light charcoal, modeling paste, 

grog, sand, thick oil colors, acrylic washes 

and transparent oil washes. The result are 

paintings with incredible depth and allure. 

Guided by instinct, he imbues his pieces 

with an undeniable sense of ebullience and a 

strong sense of motion. 

He is inspired by a multitude of things from 

the freedom of flight he experienced as a 

BLUE BAYOU by Michael Colpitts 

MICHAEL COLPITTS and “BLUE BAYOU” photo: Marika Israelson 


59

Photos by Scott Yates 

MARIPOSABy Carol Kahn 

A METAMORPHOSIS 

“Art comes in many forms, 

and I love all forms of art. 

It’s my sensory connection into 

the world of beauty. Art is the 

backdrop that sets the tone for 

the whole dining experience 

in my restaurants.” 

LISA DAHL 

Butterflies are mesmerizing. Their elegance, 

beauty, power of flight, and the spiritual 

meaning of their metamorphosis are 

symbolic of life. Transformed from a caterpillar 

in the chrysalis or the cocoon, butterflies 

represent rebirth, regeneration, joy, and 

happiness. 

According to Native American legend, if you 

desire a wish to come true, you must first capture 

a butterfly, whisper your wish to it, and release it. 

Since a butterfly can make no sound, it cannot 

reveal the wish to anyone but the Great Spirit, 

who hears and sees all. In gratitude for giving 

the beautiful butterfly its freedom, the Great 

Spirit always grants the wish. 

60 



61

To Lisa Dahl, head of the Dahl Restaurant 

Group and an award-winning chef and 

restauranteur, the butterfly is a universal 

symbol for hope. “Many people have chosen the 

butterfly as a symbol of healing especially when 

a loved one has crossed over. When a butterfly 

appears, it is a sign that their loved one is near,” 

she says. 

Lisa believes that the name of her fourth 

restaurant was divinely inspired while standing 

on its sacred land. “I was looking out at the vast 

beauty of the mountains and rocks; the scene 

was very austere. I was thinking of a name 

for this restaurant, and ‘Mariposa' came to 

me effortlessly. In Spanish, ‘Mariposa' means 

butterfly. It was a perfect fit for me, in terms of 

my son Justin, who is now my guardian angel.” 

Perhaps it was her son who whispered in her 

ear the symbolic word that had wings and took 

flight. Serendipitously, it was also a magical and 

spiritual moment for Lisa Dahl. Each of her 

restaurants contain a shrine to her son, some 

tucked away, and some in plain view. There 

is one additional tribute to Justin at Mariposa, 

which was a surprise gift from her partners, 

concealed from her until it’s unveiling at the 

opening of the restaurant. In the driveway 

roundabout lies a granite mandala, carved with 

her son’s name. “There are no words to describe 

that moment. It is one of the beautiful tributes 

to Justin. Not everyone notices it — those who 

do are awestruck. It symbolizes that he will live 

on in perpetuity. 

“My salvation is the belief that he is still with me. 


I have always felt that making these restaurants 

with shrines as healing for those in need would 

be the foundation of them. The love of cooking 

and the love of creating the ambiance make 

it more than a place to eat,” Dahl explains. “I 

want to create a multidimensional experience 

for those who come here to dine. They might 

be surprised by what they see, but they feel an 

energy and leave with something more. Mariposa 

is an honor to have been bestowed upon me. 

It wasn’t something I went after. The way it 

happened is just as elusive as the butterfly!” 

of the red rocks, Mariposa is homage to the 

sacredness of Sedona. 

“It captures your heart and soul the minute you 

walk in — it’s not just a restaurant. It takes your 

breath away every time,” says Lisa. “People feel a 

tranquility here — it’s a freestyle restaurant that 

doesn’t conform to any particular restrictions. 

People are free to go out on the lawn and enjoy 

the views; it has a shrine-like aspect to it.” 

In planning and building Mariposa, no stone 

was left unturned — a metaphor of sorts. The 

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, 

but rarely admit the changes it has gone 

through to achieve that beauty.” 

MAYA ANGELOU 

The restaurant feels like both a home and a 

gallery. Every perspective is in harmony with 

nature. It is a sanctuary in its own right. Built 

on land with one of the most picturesque views 

attention to detail is one of intention and 

intuition. Upon entering, you can see the 

antique gates that set the tone, with their huge 

globes of fire artistically emblazoned with 

butterflies. 

Walking a few steps down the pathway to the 

entrance, you are met by a massive door. This is 

no ordinary door; it is one like no other. Made 

with quartz crystals and gemstones, it illuminates 

in the evening light beckoning you to enter. 

Doors can be intriguing. In literature, doors 


63

sometimes represent a 

mystical passageway 

to the unknown, 

tempting us to imagine 

that it’s possible to 

open an ordinary door 

and find ourselves in 

a real-life adventure. 

Inquisitively, just like a 

character from C.S. Lewis’s 

series, The Chronicles of Narnia, 

you open the door, and now you are 

entering the magical realm of Mariposa. 

“Most people just stop in amazement,” Lisa 

says. “It’s not like anything you have ever seen 

before. The door represents the opening to your 

own experience. It is massive; it has a quality 

that gives you a sense of reverence by the way it 

opens. Doors to me represent the opening to the 

soul. This door was the last piece of the puzzle, 

and it was a mystery to me. I knew it had to be 

something that was unique and would fit the 

ambiance and iconic symbol of Mariposa.” 

While on a trip to in Santa Fe, Lisa passed by 

a store with butterflies in the window. Her 

“Every now and 

then, one paints 

a picture that 

seems to have 

opened a door 

and serves as a 

stepping stone 

to other things." 

PABLO PICASSO 

fascination with these winged creatures was 

enough to draw her inside. There, she found the 

most incredible artwork hanging on the wall. 

“I was drawn to the pattern of colors and the 

matrixes in the stones. The minute I saw it, I 

knew I had to locate the artist.” Trying to track 

artist Zee Haag down was an adventure in itself. 

He didn’t have a website at the time, but she 

found out that he was from Tucson. Upon 

64 


uying and selling precious gems and minerals 

before his 18th birthday. Today, Zee Haag is one 

of the biggest names in the gem and mineral 

world and has emerged onto the international 

art scene. He has the ability to take what nature 

has provided and repurpose it into a refined 

expression of life and matter. “I have been 

around rocks and gems all my life; my personal 

experience has been supplying stones to a lot 

of people, especially for healing. There is no 

question in my mind that there is something 

metaphysical with stones — there is this 

unknown or scientific power within certain 

minerals and crystals that can heal, especially 

quartz and tourmaline,” says Zee. 

locating him, she invited him to the construction 

site of Mariposa. “He was very elusive,” she says. 

“I asked if he would come to our building and 

take a look around to get a feel of the restaurant. 

There were no walls — we had the structure 

built, but that was about it. We didn’t even have 

a concept of what we wanted. I just had this 

sixth sense about him and knew he was the right 

person to create what I had envisioned,” she 

says. 

Lisa Dahl will be the first to tell you that she 

doesn’t like the ordinary; she prefers things 

that are extraordinary. Once a blank canvas, 

Mariposa is now a masterpiece. Lisa wanted to 

create an unforgettable entrance. She didn’t 

want a typical wood or glass door with a butterfly 

motif; she wanted it to be more abstract. The 

door had to make a statement, yet fit within 

the confines of its panoramic surroundings. “I 

wanted a raw feel to it. I left the decisions about 

choosing the gemstones to Zee. 

I love working with artists, and I wanted him to 

be true to who he is as an artist. He respected my 

Zee Haag is an artist who uses precious stones 

and rare fossils set in mosaics, steel, and 

copper. His mosaic-style art pieces glow on a 

wall showcasing the beauty and color of the 

earth’s minerals and gemstones. Drawing on his 

inspiration from nature, dreams, religion, and 

myth, he is able to incorporate his love for gems 

into his artistic vision. 

His fascination with rocks began as a teenager. 

“My grandmother and my parents collected 

rocks. My father worked in an underground 

copper mine for a while in Indonesia, so it was 

natural for me to be interested in gems and 

minerals," Haag explains. He started mining, 


65

66 


Door features abstract butterfly in quartz crystals

Watermelon Tourmaline 

opinions and vision 

and allowed me to 

work through the 

process, which was 

a daunting task. He 

never said, ‘Well, I am 

the artist, so it’s my 

way or the highway,’ 

and I didn’t say, ‘Well, 

I am the visionary, so 

it’s my way or the highway,’ ”she laughs. “I think we joined forces 

equally on this magical interlude.” 

Artist Zee Haag and Lisa Dahl 

Zee, his assistant, Gerardo Leyva, and a Shaman artist friend, 

as Lisa calls him, surveyed the land of Mariposa. Haag acknowledges 

this project as one of the largest he’s ever done and, from some aspects, 

it proved to be a first for him. He had never created a door of this 

magnitude. “It took a while to come up with the concept. I knew 

Lisa wanted an abstract butterfly, and it had to have crystals, 

minerals, and gems. I was patient, while Lisa took 

a long time exploring all angles and 

concepts before she said, ‘OK Let’s 

do it!’ Even though we got the door 

and components together, we were 

still waiting for the main ingredients. It 

took a long time,” he says, describing the process 

in more detail: “It was like painting on a fresh 

canvas.” 

Amethyst 

Door: Why it's simply impassible! 

Alice: Why, don't you mean impossible? 

Door: No, I do mean impassible 

(Chuckles) Nothing's impossible! 

LEWIS CARROLL 

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & 

Through the Looking-Glass 

The door is massive, but had to be functional in 

design and weight. Laden with slices of giant 

quartz crystals, each piece was pre-cut to fit 

precisely within the structure. Each gemstone 

used has certain metaphysical properties, as Zee 

has explained. This specific quartz came from 

Madagascar and is known to be a power stone. 

It has been called the “Universal Crystal” 

because of its many uses. Blue Kyanite from 

Brazil and Watermelon Tourmaline, which 

is mined in Africa, were also selected for the 


67

utterfly motif. Pyrite was used for the handle 

and was sculpted by hand. Each piece is unique. 

“Everything we made or created was either 

grown or mined. I feel like God put me here as 

the person to go out to find all this stuff and give 

it to the people who know what to do with it. I 

feel like I am a channel, but I don’t believe I am 

metaphysical in any sense of the word. I am an 

artist, and I believe God created all of this stuff, 

in His design, and His design is mind-blowing. 

All of this, I believe, is a replication 

of the greatest artist in the world,” 

says Zee emphatically. 

The installation of the door 

was a challenge unto itself. 

Eighteen-hundred pounds of 

stone and steel was driven to 

Sedona from Tucson, with 

trucks maneuvering through 

eleven roundabouts before 

reaching their destination. 

It took a forklift, and three 

men, who welded the door 

in place. “That door is 

pretty amazing,” says 

Zee proudly. “I do only 

a few pieces a year that 

are truly mind-boggling, 

and this is one of them. I have to 

give credit to Scott Yates, who assisted on the 

project. He’s the one who got the opening and 

closing mechanisms of the door to work. I can’t 

take credit for that. That door operation is as 

smooth as butter!” 

Art, to Zee, is something you cannot walk by 

without looking at. He believes good art causes 

you to look at it every time you pass by it. It 

needs to emote a deep feeling in your soul. “If 

you don’t feel a connection to your art, or don’t 

look at it, then you need to throw it away. Art 

should have some kind of personal meaning 

to you.” The irony of his thoughts regarding 

art and the door he co-created at Mariposa run 

parallel. Each day, hundreds of people enter 

the restaurant through this piece de resistance 

and admire its sheer beauty. “I am humbled 

and excited to see my work there. This door 

is probably the one thing I am most proud of,” 

says Zee, smiling. “I’ve never done anything like 

this. It’s pretty amazing. I am taking what God 

has already created — this incredible design 

and pattern that is completely natural — and 

arranging it into art. It’s hard for me to take a 

lot of credit. I get compliments from people 

who say great things about my art, like it’s 

‘genius,’ but I don’t want to hear that. I am very 

appreciative, but I don’t think I am good at what 

I do. I have been cutting stones almost since I 

was born, and at my age, I have cut more than 

a million stones by hand. I have been digging 

rocks since the time I could crawl, so I would 

hope that I would have some level of 

skill. In my mind, on a scale of 

one to ten, I consider 

my work a five; about 

a two with my art. I 

want my art to get better 

every year. This concept 

also freaks me out! At my 

age, I have twenty more 

years to create art. If I am at 

a five and I want to achieve 

a ten, I need to reach a sense 

of urgency. I have to focus on 

the art and every year take it 

up a notch, and by the time I hit 

eighty, I will be a ten. Then I can 

say, I’m done!” 

There is no doubt that there is a 

common bond of artistry that runs 

deep, just like the matrix in stone, 

between Zee Haag and Lisa Dahl. Together, 

they created this magnificent monument at the 

entranceway to Mariposa. In addition to the 

view, it is one of the most stunning features of 

the restaurant. As the door swings open, there 

appears to be one more element of surprise. 

Beyond the door, emblazoned on the back wall 

is a mirror featuring an enormous chiseled 

butterfly — the enigmatic icon that represents 

our soul’s journey. 

What once was a caterpillar has now emerged 

into a beautiful butterfly. This particular 

metamorphosis was kismet. “I have a feeling 

that finding Zee was meant to be,” says Lisa. “I 

believe there is a higher divine guidance, and 

apparently Zee believes that too. I truly believe 

our angels put us together!” 

68 


Where the celebration of dining is never a lost art. 

Reservations 

928.862.4444 

mariposasedona.com 

“Top 20 Outdoor dining 

destinations in the world.” 

American Express Essentials

70 


The Heavenly Music of 

Anthony Mazzell a 

By Carol Kahn 

“Music is a moral law. It gives a soul to the universe, wings to the 

mind, fl ight to the imagination, a charm to sadness, and life to 

everything. It is the essence of order and leads to all that is good, 

just and beautiful, of which it is the invisible, but nevertheless 

dazzling, passionate, and eternal form.” – Plato 

This quotation has created much controversy 

and debate among educators and philosophers 

as to whether it was actually Plato who said it. 

Regardless, whoever did, understood the essence 

and power of the vibrational sound of music. 

Music is all encompassing. Music connects us 

to one another. Music, truly, is the “soul of the 

universe.” 

Music is Anthony Mazzella’s inspiration. “If 

you sit me on the edge of the Grand Canyon, 

no music will come out of me. Life is perfect. If 

you sit me in a dark basement with the lights off, 

I will write you a symphony. If I am alive out in 

the world and inspired by my surroundings, I 

don’t have a sense of needing or wanting to play 

music. I am present in the moment, but, if I hear 

a musician playing music or one who inspires 

me, Boom, I’m on fire! My musical mind goes 

nuts. My soul starts vibrating out of my body 

and completely wakes me up.” 

Anthony Mazzella’s musical commitment began 

at the age of 5. “I was in kindergarten, and the 

music teacher came around and asked if anyone 

wanted to play an instrument. I remember my 

hand went straight up. I chose the violin. I 

remember fantasizing I was up on stage in a 

tux and a bow tie playing the violin as a soloist. 

Where I got that image, I have no idea. But here 

I am many years later. I always had a passion for 

music.” 

Music has always been a large part of Mazella’s 

life, and he is influenced by his mother’s love of 

all genres. She would listen to 50s rock ‘n’ roll 

legends like Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, and 

Chubby Checker, as well as Broadway show 

tunes and Barbra Streisand. His mother was an 

amateur pianist who played classical sonatas, 

including Beethoven’s. “I grew up listening to all 

this music. No matter how good a musician you 

are, there is a musical sensibility. The more that 

you’re exposed to at an early age, or any age, the 

better musician you are going to be because you 

know how to draw from that experience.” 

During his teenage years, Anthony dreamed of 

being a rock star. “I loved the whole image of it, 

but first and foremost, I loved the music. I loved 

rock ‘n’ roll. I loved the outfits. You know, the 

early ‘80s heavy metal — it was all that! It was 

fun. I was just a normal kid from Long Island, 

New York, just totally being seduced by rock ‘n’ 

roll and guitars." 

His dreams of becoming a bona fide rock star and 

playing to crowds of 30,000 have diminished, 

but his love of Led Zeppelin, The Who, Jimi 

Hendrix, and Eddie Van Halen will never wane. 

After graduating high school he experienced 

a rite of passage, as he calls it, which changed 

the direction of his music. “I was getting 

into more avant-garde approaches to playing 

acoustic finger-style guitar. I was studying a lot 

of medieval music, as well as learning Latin. I 

was really connecting with the world of music, 

and this entire journey put me in touch with its 

spiritual side. I wanted to be well rounded. I was 

so in love with these new musical styles I was 

discovering, that it changed my perspective on 

where I wanted to go with it. All I ever wanted 

was to be a great musician. I didn’t care about 


71

eing rich and famous and all the rock star kind 

of stuff. But, when I listen to music that stirs 

passion — there is nothing better than that. 

That feeling … of being connected to source … is 

what it’s all about.” 

Creative in his own right, Anthony loves the 

process of composing music and the road getting 

there. He draws his mastery from his “bag of 

tricks,” playing the sounds and melodies of 

music he is familiar with. “I have studied so 

much music, and I know the theory behind it, so 

I never have writer’s block. I have a foundation 

of the 50s music of rock ‘n’ roll, Broadway hits, 

and classical music. I have played so many solos 

and musical lines that were sung by others, and I 

just pull from that.” 

Music gives “wings to the 

mind,” but Anthony 

Mazzella’s performances 

takes you on a journey, 

a flight into the imagination, if you will, as if he 

is encountering an out-of-body experience. He 

is removed from his audience, but not from his 

music. He appears to be in a state of meditation, 

or prayer, using guitar chords as his mantra. He 

closes his eyes, “accessing the voice of God,” 

as he describes it, focusing on the passion in 

his music and also allowing the audience to 

experience this communication with God. 

“I really want the audience to feel what I am 

feeling, and if I’m not feeling it, they aren’t going 

to feel it either. I put myself in a bubble and 

check out. I used to practice in the dark with my 

eyes closed for seven hours a day,” he says, “and 

to be able to do that took a lot of practice to get 

to that stage of mastery. It’s a process of letting 

go, connecting to the harmonic resonances of 

the universe, and at that point, it becomes 

its own thing. It is my own religious 

experience.” 

There is a harmonious language 

between other art forms and 

Mazzella’s music. On a recent 

trip to New York, Anthony 

visited the Metropolitan 

Museum of Art and became 

mesmerized by the work of 

eighteenth and nineteenth 

century European painters. He 

paid close attention to the details of 

the subjects in these masterpieces and 

says he sensed a connection as he peered 

into their eyes, “catching a glimpse of their 

soul.” 

It should come as no surprise that he is drawn 

to this time period and to these works of art. 

Neoclassicism was the artistic component of 

the intellectual movement known as the “The 

Enlightenment” that dominated the world of 

ideas in Europe during the eighteenth century. 

“The Age of Reason,” as it’s also known, 

emphasized objectivity, reason, empirical 

truth, and the scientific method, along with an 

increased questioning of religious orthodoxy 

— an attitude captured by the phrase “Sapere 

Aude,” or “Dare to Know”— enlightenment 

Mazzella seeks for himself. 

To know Anthony Mazzella, or his music, 


equires one 

to dare to 

understand 

the empirical 

evidence 

or sensory 

experience 

that occurs 

while he 

plays his 

guitar. There 

is some sort 

of “juju” 

occurring, as 

he explains 

it. Some of 

his students 

think of him 

as a wizard 

and watch in 

amazement, 

hoping that 

one day they 

will play a 

guitar just as he does. He is likened to a sorcerer, 

as he explains this transference of energy 

between himself and his muse. “The guitar is 

one of the most challenging instruments. I wish 

it were easier. There is so much coordination 

going on at the same time. When I am playing 

the guitar, I can feel its vibration against my 

body. There is eroticism, a passion that a guitar 

exudes. It is sexy, it’s shaped like a woman, and 

when you watch guys like Eddie Van Halen or 

Elvis play guitar, they made it look fun and cool.” 

Mazzella is a believer in following your passions, 

regardless of a big pay-off in the end. He tells 

his students that if they are in music to be rich 

and famous, they are in it for all the wrong 

reasons. “Being able to execute music is a reward 

completely unto itself,” he says. “It’s a great 

journey because you’re getting the satisfaction of 

doing what you love to do, creating something, 

and trusting that the money will follow. For 

people who are that passionate, there is no ‘Plan 

B’; this is it, do-or-die. For me, I’ve jumped 

off the cliff. I got to a certain point in my life 

where I said that I was done with everything 

else. I would rather be a poor musician than a 

millionaire doing anything else. That decision 

was a huge turning point for me.” 

Anthony Mazzella speaks about success and 

fame: “I have had so much recognition through 

my life that I am grateful for, but I just don’t 

need my ego fed with that stuff anymore. What 

matters to me is that my music connects with 

you and that it connects with other people.” 

At this point in his life, Anthony is more focused 

on his daughter’s experiences and being a 

supportive father. He beams as he talks about 

his daughter, Olivia, whom he cherishes. “I just 

have this innate parental love, and it takes over 

my life. It’s a big game changer. My daughter 

was born, and it became all about her. I’m okay 

with that. I look at my life as two bookends. On 

one side, I had this amazing life. I’ve traveled the 

world. I didn’t get to be as big as Led Zeppelin, 

but I have no regrets,” Mazzella laughs. “But 

aside from that adolescent rock star dream and 

having that life, matched with the bookend 

of my daughter being born … there is nothing 

better than that. 

“I do have dreams of her being a great musician, 

but at the same time, I haven’t pushed it. I will 

nudge her toward it, but I am giving her the same 

experience I had at her age: She listens to music 

every day. She sings. She plays bass, guitar, 

and drums. All I am doing right now is training 

her ears to music. Each time she gets in the car, 

music is playing. Currently, she’s listening to a 

Mozart Concerto and can sing the tune. That’s 

pretty good for someone her age.” 

Anthony Mazzella is living in the moment. He 

doesn’t feel the need to be remembered for his 

music. His scope of life and its reality is much 

bigger than any ego — or even the feeling that 

his music needs to live on. He is not attached to 

his creations and doesn’t take responsibility for 

his gift of music. Mazzella says that he is just a 

messenger. “I’ve spent years studying, and I have 

done the work, but the collection of musicians 

out there — and their work — is so much bigger 

than mine. They are the ones who need to be 

recognized. I just want to enjoy my life while I’m 

here.” 

Music in life is everything. 


73

Cinematographer & Photographer 

Boom Town 

Michael McClellan 

The Art Of Creating 

Cinematography 

Within A Photograph. 

Interview and Compilation by Carol Kahn 

“The journey of discovering my passion for 

photography began in my early teens when I saw 

the Michael Mann movie, Last of the Mohicans. 

It was Dante Spinotti’s cinematography in that 

movie that made me fall in love with composition 

and lighting. From that moment, I spent the rest 

of my teenage years with a camera in my hand, 

making home movies or studying films, dreaming 

of becoming a professional filmmaker. 

“I would then spend more than a decade 

convincing myself that I needed to put away my 

childhood dreams and pursue a career that was 

less of a risk. It wasn’t until recently — when 

circumstances led to the realization that playing 

it safe in life was just as much of a gamble as 

following my dreams — that I decided to throw 

caution to the wind. I maxed out my credit cards 

to buy some lighting equipment and a brand 

new DSLR camera that could shoot high quality 

video, in addition to gorgeous still photography. 

“I don’t consider myself a photographer. I 

consider myself an artist, one who spends a 

lot of time in the editing process. I am not big 

on capturing things as they really are. I have a 

lot of respect for the purist photographer, but 

that is not my direction. The original shot is my 

canvas and I throw myself into editing, layering 

and manipulating the photograph until I find 

something unique that I am satisfied with. I am 

always looking to create something dramatic. 

“One of the things I hear people say about my 

photography is that it has a cinematic quality. I 

had never thought about how my cinematography 

background would affect my photography, but 

now I fully embrace how integral it has become 

to my artistic style. I always looked at movies as 

an escape from reality, so I try to capture subjects 

in a lighting, composition, and color profile, that 

appears a little more surreal than the everyday 

nature of reality. Whether it is long-exposure 

night shots that look almost like they were taken 

74 


during the daytime, or artificially creating and 

exaggerating the soft warm glow of sunrise and 

sunset, or capturing high contrast black-andwhite 

noir portraiture, I try to create emotional 

experiences with my photos that accentuates the 

aspects of the subject that I find the most visually 

and emotionally interesting. 

“Composition always came easy to me. Instinctively, 

I knew about the rule of thirds in 

framing a shot before I learned about it in 

school. I don’t have any mentors or anyone I try 

to emulate. I believe there is a lot to be learned in 

studying, and I do read books on lighting, but I 

don’t want to copy or be influenced by anyone. 

It’s about creating my own style. 

The beauty of art is that 

it resonates differently 

with everyone. 

MICHAEL MCCLELLAN 

“When shooting landscape photography, I try 

to find a day with lots of clouds and a variety 

of light. There has to be something incredible 

happening for me to shoot landscapes to begin 

with. My passion, though, is people. When I 

do portraits, I am creating light and setting a 

mood. I really geek out on it. I love capturing 

the emotions in faces, whether they are happy 

or sad. The more dramatic the better. 

“The main reason I prefer doing portrait shoots 

over landscapes is because I enjoy collaborating 

with other artists. I love the energy and passion 

each person brings and how they open up new 

possibilities and directions that I could not come 

up with on my own. The models, makeup team, 

and art directors, all have their own experiences 

and visions that they bring to the table. I love 

adding to the work and creating something 

bigger and better than anything I could do on my 

own. There is a bond that happens during the 

production including the shared excitement and 

congratulations of the finished project. That 

to me, is my biggest addiction in the realm of 

photography or film production.” 

Flatiron 

Tim McClellan 

Cathedral Moon 


75

A New Arts Initiative 

By Pam Frazier, Winnie Muench, Carol Gandolfo and Jim Peterson 

In Sedona 

Sedona Culture Coll aborative 

Launches Arts Services Program 

arts, literary arts, culinary 

arts, and the humanities. 

In other words, the entire 

spectrum of the arts. 

Initially formed several 

years ago, SCC has been 

slow and deliberate in 

defining its vision. One 

thing was always clear: 

we want to benefit artists 

and arts organizations, not 

compete with them. And it 

would be nice to soften the 

boundaries of individual 

silos and see artists and 

arts organizations gain 

strength by combining 

their efforts, when 

appropriate. 

So, you’ve heard of the Sedona Culture 

Collaborative, right? And you know what 

it’s all about, correct? 

Well, hang on – things are changing! It’s not 

the same old SCC any more. Here’s what we’re 

brewing up. 

First, a bit of background: The Sedona Culture 

Collaborative is a nonprofit organization 

composed of arts leaders in the Sedona 

community who would like to help our city live up 

to its motto: “A city animated by the arts.” SCC’s 

goal is to put Sedona’s vibrant arts community on 

the global map as a destination for education and 

engagement in the arts — performing arts, visual 

To help define SCC’s 

niche, we conducted two 

SCC logo by Andrea Smith 

surveys of artists and arts 

organizations in Sedona and held two public 

forums. The first aimed to determine whether 

our goal of collaborating to grow arts education 

was supported by the arts community. The 

answer was Yes, 100 percent. The second was 

to determine what area artists need in order to 

become more visible, excel in their respective 

genres, and expand educational opportunities for 

themselves and others. 

SCC’s niche clicked into focus. It was through 

the work of our Visioning Task Force that we 

defined our target. The best and most efficient 

way to support artists and arts organizations is to 

establish the Sedona Culture Collaborative as an 

arts service organization (ASO). It is our goal to 

76 


increase public awareness of, engagement with, 

and support for the arts in Sedona. It will take 

time, but we are developing: 

• A directory of artists and arts organizations in 

the greater Sedona area, so that they can find 

each other easily, and visitors wanting an arts 

experience during their trip can find individual 

opportunities by genre. 

• In collaboration with Sedona Chamber of 

Commerce and Sedona ArtSource, a centralized 

calendar of events. 

• A centralized ticketing service 

• A directory of spaces available for studios, 

teaching classrooms and lecture facilities, 

rehearsals, performances, and exhibits 

• Access to specialized software and tech support 

needed by artists and arts groups 

• An organized pool of volunteers 

• Instruction in business skills related to the arts 

• Dissemination of information such as the 

economic impact of the arts in the community 

• Discussion and networking groups and events 

A recent study by the Boston Foundation 

ascertained that, “Because arts service 

organizations collaborate and network across 

sectors, other constituents are often served by and 

benefit from the work of ASOs.” They further 

maintained that Arts Service Organizations are, 

in many ways, gems of the cultural ecosystem. 

They play an important role in supporting the 

work of artists, nonprofits, and arts communities 

in developing the sector’s cohesion and ability to 

meet its collective needs. 

To learn more about the Sedona Culture 

Collaborative or to get involved in its 

exciting projects and activities, contact 

President Jim Peterson at 928-554-4340 or 

president@sedonacollaborative.org

ARTWORK ON THE SECONDARY MARKET 

BY MARK SCHRADER 

ALT GALLERY 

Artwork is a treasured 

possession. It may have been 

very thoughtfully acquired 

and a part of your life for 

many years. There may 

be charming stories about 

how, when, and where it 

was purchased. Frequently, 

the owners may have met 

the artist and learned how 

the work came to be or 

obtained an intriguing bit 

of information about the 

piece. The art may have been 

passed down from previous 

generations. Significant 

sums of money and time 

could have been invested in 

the acquisition of the pieces. 

However, there does come a time when it is 

necessary to let artwork go to a new owner. You 

may be downsizing to a new place, changing to a 

new look, or relocating to a new area incompatible 

with your current collection. You may have been 

tasked with finding new homes for possessions 

from a relative. Maybe you are looking for 

funds for another purchase or even combining 

households. For whatever reason, you feel that 

it’s time to sell some art. 

When artwork is purchased for the first time 

from an artist or gallery, it is said to have been 

bought on the primary market. Previously owned 

art is resold on the secondary market. Places 

to purchase secondary market artwork include 

auction houses, consignment dealers, estate sales, 

print classifieds, online listings, or directly from 

the current owner. 

The secondary market for artwork is untethered 

from the careful control of the gallery and the 

artist, who both have an interest in maintaining 

a stable and coherent pricing environment for 

the work. Both the gallery and the artist may 

provide significant value that can be added to the 

art buying experience. Artwork on the secondary 

market, however, is subject to the sometimes 

heady, sometimes cruel, laws of supply and 

demand. 

In our next installment, we will explore how 

secondary market valuations are determined. 

"The Falls" - Oil on Canvas - Frank McCarthy 

Patti Polinard Quarter Ad Final:Layout 1 4/16/18 11:46 AM Page 1 

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 

For Special Orders Contact Artist — PATTI POLINARD 

commonthreadsforus@gmail.com 


79

WHAT IS 

“Slice of Heaven” (above) and “Pinnacle at Thunder Mountain” (opposite) by Vince Fazio 

80 


ART ? 

5 

Answers from 

VINCE FAZIO 

Vince Fazio is an accomplished painter 

who also serves as Executive Director of 

the Sedona Arts Center. His professional 

goal is to continue the Center’s sixty-year 

mission of creating a space where artists 

have a place to share ideas, techniques, 

and artwork, while keeping the 

business side financially 

successful. 

Vince is one of 100 

artists whose work 

is displayed at the 

Arts Center gallery. 

He feels that Sedona 

is a sweet spot for art 

because of the people who 

settled here and the beauty 

of the landscape that surrounds it. He’s a 

big proponent of finding ways to support 

the arts through state funding, and he 

acknowledges the importance of educating 

our future generations. 

Sedona ArtSource stopped by his office 

recently to ask him, “What is art?” 

Answer 1: “I like to think of art as an object 

that defies that category of being an object. 

There are so many different ways of creating 

art. Art is a process that goes through the 

individual, but comes out as a public display 

that can be understood on many levels; 

emotionally, intellectually, in terms of 

beauty.” 

Answer 2: “Art hits us in an immediate 

way — before we have a chance 

to determine what it is or what 

we are seeing. It already 

happened. It goes right into 

us and hits us emotionally; 

we then process it, and 

understand later what 

happened.” 

Answer 3: “Art makes 

me feel all different 

kinds of ways. As an 

artist myself, I get the 

thrill that I am seeing 

something very special. 

When I create art, I go into 

a zone — I find that going in, I 

am able to do things I didn’t know 

I could do, and coming out of the zone, 

I find that I am surprised at what I did. It 

seems like it is always ahead of me in a 

way. It has already happened, even when I 

created it. I find that interesting.” 

Answer 4: “It’s so diverse that you can’t 

get it right or pin it down. There is clarity 

when you see it; it’s perplexing. It grabs me 

emotionally and intellectually.” 

Answer 5: “That’s a little complex of an 

answer, isn’t it? I think I am resistant to 

defining art!” 


81

SEDONA SUMMER COLONY 

Individual Artists Residencies 

Workshop Residencies 

By Vince Fazio and Carol Holyoake 

Day Residencies for Verde Valley Artists 

Now in its third year, the Sedona 

Summer Colony continues to evolve as a 

partnership project between the Sedona 

Arts Center and Verde Valley School. 

This year, the Colony includes four unique 

residency workshops that kick-start the 

creative process. The four workshops 

take place July 16 – 20, 2018, and create an 

opportunity for artists to explore a new 

realm of creativity or gather a new creative 

skill set. Artists can take a workshop as 

a stand-alone experience or continue on 

with an individual residency following a 

workshop. 

Individual artist residencies remain the 

Colony’s primary objective, to support the 

inspiration and creation of new artistic 

work and cultural content by providing 

undisturbed time, temporary living 

space, regular meals, and studio or work 

space. Because of the collective nature of 

a residency program, new connections 

and dialogue among participants create 

new opportunities for cross-disciplinary 

interaction and thinking. The residencies 

and workshops take place on the beautiful 

Verde Valley School campus, and for a 

very reasonable daily fee, artists get a living 

space, a separate work space and two meals 

daily. Individual artist residencies are 

available July 21 – Aug 12, and artists can 

register for 1 week, 2 weeks or 3 weeks. 

The workshop offerings are profiled in full 

on the Sedona Summer Colony page of the 

Sedona Arts Center website and address 

a variety of options for exploration. 

Playing off the influence of Max Ernst, 

who lived in Sedona and worked with the 

82 


Arts Center’s founder Nassan Gobran, 

“The Magic of Surrealism,” taught 

by Libby Caldwell, invites artists to 

begin afresh, exactly where so many 

modern art movements began. Painting 

outdoors and in the studio, artists 

can delve into a “Plein Air Painting 

Immersion” taught by Matt Sterbenz 

during the dramatic monsoon season. 

Participants can discover the richness of 

indigenous culture through the “Hopi 

Pottery Experience,” taught by Hopi 

potter, Rachel Sahmie Nampeyo. Joan 

Fullerton returns to Sedona to teach 

“Contemporary Mixed Media,” which 

involves mixing collage with images 

and explores many painting techniques. 

All the workshops are also perfect for 

teachers seeking continuing education 

credits over the summer and are made 

possible through the Yavapai College, 

School of the Arts and Humanities. 


83

A final objective of the program is 

to connect cultural producers from 

around the world with our Sedona 

community and link them with 

the unique and diverse heritage, 

community, environment, and 

influences found only in the Verde 

Valley and Northern Arizona. 

During the last week of the Sedona 

Summer Colony program, one 

additional workshop is available. “The Spoken Word” will be taught by Thomas Eldon Anderson and 

offers coaching and experiential learning for any level of student who would like to enhance his or 

her abilities in the principles of clarity of thinking, melody of meaning, and emotional intent in the 

service of “storytelling.” The workshop, which culminates in a public performance, is for actors, as 

well as business or professional speakers, and will be held Aug 6 – 11. 

More information about the Sedona Summer Colony and details on how to register can be found 

online at www.sedonasummercolony.org. Artists of all genres and levels of experience are welcome to 

apply. 

84 


ArtSource Resources 

SEDONA 

GALLERY ASSOCIATON 

The Sedona Gallery Association is 

a membership-based organization 

comprised primarily of local art 

galleries that work together to 

promote common objectives. The 

SGA is the originator of the 1st 

Friday Gallery Tour and member 

galleries participate in this monthly 

event highlighting artists and 

special exhibits. Member galleries 

can be identified and accessed 

online at the association's website, 

sedonagalleryassociation.com 

SEDONA 

ART SOURCE 

Sedona Art Source serves as a 

resource for the artist community 

and advances daily to fulfill its 

mission of supporting artists and 

the arts community at large. Sedona 

Art Source maintains a website, 

sedonaartsource.com that is designed 

to acknowledge all working artists 

in the community, along with all 

arts-related businesses and entities. 

Sedona ArtSource magazine is 

published quarterly by Sedona Art 

Source. 

SEDONA CULTURE 

COLLABORATIVE 

Sedona Culture Collaborative is a 

non-profit organization staffed by 

volunteers that serve on various 

committees to promote the arts 

in Sedona. Their stated mission is 

to "establish Greater Sedona as an 

internationally-recognized learning 

community for arts education 

& engagement and cultural 

enrichment." Learn more at: 

sedonacollaborative.org 

ART STUDIO AVAILABLE: 

Gandolfo Art Studio in West Sedona is available for artists, teachers as a venue to rent for short or longer term projects. 

The studio portion is about 15 X 25 feet with about 10 available easels. There is plenty of parking. There is a full kitchen. 

The main room has views of Thunder Mountain and Coffee Pot Rock. Call 928-961-6535 for quotes and availability. 


85

86 Sedona 

ARTSource


87

Sedona Art 

Galleries - See Ma 

M p pa 

ag 

eS 86-87 

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 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 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 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 

88 


SteakHouse 89 

c l a s s i c s t e a k h o u s e • m o de r n s o p h i s t i c a t i o n 

steakhouse 89 works with local farmers, 

purveyors, and producers to prepare 

what’s fresh and in season. 

Serving responsibly raised meats, 

bread baked from scratch daily, 

and an extensive selection of 

beer, wine & cocktails. 

classic Sunday Brunch 

with live music. 

2620 SR 89A Sedona, Arizona 

www.SteakHouse89.com 

928.204.2000

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 

ExposuresFineArt.com 

Sales@ExposuresFineArt.com 

©2018 Exposures International LLC

Sedona Art Source - Volume One

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