Two days. 160 juried artists from 21 states. Sedona’s red rocks. Fall weather. Not a bad way to spend a weekend, or spend some money to improve, enhance or even start your art collection.
The 20th annual Sedona Arts Festival, a juried exhibit and sale, takes place Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 9 and 10 at Sedona Red Rock High School, 995 Upper Red Rock Loop Road in West Sedona.
Nine of last year’s 11 Best of Show winners will be among the 159 artists at the Festival displaying works in ceramics, painting and drawing, jewelry, fiber, metal, sculpture, wood, glass, photography and mixed media.
“Every year, we attract more artists into the mix, which makes the entire experience even better for those who attend,” Reinhart said. In 2009, 60 percent of the almost 4000 attendees were from outside the Sedona-Verde Valley area. “The Sedona Arts Festival is a fine arts festival, not an arts and crafts show. You’re not going to find hanging planters or painted t-shirts unless the artist wove the t-shirt by hand.”
This year nearly 400 applications underwent the strict jury process.
The Festival is the only fund raising event of the year supporting the Sedona Arts Festival giving programs, which have awarded over $250,000 in scholarships to graduating seniors and grants to arts organizations in greater Sedona. Changes this year will enable the Festival to allocate even more dollars toward scholarships. “Many people don’t realize this is the only fundraiser for our giving program,” Reinhart said. “At a time when funding for the arts and arts education is declining, our mission to support arts education for our children becomes increasingly important.”
This year’s highlights:
- KidZone offers a variety of make-and-take projects for the budding artists
- The new Gourmet Gallery will offer locally made food items to take home and enjoy in your kitchen
- For the first time, online advance sale tickets are available at a special price: $8 for everyone by visiting www.sedonaartsfestival.org (Tickets are $9 and $10 at the gate; children 12 and under are free).
- “smART shopper” all-access passes ($99) include admission to both days of the Festival, $50 in Festival Bucks to spend on art, preferred parking, premium restroom facilities and a special Preview Hour on Saturday followed by brunch. Passes can be purchased online.
- Cost savings generated from the decision not to offer musical entertainment will allow the Sedona Arts Festival to offer even more in scholarship and grant funds.
Forty nine artists are from Arizona cities including Amado, Apache Junction, Arlington, Cave Creek, Chandler, Clarkdale, Dewey, Flagstaff, Gilbert, Glendale, Holbrook, Mesa, Peoria, Phoenix, Prescott, Queen Creek, Rio Rico, Saint David, Scottsdale, Sedona and Tucson. Other states represented in this year’s field are California, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
For more information, visit www.sedonaartsfestival.org.
