By Beverly Kievman Copen
1st Annual Invitational Hilton Sedona Resort Fine Arts Exhibit & Sale kicks off over Thanksgiving weekend, November 27-28-29th. It will be held in the Grand Ballroom as well as adjacent facilities. There is no charge for admission.
The event celebrates the extraordinary artists, galleries and arts community in Sedona.
Starring in this arts event are thirty-two outstanding Sedona artists. Among the best in the greater Sedona area, they have been invited to exhibit and to sell their unique array of artistic collections. To be included, the artists must have exhibited in galleries, been juried into art events, been recognized with awards or honors, or currently have, or have had representation by some of the finest galleries in Sedona. Prices for their art will cover a wide range - from items suitable for gift giving, such as cards or jewelry, to paintings, photography, and finely woven decorative baskets, fiber art pieces ceramics, stunning sculptures and other mediums, many that are commensurate for collections around the world.
The artists featured in this "All Sedona Arts Weekend" exhibit include: Barbara Vickers, Celesty Claudio, James Latham, Jeannette Tuscher, Shermane Frei, Nora Graf, Jan Saunders, Betty Carr, Robert Albrecht, Mariann Leahy, Clyde Ross Morgan, James Muir, Kaayla Fox, Barbara Ragalyi, Jerry Buley, Mary Dove, Beverly Copen, Philip Ponvert, Pat Kaufmann, Dennis Ott, Jan Sitts, Gene Dieckhoner, Joan Roberts, Mel Copen, Chris Navarro, Lorraine Fexas, Daniel Hochstein, Madak Kadam, Betty Kaufmann, Shirley Eichten Albrecht, Jack Durrwachter and Gretchen Lopez. Each of these individuals, plus one image illustrative of their work, and their contact information will soon be on the "landing page" of the Hilton Internet campaign.
Occurring over a 3 day period, the show will kick-off with a festive reception on Friday evening, featuring hors d'oeuvres, wine tasting and Sedona Diva Theresa Robertson performing. A live auction will be held Friday Evening, and a silent auction will begin Friday and continue through Saturday. The sales from the live and silent auction will benefit Sedona charities for the arts.
FRIDAY FESTIVITIES
The multi-media exhibit & sale will open with a festive reception at 5 pm Friday, November 27th, 2009 with music, wine tasting, hors d'oeuvres, a cash bar and the live auction, offering some very exciting vacation packages and dining opportunities. This fun and lively function will be a social highlight of the year, complete with auctioneer. It will present some exciting items for travel, adventure, unique specialties, and of course, art treasures. The LIVE AUCTION will be from approximately 7 pm until 8 pm. Guests and visitors will have the opportunity to visit the Hilton's Grand Ballroom where the 32 artists will showcase a plethora of their marvelous works before and after the live auction. Proceeds of the Live Auction, as well as the Silent Auction, will benefit Sedona area charities for the arts.
SILENT AUCTION
The silent auction will also begin Friday evening, continuing until Saturday evening at 5 pm. The items donated for this auction will be a fantastic, tempting array of art works and gifts for holiday buying that will appeal to Sedona residents and guests from Arizona and far beyond. Each of the artists in INSPIRED 09 has donated one piece of their art for the silent auction; in addition, many of the business owners in Sedona (and beyond) are offering packages that include dinners at local restaurants, rounds of golf, adventure tours around Sedona, season tickets for movies and theatres, and on and on.
Giving & Giving Back. One of the major reasons for the extraordinary generosity of the artists and the business community for these auctions is a desire to benefit the community, to give back and help to expand the vision and image of Sedona as a world class art destination. As previously mentioned, all proceeds from the auctions will go to Sedona area charities for the arts. The vision for building the charity is a long term goal that includes enhancing the traditional and the performing arts, encouraging innovation amongst the arts community attracting and building additional infrastructure for that purpose. Along with this vision, the Hilton Sedona Resort & Spa also hopes to enrich the experience of visitors and locals with additional cultural events, and especially create ways to display the marvelous history and treasures of Native Americans.
Participating in the evolution of this INSPIRED event is, in itself, inspiring. "The team" is now working on the manifold and complex aspects of this event, including inviting volunteers to assist during the event. Details and contact information will be announced very soon. As the world-renowned anthropologist Margaret Meade stated, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Save the date and make plans to celebrate at the Hilton Sedona Fine Arts Exhibit & Sale!
About Hilton Sedona Resort & Spa:
A part of Hilton Worldwide Resorts', the 219-room property is located 90 minutes north of Phoenix and features two-room suites with separate living rooms and private patios or balconies, with breathtaking views of Sedona's majestic red rocks and the Sedona Golf Resort. Guest room amenities include fireplaces, flat screen televisions, mini-bars, high-speed Internet access, microwave ovens, coffeemakers, and iron/ironing boards. Guests can also enjoy three heated pools and two restaurants. The Hilton Sedona has the largest conference facilities in Northern Arizona with 20,500 square feet of meeting space. Complete meetings packages are available. Additionally, the resort offers guests complimentary wireless internet access in all public spaces including the pool areas. One of the Hilton themes echoes the purpose of this Fine Art Show: "Hilton - A place to cultivate your illuminating ideas, impressive insights, incredible inspiration and idle thoughts". www.hiltonsedona.com
