Location map for Celebration of Fine Art

Things are moving along at a rapid pace as we make the improvements to the new site and begin putting the tent up for the 2012 Celebration of Fine Art. We have an outstanding crew of guys working as a great team to make it happen. Meanwhile, at the office we are busy making lists, checking twice and preparing to send mailers to our client list and getting ready to check artists in for set up! It is just over a month until the premier of the 2012 Celebration and we believe it will be the best show ever! We can’t wait to welcome you to our new site on the SW corner of Hayden Rd and Loop 101 in beautiful Scottsdale, AZ. Please enjoy the photos of the transformation. We also invite you to click on the FaceBook link and follow us there. We’ll be posting photos there as the work progresses.

Blank Canvas

Ace Asphalt doing their work

New Floor installed

Tent Frame Up!

For those of you traveling from out of town, please click on the “Travel Help” link above to see our partner hotels. The Scottsdale Fairmont offers 5 star luxury featuring fabulous restaurants, and luxury rooms and amenities just minutes from the show site. The Hotel Valley Ho offers a hip retro vibe and a great downtown Scottsdale location, close to galleries and nightlife. Towne Place Suites by Marriott is perfect for longer stays with the comforts of home. Click on the links to see their special rates and offerings just for you!

We look forward to seeing you soon! Until then, be well and enjoy each precious moment!

The Celebration of Fine Art family

We look forward to welcoming you to our new location starting January 14, 2012. We will be open every day from 10 am to 6 pm through March 25, 2012. Please take a moment to click on the “Meet the Artists” tab above to get a sneak preview of what’s in store for 2012. We think it is the best collection ever! New location, same great experience!

Here is what the view from the new Courtyard will look like! Awesome!

*See our Travel Partners

American Flag by Robin Branham

We recently had the pleasure of visiting the home of Celebration of Fine Art artists Robin Branham and Randy Berkeley. While there we got to take a peek into Robin’s incredible studio. She had just finished up this commission of the American Flag for some collectors here in the Scottsdale area. I instantly fell in love with this amazing work of art done in Robin’s signature style of texture and subtle abstract feel. I just had to snap a photo. And, yes I admit, it is an very rough and non-professional photo, it is not properly lit and as you can see the painting is leaning vertically against a work table; but still the image is powerful! There is nothing like the American Flag to bring out a sense of pride and passion for our great country.

It got me thinking about the fact that we are all looking for ways to help out our country and our economy. Many of you may have seen the special series that Diane Sawyer featured recently on ABC News called Made In America where they emptied out all of the products not made in America out of peoples homes and then challenged them to find a favorite thing that is Made in America. It certainly was an eye opener. Like many, I have been looking for ways that I can help make our economy stronger. Buying American seems like an easy enough thing to do, but it certainly takes a bit of effort-especially if you tend to be an impulse shopper like me which means you don’t always take time to look a tags! I pledge that I will continue on my quest and look for items that support great American companies and American jobs and the American way of life that is so precious.

One way that I always know I am buying American is when I buy something directly from the person who created it! When you buy an original work of art created by a real person you not only are making your world a brighter place by adding to your collection, you are truly helping out our economy. We have the great honor of partnering with many amazing artists whose lives are dedicated to sharing their creative talents with the world. For many this represents great sacrifice. Many artists travel around the country showing their work at shows and exhibits throughout the year. Some leave family behind and others pack up the family and take them along on this great artistic journey. For most of the artists I know, this is a sacrifice they are willing to make because they absolutely have to create their works of art – it’s like breathing. So they do whatever it takes to follow this passion and share their talents with the rest of us. You can be assured that every time you purchase work from the artists that you meet that you are making a difference in their family life and the ripple effect of that purchase is felt in all areas of our economy. In addition, you have the great satisfaction of the connection to the artist behind the work of art that you are bringing in to your home. We are honored that we have a personal connection to the artist of every piece of art in our home. In our eyes it increases the value of the work of art ten fold and more. Every piece tells a story of friendship.

We encourage you to get out to the local Art Fairs and Festivals, Open Studio Tours and, by all means, plan to come out and meet the 2012 Celebration of Fine Art artists this January and see how you can become part of the “Made in America” phenomenon that is sweeping the nation while you build relationships and great art collections. Other ways to help out your local economy include shopping at your local Farmer’s Markets for the best seasonal produce grown by local farmers. You’ll fill your plate with healthy and tasty items and help out your local economy at the same time. Look for local businesses run by fellow members of your community that you can support. Together we can all make our country stronger, both in terms of our economy and our community.

We are counting the days until we welcome our wonderful family of artists and collectors back under our big white tent. Until then, we wish you health and happiness as you celebrate each precious day!

Susan and Jake

* See our Travel Partners

Jake and crew are busy preparing for the arrival of the artists. The tents are up and the interior is being set up for the artists to arrive and build out their temporary studios. The office is humming as we check off all of our lists and get the letters and passes ready to mail to our previous collectors. Deadlines are being met each and every day as we prepare for our best year ever!

The most important thing that completes the “celebration” is YOU, our collectors and guests. We can’t wait to welcome you and share in the latest creations of our talented and thoughtful artists! We know that you have many choices of where to go and how to spend your time. We are always grateful when you make the Celebration your destination!

A bit of good news to share. . . We were honored to be selected as the recipient of the Sterling Award for business excellence by our Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce in November. We were grateful for the opportunity to share the Celebration of Fine Art with our fellow business members in our community. The Chamber of Commerce one of it’s sponsors, SRP, created this lovely video about the Celebration that we hope you’ll enjoy.

We’ll be seeing you soon in the big white tents!
Susan and Jake and the whole Celebration of Fine Art Family

Edward Hopper House on Cape Cod

We also recently had the opportunity to visit Cape Cod and spend a day at the summer home of famed American artist Edward Hopper (1882-1967).  We were the guests of some of our wonderful Celebration collectors who own this simple and serene property nestled on the dunes above the East side of Cape Cod overlooking the ocean.   The signature of this house is it’s 14 x 7  foot window (shown above) that offers awe-inspiring views of the dunes and the Atlantic Ocean that wraps around Cape Cod.  This amazing experience was shared with two of our artists, father and son – Kirk and James Randle.  We were joined by a photographer from American Art Collector.  This story will be feautured in the January 2010 issue of the American Art Collector magazine.  And, new works of art by Kirk Randle and James Randle from this experience will be revealed at the 2010 Celebration of Fine Art.

Again, we are counting the days until we will celebrate 20 years of bringing art lovers and artists together under our big white tent!  See you soon!

Susan and Jake

We are almost half way through the 2009 season of the Celebration of Fine Art! It is hard to believe how fast time goes by. We have been enjoying great weather, great crowds and lots of great art. Everyday brings something new and inspiring. I’ve attached a new video for you to watch! The positive comments keep coming from our visitors and collectors. We are humbled by the amazing art work that the artists brought to the show this year and by the reaction of our guests. It truly is a delight to “go to work” everyday and be surrounded by creativity and positive energy! We hope that you will have the opportunity to visit us in person this year. In the meantime, enjoy the virtual tour! We are located in Scottsdale, Arizona on the south east corner of Scottsdale Rd and Mayo Blvd. Open daily from 10 am to 6 pm through March 29, 2009.

Please excuse the “um’s”, “ah’s” and pauses in the commentary! I’m still learning to use my new “Flip” video – sometimes, walking, talking, commentating and navigating around people all at the same time is a little challenging! I’ll be shooting some more so you can experience different views of the Celebration! I’m sure they’ll get better!

If you want to see previous postings, please click on “January 2009″ under archives and scroll down the page. You’ll see some photo images and a video tour of the Celebration of Fine Art the night before opening! Or, click on February 2009 and watch the video of Joseph Woodford firing a Raku ceramic vessel.

Enjoy!

Part 2

For 2009, the Celebration of Fine Art management and it’s participating Artists have once again partnered in pledging support through cash donations to both Liberty Wildlife and St. Mary’s Food Bank.  The Celebration of Fine Art will donate $2500 to support each organization.  Each artist has had the opportunity to select a specific work of art which, when sold, will result in a portion of the proceeds going to the charity of their choice which will be marked with a special tag.  And, the purchaser will know that in addition to adding a beautiful work of art to their collection, they have helped make a difference in the community. 

In addition, visitors can lend their support to these organizations when they visit the event.  We are an official collection center for canned food items and cash donations for St. Mary’s Food Bank from January 16 through March 29, 2009.  Please bring what you can and drop it at the donation box on your way in to visit.  And be sure to join us for the annual “Art of Food” Event which will showcase the talents of the students of the Community Kitchen Culinary Training Program sponsored by St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance.  Also, you can lend your support to Liberty Wildlife by making a cash donation each time they visit with their birds.  Please see our “Special Events” page for more details on these events.

We count ourselves as very blessed and find true joy by giving to others. 

Curt Mattson at work on a sculpture at the Celebration of Fine Art

Ken Newman works on a wood carving

Vala Ola putting finishing touches on a sculpture at the Celebration of Fine Art

The National Sculpture Society is the oldest organization of professional sculptors in the United States. Leading US sculptors and architects founded the NSS in the 19th century to “spread the knowledge of good sculpture. Today, NSS continues to encourage excellence in sculpture throughout the United States. NSS publications, Sculpture Review and NSS News Bulletin, keep members and friends of sculpture abreast of the latest developments. The society runs many programs dedicated to encouraging good sculpture, and to educate young artists in the medium. Visit www.nationalsculpture.org for more information.

Works by Ken Newman and Vala Ola are currently on display at Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina as part of the 75th Annual Awards Exhibition through August 24. Over 200 artists applied to this juried exhibition and 56 members were selected to participate in this exhibition which started in New York City. To learn more about Brookgreen Gardens, visit www.brookgreen.org.

We hope you’ll join us in congratulating these incredible artists on this great accomplishment. You can send your greetings by replying to this post. And, of course, we invite you to stop by and see what they are working on during our 2009 event!

The artists have begun moving out now. Reversing the process they began over 10 weeks ago.

Soon the tents will come down and everyone will get a much needed rest. We will be back on January 17, 2009 for our 19th year, at the same location. If, in the mean time, you get a yen for some art by one of our artists please feel free to give us a call or email and we will help get you that painting or sculpture you want.