Without question, one of our most favorite things about the Celebration of Fine Art is the opportunity to visit with our incredible collectors. We have the most wonderful, caring and enthusiastic customers on the planet! They come from coast to coast and everywhere in between, they come from Canada, the UK, Sweden, China and just about every country out there. They plan their visit with purpose and intention of coming to the Celebration to connect with old friends and to make new. They come to discover what new talents have been added and what new masterpieces have been created by their favorite returning artists. Their passion for the art and the artists who create the works of art is what fuels the creative energy of the artists. Their enthusiasm for what we all do is what makes us all strive to reach new heights every year.

The other day we had the pleasure of visiting with two of our collectors who come from Minnesota. They were sharing how much they look forward to coming every year. In fact, this year they drove down and came straight to the show before even stopping where they were staying. They absolutely could not wait to be under the big white tents to see their artist friends and see what was new. They spent several days discovering many new treasures and connecting with friends new and old. Their only regret was that they didn’t have enough time to stay as long as they wanted! They could not stop talking about how much they love the Celebration of Fine Art. It’s a feeling you can’t get any where else. They are on their way home today and looking forward to the next time they can join us. This wonderful couple is just one example of the daily conversations we have with our collectors. Some come and stay for a week and spend every day with us. Some come once a week or more during the 10 weeks of the show just to soak up the creativity and passion that fills the tent.

We are deeply humbled by the enthusiasm of our wonderful collectors and friends. You are why we do what we do. We are grateful to you for the passion that you bring. We thank you for sharing the Celebration with your friends and families. We thank you for all that you do for our artists. And, we thank you for giving us the opportunity to do what we love – bringing art lovers and artists together under our big white tents!

We hope to see you soon. Until then, be well.

Susan and Jake

It’s hard to believe that we are halfway through the 2010 Celebration of Fine Art. The days are flying by! By all accounts, there has never been a better collection of art work and artists on display. The visitors are pouring in every day – record crowds! We are so grateful for each and every person who walks through our door and becomes a part of our “celebration”.

The artists are working on new pieces every day and they love to share what inspires them, so please be sure to stop in for a visit in the weeks ahead. We are open every day 10 am to 6 pm through March 28, 2010. Every day is a celebration under the big white tents. A celebration of art, friends and life! We invite you to join us!

We had a fun day last week when FOX 10 Arizona Morning’s Cory McClosky visited the Celebration of Fine Art! The link to the three segments is below! Cory and his crew had a great time and did a really good job capturing the spirit of the Celebration.

Thanks to David Jackson, Stephan Stavast and Robin Branham for representing all of the Celebration artists! They brought the energy to life! We are open every day from 10 am to 6 pm through March 28, 2010. Come on in and join the Celebration!

The 20th Anniversary Celebration of Fine Art opened to a weekend of glorious weather and very excited art collectors! It started with a sneak preview for special invited guests on Friday night. Collectors looked for favorite returning artists and also discovered fresh new talent around every turn. The artists studios looked better than ever! The sculpture Garden sparkled with over 100 pieces of life-sized and monumental sculpture with inviting pathways pulling guests out to see the works up close. We were pleased to have the staff of American Art Collector on hand to share in the special evening. All of the guests went home with a copy of the January issue of American Art Collector which was filled with preview information for the Celebration of Fine Art along with a special publication about the Celebration! In the photo below, you see the beautiful blue skies framing the works of Victor Issa – “Grandpa Storyteller” in the foreground and “The Power of Thought” behind it.

Celebration of Fine Art 2010 Sculpture Garden

The weekend brought continued sunshine and record crowds. Many works of art found new homes! By all accounts, the 2010 Celebration of Fine Art is the best ever on record. We are so thrilled to share this amazing collection of artists with you!

The following week brought some dramatic changes in the weather and ushered in “the storm of the century” in Arizona. In 48 hours we had almost an entire annual rainfall and endured wind gusts of up to 70 mph. On Thursday of last week, our neighboring event, Russo and Steele Collector Car Auction lost two of their exhibit tents in the punishing winds. It was a very long day for all of us. We are grateful to report that we suffered no serious damage to our tents or any of the art work – just a lot of rain and some very high winds. The picture below shows what the courtyard looked like early in the day of our record rains. The two bronzes of the “Puddle Jumpers in Yellow Raincoats” are by Susan Geissler, the other two yellow jackets are Jake and one of our incredible guys who helped keep us high and dry! You also see Kyle Ashley’s T-Rex in the background. You really need to see this sculpture in person!

The Sculpture Garden was a bit of a pond for a day or two!

Well, the sun is back out and the ground is dry. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming and the artists are turning out their best work ever. If you haven’t been here yet, we invite you to make your plans to join us for the biggest Celebration ever!