Late sculptor John Henry Waddell and painter Ruth Holland Waddell resided near Sedona for decades and were important members of the local artistic community. In his lifetime, John created over 150 sculptures. One of his works, “Martha,” was shown just outside of Tlaquepaque’s former El Prado Gallery. Now, his work “Amanda” stands there by the Vue Gallery and will be joined with other sculptures as part of the new Walk Into Beauty, Waddell Sculpture Walk. The path will feature a total of 17 of John’s sculptures. Placing these works of art in Tlaquepaque was a natural fit.
“Tlaquepaque happens to be, for me, the cultural heart of Sedona. When I was a kid, we used to go and watch Romeo calling up to Juliet on one of the balconies near where Gaetano now plays flamenco,” says Amy Waddell, a writer, a director and the legacy keeper for her late parents’ estate. “It’s the most beautiful place for these particular sculptures.” The project is a collaboration among gallery owners Mike and Renee Taylor and Wendy Lippman of Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village. From Nov. 7 to 8, Tlaquepaque will host a celebration in honor of the path’s unveiling. The event is slated to feature a film screening of “Rising,” which details John creating a 40-foot sculpture, dancers, cocktails, food, a few speeches and a ticketed meal. Visit tlaq.com for more details.
What pieces stand out to Amy? A relief modeled after a prima ballerina called “Dancer in Motion.” “My father’s philosophy was the beauty of individual differences. He would really get to know the subjects, the models, and they would spend months with my parents, getting to know them, and then he would infuse those sculptures with the essence of each individual,” she says. The work also captures another one of his characteristics: movement. By the time you’re reading this, the hope is that the sculptures will have informational plaques beside them. Although the path is new, the sculpture path also represents a coming home. “When you interact with sculpture and take the time to walk around a piece and get the feeling for what the artist was conveying, that is a journey,” says Amy. “We are winding a piece of Sedona history back through Tlaquepaque, literally from when he showed 50 years ago ‘til now.” − Teresa K. Traverse
SEDONA CALENDAR: Events, activities, shows, happenings
