The Sedona Arts Festival is one of the city’s top festivals, and this event is celebrating its 35th anniversary this fall on Oct. 10 and 11. “It speaks volumes that we’re still here after 35 years, and the community has changed so much in those 35 years,” says Lori Reinhart, the executive director of the Sedona Arts Festival. “The biggest deal is that we’re celebrating 35 years.” The festival has stuck around for so long – when most don’t – largely because the organizers keep it simple.
“They want the art,” says Lori, of the festival’s fan base. “They don’t want to watch people make art. They don’t want to make their own art. Because we’ve tried all of those things. We’ve done demonstrations, and we’ve done a paint-in, and we tried to bring in New Age community at one point and had New Age art. That was an unbelievable bomb. I’ve tried a lot of things over the years, and what I have figured out is that people just want good art on the field.”
Sedona Arts Festival
More than 100 juried artists will head to the Sedona Red Rock Middle and High School this fall to display their wares. Four different jurors review applications annually. The jury is typically made up of professional artists and gallery owners. The jury members also change every year. Attendees can look forward to a plethora of mediums including painting, ceramics, metal, jewelry and photography, among others. Roughly half the artists return from year to year. The other half are new to the festival. The artists are all fine artists, an important focus. Fine arts focus aside, the festival also includes Gourmet Row, a section where attendees can check out and purchase handcrafted kitchen, bath and home items. Food trucks will be on site. Guitarist William Eaton will play live tunes over the weekend.
Only an arts-centric community like Sedona could support the Sedona Arts Festival for over three decades. “People in Sedona love to connect with artists,” says Lori. “You have really engaged audiences that ask really good questions. I love that about our Sedona people. They’re all about connection, and when you buy a piece of something that an artist created, you’ve got a little piece of that artist with you, and you always remember them.” − Teresa K. Traverse
