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Sedona Arts and Culture with Nancy Lattanzi

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This City of Sedona article written by Nancy Lattanzi, Arts and Culture Coordinator, and submitted by city staff.

Sedona AZ (January 19, 2015)There is energized progress happening on a multitude of arts and culture programs created for our community, writes Nancy Lattanzi, Arts and Culture Coordinator, in the following program overview submitted by the City of Sedona:

One new project that emerged from community listening sessions is the need to make it easier for street artists to perform their craft publicly. Arts and Culture, along with the Community Development staff, have led several meetings with local artists and business owners to discuss how we can better meet the needs of all artists, while also considering the needs of the community. We are currently working on crafting an ordinance based on the input we received. There will be public meetings reaching out to the community for further feedback, which will be honed several times before presenting to City Council. Our hopes are to enhance our beautiful outdoors with local entertainment that blends with our community plan for all to enjoy.

Another exciting effort is the creation of the Arts & Culture Initiatives Work Group, formed from volunteers who have signed up through the Citizen Engagement Program. A passionate group of established artists, community members and a Councilor have been collaborating on an ongoing basis to discuss a list of attainable, creative projects we can launch locally. This list will be presented to the City Manager, who will give direction on which to pursue. New work groups will be formed for specific projects. We encourage those who may be interested in building our creative community, to apply to the Citizen Engagement Program and by all means join us and become engaged!

The City Hall Art Rotation is an ongoing program. Every three months the public has an opportunity to view the work of local artists on our campus. Currently in the Council Chambers we are displaying the work of Mary Fisher, renowned for her beautiful fiber arts and stylized textiles. Mary’s exhibit, Messages from My Sketchbook, will run through the end of March. Award winning plein air landscape painter Michael Chesley Johnson’s oil and pastel exhibit, Artist as Steward of the Land, is on display in the Vultee conference room through mid-April.

Former Y roundabout winner will be joined by Reagan Word's on Schnebly Hill roundabout

City of Sedona Y roundabout winner above will be  joined in 2015 by Reagan Word’s Open Gate bronze on its Schnebly Hill roundabout.

Art in Public Places has installed Joey, the final sculpture that completed the trio created by Susan Kliewer. The unveiling was December 19 (2014) at the Sedona Heritage Museum. Joey joins Susan’s previous bronze sculptures, Josie and The Storytellin’ Cowboy. All were generously donated to the City of Sedona by the Red Rock Arts Council. The trio, complete with interactive audio system, allows visitors to tap into local history and enjoy stories from yesteryear. The Open Gate, which was chosen by the public to be the sculpture set in the Schnebly Hill roundabout, is being created by artist Reagan Word. We anticipate the unveiling later in the year of this majestic bronze, which spherical, yet transparent, design ties in so beautifully with our scenic landscape.

The vital Artist in the Classroom program reaches all age students in our local schools, covering a wide range of art projects that tie in with academic classroom curriculum. Our artist orientation was held in September and this year the program supports 28 talented artists, with half of them newly signed on. Chris Spheeris, an Emmy award winning musician, recently joined the program and launched this school year with an impressive collaboration. He worked with Courtney Yeates at Red Rock High School, composing a moving song he performed with her music class for the annual holiday concert. There are many other seasoned artists lined up to lead classes in creative writing, paper making, geometry design, mural painting, stained glass, mixed media, dream journaling, photography, dance and theater, to name a few. We are thankful to the Red Rock News, who covers the program in an ongoing series of articles.

Sedona Mayor Sandy Moriarty asks for more nominations for the Mayor's Award

Sedona Mayor Sandy Moriarty will present the Sixth Annual Mayor’s Arts Award.

Finally, the Sixth Annual Mayor’s Arts Awards has had a call for nominations and although we received several, we are looking for more to support the event. If there is someone you feel might be deserving of one of these honorable awards (Individual, Business, Education or Lifetime Achievement) and they have made significant contributions to the community in the arts, we encourage you to submit an application.

We are very fortunate to live in one of the most beautiful and scenic places in the country. This, coupled with having a wealth of artistically talented residents, makes Sedona quite special. I hope we can continue to come together to develop more creative and inter-generational experiences for all in our unique community to enjoy.

For any questions or comments on any of the above programs, feel free to contact Arts & Culture Coordinator Nancy Lattanzi at 928-203-5078 or email NLattanzi@SedonaAZ.gov.

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For the best Arizona news and views, read www.SedonaEye.com daily!

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