Sedona AZ – Sedona’s celebration of the Arizona Centennial officially began this month when the Arizona Historical Advisory Commission designated Sedona’s Art in the Roundabouts project as an Arizona Centennial Legacy Project. This designation is recognition by the state that the Roundabouts project portrays a significant, educational, and lasting aspect of Arizona history. The Sedona project will now be included in the Arizona website listing Legacy Projects, and the designation will allow Sedona to use the state centennial logo.

The Legacy Project designation recognizes the history of the arts community in Sedona when, in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, such diverse artists as Nassan Gobran, Max Ernst, Stephen Juhuaros, and Al Nestlor found their way to Sedona. They collaborated with writers and musicians, opened galleries, and offered salons to showcase their work. In 1958, a growing artists collective came together to transform a former fruit packing shed built in 1939 into the “Art Barn” thereby creating studios for classes and exhibits.

Sedona Art Barn

The Roundabouts project, planned to be installed early next year in the two roundabouts at the intersection of State Route 179 and State Route 89A, consists of cast bronze sculptures of ravens and eagles created by artists Kim Kori and Ken Rowe. The artwork titled “Above and Beyond” was chosen by the Arts and Culture Commission and unanimously approved by the City Council in October 2010, following three viewings allowing the Sedona Art in Public Places Committee to gather public opinion and involve the community in the selection of the art.

“As the pioneer settlers and the cattle and orchard industries were important to Sedona’s history, so too was its art,” commented Brynn Burkee Unger, Chair of Sedona’s Historic Preservation Commission. “I’m glad the HPC was able to take the Art in the Roundabouts project one step further, and acquire statewide recognition as a Legacy Project.”