Summer is here and the art at Goldenstein Gallery is in full bloom. Locals and visitors alike are drawn to the ambiance of this Sedona favorite. Believing that art is a living, breathing, encounter, the gallery welcomes the public and hopes to enhance their lives.

In June the gallery celebrates the astonishing power that art has to transform the atmosphere of our surrounding environment with the Summer Show. All gallery artists are participating in this dynamic group show.

Goldenstein Gallery has earned a well-deserved reputation for delighting people with the unexpected. Curated by owner Linda Goldenstein, the gallery seeks to inspire and move their collectors by enhancing their lives with art.

Through both dazzling citywide exhibitions and their renowned artists in residence program the public is offered numerous opportunities for inspiration.

On Friday, June 2, from 5 to 8 p.m., Goldenstein Gallery holds an opening reception for the Summer Show. Among the featured works are fine art furniture pieces by David Keeber; paintings by James Cook, Mike Medow and Rafe Terry; and sculpture by James Muir, Reagan Word and Liz Wolf.

Goldenstein Gallery welcomes David Keeber to the gallery. He has been working with wood his entire life and it was his move to Arizona, more than 20 years ago, that allowed him to explore and deepen his connection with this medium.

At the same time, his path in Zen Buddhism took root after many years of being what he calls a “nightstand Buddhist” — many books on the subject on his nightstand, but no real practice. Eventually, he developed a regular meditation practice, finally finding a teacher and becoming a Zen monk. As his Zen practice and woodworking skills grew together, a change occurred in his life and work.

The rhythm of the shop coincided with the mindset of Zen, requiring deep attention to “this very moment.” His resulting work has a sense of timelessness honoring the wood with which he is working.

James Cook’s paintings are big and gutsy, with lavish, vigorous and confident brush strokes. He paints quickly and creates unexpected textures inviting the viewer closer to the vast splendor of his subjects.

Margaret Regan of Tucson Weekly said of his work, “Cook’s deliciously buttery paint charges outward into a third dimension. Thick swaths of glossy oils — blue against beige, yellow over forest green, rose on maroon — rush across the linen with nary a thought for cowboy cliché.

Stand up close, and you can’t imagine that these wild brushstrokes are anything but random, the work of an ‘abstractionist’ in tune with his automatic muse. Long a successful crossover artist, Cook appeals to art conservatives and iconoclasts alike.”

Take a step back to view some of the Southwest’s most cherished natural landscapes.

Artist Rafe Terry is known for his beautiful floral portraits as well as his edgy contemporary canyon-scapes. His images are both intriguing and captivating. Awash in color and light, his magnificent floral paintings literally seem to leap off the canvas.

This distinctive style is also reflected in his bold images of the west. His deft use of color captures the expansive nature of the scenery with striking detail. Monuments become reminiscent of architecture and the lush panoramas seem to call to the viewers to immerse themselves literally in the movement of light.

Mike Medow is a master wood carver who deals with symmetries and shifting centers as if he had written a master thesis on that subject. From an innate sensitivity and intuition come the subtleties within Medow’s compositions.

His paintings reflect the same intuitive nature. His new series, Windows, depicts beautiful vistas captured through a window masterfully portraying the balance of the outer world as a reflection of the inner world.

The public is invited to join these and other local and regional artists at the opening reception for The Summer Show on Friday, June 2, from 5 to 8 p.m.

Visit GoldensteinArt.com or call 204-1765 for information on the gallery’s artists, artwork, exhibitions, artists in residence and events. Open daily, Goldenstein Gallery’s new address is 150 SR 179, at the corner of State Routes 179 and 89A.