Construction or no construction, First Fridays in the galleries are so easy a cat can do them.
To prove the point, a reporter and photographer from the Sedona Red Rock News accompanied Joshua, a nine-year old, silver-shaded Persian, on a tour from Uptown to Tlaquepaque to Hillside and back on Friday, August 1.
One of the regulars on the local art scene, this discerning feline art critic is well-known to gallery owners who appreciate his support and patronage of the exhibiting artists.
By Susan Johnson
Larson Newspapers
Construction or no construction, First Fridays in the galleries are so easy a cat can do them.
To prove the point, a reporter and photographer from the Sedona Red Rock News accompanied Joshua, a nine-year old, silver-shaded Persian, on a tour from Uptown to Tlaquepaque to Hillside and back on Friday, August 1.
One of the regulars on the local art scene, this discerning feline art critic is well-known to gallery owners who appreciate his support and patronage of the exhibiting artists.
Although his publicist informed the reporter that the cat likes all genres of art, it was hinted that he has a particular regard for several artists, including Susan Kliewer and Mark James.
If Joshua seems to have more savoir faire than most fanged and furry creatures, it’s probably due to his career as a certified therapy cat at Fairview Development Center in Southern California.
Along with guardians Carol and Richard Gandolfo, he moved to Sedona in December and will be working as the official spokescat for others of his species at the Oak Creek Mobile Lodge.
In this position, he will assist local activist Beatrice Welles as she heads up a group providing relocation and medical services to homeless felines displaced by the trailer park’s demolition.
However, all such cares were put away for the evening and his promenade began promptly at 5 p.m. at the Sedona Arts Center.
Dozens of other art lovers were already gathered, arriving early to hear the poetry of a Sedona poet, then moving upstairs for a glass of wine and to assess the latest collections of glass, hand-embroidered pillows, raku, paintings, jewelry and sculpture.
Although the pillows did look inviting, the evening was young, and after half an hour of touring the upper gallery, the First Friday cat and his entourage leaped onto the Sedona Trolley, warmly welcomed by Jeff, the driver of the evening.
A fresh air fanatic, Joshua likes to feel the wind in his whiskers, hanging out the open-sided windows of the trolley as it rolled past the crowd enjoying live music at the Goldenstein Gallery where the “Dog and Pony Show” is on exhibit, then south to the circle and past the construction flaggers on Highway 179.
First stop in the Arts and Crafts Village was at Kuivato Glass where Liz Freund was showing off the wares of 80 artists from around the world to other First Friday-goers.
Freund works as an art consultant in the shop and is also an artist’s assistant to Bruce Freund, her husband, for whom she gathers the glass forms and then blows the glass while her husband shapes it.
Their current series is called “Vanilla,” featuring creamy translucent vessels shaped at temperatures of 2,000 degrees and crisscrossed with precious metals.
Other artists in the gallery include Kenny Pieper, whose work was being introduced that evening, as well as studio pieces by Dale Chihuly, light sculptures by Deanne Sabeck and perfume bottles and paperweights by Philabaum.
After a brief rest next to one of the flower-laden fountains in the courtyard, a clang of the bell alerted the group that it was time for the ride to Hillside.
Sitting up high in the trolley seats and leaving the driving to Jeff allowed everyone a bird’s-eye view of the work in progress along the highway, without a moment’s worry, about slaloming left or right through the barricades or wondering where to park.
Arriving at 6:15 p.m., all of the first level shops were closed for the night, but Linda Bruce was still hard at work in the American Galleries on the second level, and the Mineral and Fossil Gallery was also open for business.
For those with an appetite, the Javelina Cantina was in full snort, belching smoke from the sizzling fajitas, almost every seat filled with hungry customers looking for nachos and salsa for starters.
Back at the bus stop, Jeff soon reappeared with a clang of his bell, and it was back to Uptown and a look through SAC’s Community Gallery where Carol Ensley was showing her “WoMan on the Edge” series.
By then, it was time for a short, but well deserved catnap on the sidewalk before heading home.
All in all, it was a successful evening, earning four paws up from the art loving puss.
Susan Johnson can be reached at 282-7795, Ext. 129, or e-mail sjohnson@larsonnewspapers.com
