Black Friday Sale at Wind Dancer Design: Nov. 29

The Friday after Thanksgiving has been the largest shopping day in the US for decades.

Now dubbed "Black Friday" by people who want Americans to shun Big Box Stores and chains on that day, Black Friday and Small Business Saturday are promoted as days to buy local.

What could be more local, than buying directly from local artists?

This Friday, November 29, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., my daughter Alexandra Queen and I will be selling our artwork and jewelry from my studio-- Wind Dancer Design. (Check out the Facebook Event, here.)

 Alex will be selling her handmade jewelry, wearable art, and unique dream catcher wall hangings. Check out her work at Mermaid Heart.

I will be selling mosaic wall hangings, shrines, beaded jewelry, and Wind Dancers. My buy-one-get-one free sale on all beaded work continues through Friday. For those of you who stopped by my studio during the recent TPAC Open Studio Tour-- I have created several new mosaics since the tour.

So-- this holiday season, forget the cheap imports and buy one-of-a-kind gifts from local artists and local merchants.

Come on down to Wind Dancer Design, 3553 E. Camden St. in midtown Tucson this Friday! (BTW- cash, checks, and plastic are all accepted.)

Wind Dancer Design Studio on the TPAC Open Studio Tour, Nov 9-10

Small Works Show at Tohono Chul Park continues through Dec 15

The Small Works Show opened in the Tohono Chul Park entry gallery on October 25 and will continue through December 15. This invitation-only show includes several local artists who have sold work at Tohono Chul in recent shows.

Two of my pieces -- "Mi Cocina" and "Conjuntos Siempre"-- are included. There is a lot of variety in this eclectic show which features work that is $250 or less and not more than 12" in any direction. 

Piece by Piece Show at Tohono Chul Park

Check out the Piece by Piece all mosaic art show at Tohono Chul Park. The select show runs from June through October 20, 2013.

My Goddess shrine (at right) and my Letting Go Is True Freedom shrine (below) are part of the exhibit.

The opening reception will be Friday, September 11 in conjunction with the park's Day of the Dead exhibit. Check out the park's website for more information and a list of artists, here.

November featured artist at Tohono Chul Park Gallery-- Me!

I am proud and honored to have been chosen as the November featured artist by Tohono Chul Park. A special grouping of new mosaics are on display in the park's gallery space, which is open Monday - Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.


Although you can tour Tohono Chul Park's magnificent gardens anytime, the big event for November is Holiday Nights, November 26-27, the weekend of Thanksgiving. The park will be decorated with lights and lighted sculptures, and a holiday exhibit + the featured artist exhibit of my mosaics will be in the gallery.

Check out the Tohono Chul Park website for directions and calendar information.

Tohono Chul Park A to Z

Tohono Chul Park-- a desert garden oasis on the northwest side of Tucson-- is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

To commemorate this event, a new exhibit opens in the gallery on May 20-- Tohono Chul Park A to Z. Each piece of artwork represents a letter of the alphabet and a unique characteristic of the park.

I'm proud to say that three of my mosaics will be included in this exhibit. For the letter S, I will be showing two companion pieces: Sunny Days and Starry Nights (above). For the letter T (for tree), I will be showing Palo Verde-- Arbol de Flores (below).

The artists' reception will be Thursday, May 20 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The show will run from May 20 to October 3, 2010.

Bohemia Opens New Store on 4th Ave.

Tomorrow-- Thursday, April 22-- Bohemia will be opening a new store at 417 N. 4th Ave.

In case you have been living under rock and have never been to Bohemia, it has been voted the best gift shop/gallery in Tucson for several years in the Tucson Weekly's Best of Tucson Poll. Unlike many gift shops in Tucson, Bohemia carries only goods made by artists-- no Chinese imports!

Bohemia's Art Bodega will be part of The Little Village on 4th Avenue. The Little Village is compromised of Bohemia, Cafe Passe, and two new businesses. The Little Village will be a great stop for coffee, gifts, art, curiosities and a little chow.

The opening celebration will be from 6-10pm and will include an amazing music line-up! The Tryst, The Awkward Moments, Hans Hutchison, Fell City Shouts and more will perform on two stages. It going to be a rockin' night! The featured artists in the cafe gallery are Liz Vaughn and Gavin Troy!

I'm pleased to say that my mosaics will be showing at the Bohemia's Art Bodega--in addition to their main store on Broadway Blvd.

'Art that Heals' Opening at Tohono Chul Gallery

Art the Heals is the theme for Tohono Chul Park's upcoming show, which will open on March 11 and runs through May 16. Exhibit organizers received more than 400 entries for the juried show and chose 72 pieces--including my mosaic shrine "Letting Go Is True Freedom" (above).

The gallery will host an opening artists' reception on March 11, 2010 from 5:30 - 7:30. Tohono Chul has a reputation for high-quality exhibits featuring local artists. Stop by the park for the art and a show of spring flowers in the gardens.

Spring Open Studio Tour

The Spring Open Studio Tour will be March 13-14 this year, and my midtown studio will be open both days from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. I'll have dozens of new mosaic designs, photo greeting cards, and beaded jewelry for sale. As a show special, I'm offering earrings and selected necklaces as 2 for the price of 1. Cash, check, and Pay Pal accepted.

More than 100 artists will be participating in the tour. The list of artists is online and will be printed in the March issue of Zocalo Magazine.

The Studio Tour is a great way to support local art and Tucson's economy. Buying direct from artists is very affordable because you will not be paying gallery consignment fees or show costs. Stop by my studio and say "hi".

Cascabel Community Fair 2009

The Cascabel Community Festival was last weekend. Cascabel is a ting community along the San Pedro River, east of Tucson and north of Benson. This was my fourth year as a vendor, but I have been to Cascabel many, many times since the early 1980s. Here is a story about Cascabel in the Tucson Examiner.

Wind Dancer Design One-Day Sale - Central Arts Gallery

On Saturday, November 21, I will be having a one-woman special show at Central Arts Gallery from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. The exhibit will feature my jewelry and mosaic designs. All earrings will be buy-one-get-one-free.

Central Arts Gallery is located at 274 E. Congress St. There is free parking on the street and in back of the gallery. Come on down! Buy local this holiday season.

Put on Your Art Walkin' Shoes

Put on your art walkin' shoes for two major art walks this weekend-- The Glow in Oracle and The Big Picture in Tucson.

The Glow is a lighted art walk by the full moon. Artists primarily from Oracle and Tucson exhibited lighted sculpture for the walk. In addition to the art, there will be outdoor music venues. Check out the website like for photos from past years, including my La Mano Mas Poderosa mosaic shrine from last year. The Glow is Friday and Saturday night from 7 - 11 p.m. at the Triangle L Ranch. Two of my shrines-- Letting Go and Here Comes the Sun-- will be shown in the Adobe Gallery. I also have a number of pieces in the Triangle L Gift Shop.

The Big Picture is Saturday night from 6-10p.m. in downtown Tucson. More than a dozen Central Tucson Gallery Association member galleries will be open-- including Central Arts Gallery, where my work will be showing. Check out the CTGA website link for a list of member galleries. Now that the 4th Avenue underpass is open, it's much easier and safer to visit the galleries along 6th Street, as well as those along Congress Street.

Be aware that Club Crawl is also happening downtown on Saturday night. For those of you who like art and music-- this is a perfect. For people who want to bypass the music, some galleries on Congress may have their back doors, allowing access from the parking lots south of Congress.

Carbon Neutral: Waste Not, Want Not

Tomorrow-- April 22-- is Earth Day. It's one day a year when some of us think about the Earth, what humankind is doing to it, and how to ameliorate the impact of civilization on our environment. We used to manufacture goods in the US, but we have become a country of debit-ridden consumers. Waste and hyper-consumerism have been taking a toll on our environment for decades. Now, our current economic crisis has brought to light the folly of our wasteful, short-term, profit-oriented, consumer-driven lifestyle. Maybe this crisis is a good thing? As a country, maybe we needed a womp upside the head to wake us up?

To celebrate Earth Day and demonstrate art can be created from items that most people would discard as junk, Dinnerware Artspace is hosting the Carbon Neutral exhibit.

I have submitted a few pieces for this show:
- Lighting the Way (above) is a sculpture made from discarded solar tubes (from my home remodel in 2007), shapely Trader Joe's soup cans, and LED light rope.

- Re-cycle is a mobile made from bicycle parts and other seemingly useless metal do-dads.

- Tiles of Tiles (below) is a three part tile piece made from discarded porcelain, terracotta, and natural stone floor tiles. It can be used as a trivet or a table top, or it can be mortared into a wall or floor.

- Last but not least is a quilt that I made from old blue jeans. With a blue jean top and a flannel remnant backing, this is by far the warmest quilt I've ever made.

The opening artists' reception for Carbon Neutral is Wednesday, 5-8 p.m., and the show runs through Saturday, April 25. I guarantee the show will open your eyes to new uses of items you may be discarding.

The Soup of Change: What Would Jesus Do?

Art, Politics, and the Soup of Change will premier at Dinnerware Artspace tomorrow January 17, 2009.

Political art by dozens of artists will be featured-- including my mosaic wall hanging "What Would Jesus Do?" A detail picture of the piece before it was assembled is shown here. My mosaic contrasts Jesus' teachings of love and kindness with what some people are doing in the name of religion (ie, waging war, allowing poverty to continue, fostering hatred against other people).

The opening is from 5-8 p.m. on January 17, and the show runs through January 24. Soup created by the artists will be served at the opening. Bring your own bowl and spoon. Be prepared for an event that will challenge your taste buds, as well as your mind.

Studio Tour Recap

The studio sale went well this weekend-- lots of visitors-- far more than last year. Sales also were good. Here is a picture of my cute, little studio. Below are some of the mosaics I had for sale.

Buy Local: Reduce the Carbon Foot Print of Your Holiday Shopping

This weekend, November 8-9, Southern Arizonans have a great opportunity to view and buy local arts and crafts. More than 150 local artists are participating in the Tucson Pima Arts Council (TPAC) Open Studio Tour.

Artists all over town will open their studios to visitors from noon to 5 pm Saturday and Sunday. The TPAC website offers a tour map and an alphabetical list of artists.The Studio Tour is self-guided. With the map, you can pick artists that are in a certain part of town, or if you are looking for a particular artist, you can use the alphabetical list to find their studio address. There are so many studios clustered in the midtown, university, and downtown areas that you can bike the tour-- a real reduction in your holiday shopping carbon footprint. (A friend and I did this one year and it was loads of fun and great exercise.)

My midtown studio is one of the stops on the tour. I have several new mosaic designs and tons of jewelry for sale. Stop by, have a snack, and check out the specials including buy one pair of earrings, get the second pair half off. TPAC has created a full color calendar that includes maps and artist descriptions. Some locations-- including my studio-- will have these available for tour guests.

Dia de los Muertos: Altars and Artwork on Display at Raices

Each year in honor of El Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), Raices Taller 222 Gallery hosts a unique show of commemorative altars and artwork. This year, I had the honor of creating an altar honoring my father and grandparents. Assembling the altar was a moving experience. As I dug through old photos and mementos, I realized that every piece of the altar -- from the red nail polish to the can of sauerkraut and the chocolate cover cherries -- tells a story about my family. The opening was last Saturday, November 1, 2008 and runs through November 22.

'Tis the Season to Forsake the Chinese Children and Buy Local

It's almost Halloween in the US, which means it's time to start shopping for the holidays! :-)

Seriously, folks, with all of the economic doom and gloom, retailers around the world are quaking in their fur-trimmed Santa boots for fear that we will cut back our holiday spending this year. Although I agree that prudent shopping is a good idea, I'd like to suggest that you forget about buying cheap goods made in the world's sweat shops and instead shop locally for your holiday presents.

Tucson has many fine artists, crafters, galleries, and gift shops, which all have one-of-a-kind locally handcrafted goods that would make memorable holiday presents.

Besides shopping the local galleries and gift shops that have regular business hours, there are art openings and arts/crafts shopping opportunities in the coming weeks-- including the Tucson Pima Arts Council Studio Tour, the Tucson Museum of Art Holiday Craft Market, the 4th Avenue Street Fair, and the Cascabel Christmas Fair.

Here is a list of art openings where you can buy or view my work:

- My studio will be open for the Tucson Pima Arts Council Studio Tour, November 8-9, noon to 5 pm Saturday and Sunday. I have several new mosaic pieces and lots of jewelry for sale. I will be offering a studio sale special on jewelry and beaded wall hangings-- buy one piece at the regular price and get the second piece (of equal or lesser value) at half price! Such a deal. You know what I always say, "You can never have too much jewelry!"

- Celebrate Life mosaic wall hanging at the Tucson Pima Arts Council Studio Tour Preview Exhibit, October 23 - November 6 at Galeria Mistica, 2318 S. 4th Avenue. Artists' reception on November 6, 6-8 pm.

- Dove of Peace mosaic shrine at the Artists for Obama Exhibit and silent auction, Saturday, October 25, 6-9pm at Representative Raul Grijalva's Campaign Office, 452 S. Stone Ave.

- Danny Boy, the Pipes Are Calling digital photograph in the Go Boldly Exhibit at the Central Arts Gallery, 274 E. Congress St., November 8 - 28. Artists' reception on November 8, 6-9 pm.

- Mi Corazon, Mi Vida mosaic wall hanging currently showing in the Basically Simple Exhibit at the Central Arts Gallery, 274 E. Congress St.

- I also will be participating in the Cascabel Holiday Fair again this year, December 6-7.

As the dates approach, there will be more details on these future shows.

In addition to these special events, I have a number of mosaics at the Bohemia, Tucson Museum of Art Gift Shop, and the Triangle L Gift Shop.

So with all of these opportunites, I urge you to forsake the Chinese children this holiday season and buy local!

New Work, New Show

Basically Simple, the new show at the Central Arts Gallery will open Saturday, October 4. The artists' reception will be from 6-9pm. This is a special evening because the Central Tucson Gallery Association is holding an art walk that evening. Several galleries along Congress Street and 6th Street will be open for the art walk. I have contributed Mi Corazon, Mi Vida to the show. Stop by at 274 E. Congress to view the new work, enjoy eclectic conversation, and have a glass of wine.

On a personal note, I have been very busy in the studio. I finished several new pieces last weekend and have been busy distributing them to galleries and shops around town. Bohemia, the Triangle L Ranch Gift Shop , and the Tucson Museum of Art all have a whole new set of mosaics. Here is a photo of new work in the final stages.

The Glow: Lighted Art Walk in Oracle

The Glow at the Triangle L Ranch is this weekend-- September 12 and 13-- in Oracle, Arizona. Two of my pieces, including a large alter-- La Mano Mas Poderosa (above)-- will be included in the gallery at the Glow.

The Triangle L Ranch is an old Arizona dude ranch. Each year in the fall the ranch hosts the Glow, a lighted sculpture walk. Lighted paths lead visitors around the grounds. Along the paths is a wide variety of sculptural pieces; more delicate artwork and pieces lit with candles are displayed in the adobe barn gallery. The event also features live music. For information and a map, check out the link. Here are three pictures from last year's Glow.