Sedona Art: A Visit to the Goldenstein Gallery

Any day is a great day to visit the Goldenstein Gallery in Sedona, Arizona, but it’s especially fantastic on a rainy day as one can spend several hours inside admiring the art. We recently visited on such a day and were fortunate to get to spend some time with the gallery representative to learn more about the gallery, Sedona-area artists, and art in general.

Sedona Art: Goldenstein Gallery Sculpture Garden

But first we started our visit in the large outdoor sculpture garden. Since we’re from Seattle, we didn’t little rain didn’t stop us, but while we were in Sedona, the days of rain and snow kept most everyone inside which meant we had the town to ourselves.

Bring an umbrella or raincoat and stroll among the art because the Gallery does an amazing job of featuring a diverse group of styles while still giving the garden a natural flow that pulls you through. The pieces are arranged so that you can experience them from every angle and some, like the Sky Chimes created by Gregg Payne, can even be enjoyed from inside them.

The metal garden panels, decorative fence, as well as the custom Gallery doors, were created by Steve Goldenstein from hand-forged iron. The loosely flowing design of the fence beautifully frames the large sculpture garden and sets the mood.

David Phelps creates whimsical sculptures like Daydreamer Monumental and Pastoral Dreamer. These are large pieces that beg you to take a moment and relax with them. Check out this award-winning artist’s website for a better look at these works as well as others.

One of the most prolific artists in the sculpture garden is Cheston Trammel. His mixed-media bells are sprinkled throughout and beg to be heard. He incorporates antique metal pieces he collects within his works which give them new life.

Sedona Art: Cheston Trammel – Wisdom Bell on Sedona Now TV – Sedona, Arizona

James Muir is another artist who’s well represented in the Goldenstein Gallery Sculpture Garden. His pieces are among my favorites and easy to spot because of their strong themes and life-sized height.

Children is one of my favorite sculptures. This touching bronze depicts a refugee child with her doll-child and the hopes of a better world. This statue is located in a quiet area of the garden to give you time to stop and reflect.  A life-size version of this piece is in the Poland Auschwitz-Birkenau Holocaust Museum.

Read more about John Muir and his three decades as a Sedona artist at his website James N Muir, Allegorical Sculpture and Monuments in Bronze.

Sedona Art: Goldenstein Gallery – Special Exhibits and Displays

Once you’ve had your fill of the garden, head inside to the warm and inviting gallery. The staff member we spent an hour with was fun, fresh, and engaging (I apologize for not remembering her name). She shared many of the treasures within the gallery with us and introduced us to some art forms we’ve not encountered before. She was fantastic at explaining the processes used to create the pieces and shared a bit about each artist.

We visited during the Sedona Film Festival so we were rewarded with a special exhibition of Orsen Welles memorability and artwork. The pieces were on loan from Welles’ daughter, Beatrice, who resides in the Sedona area. It was fabulous looking back over his lifetime of achievements as well as checking out art he created with his own hands.

Beatrice Welles also creates and shares her own art at the Gallery. I think the most captivating pieces are the charms she creates called Bibi’s Baubles. She’s taken beads, jewels, and other bits and pieces from around the world that she collected over her lifetime and transformed them into new pieces for others to enjoy. I love jewelry that’s got a history.

Sherab Khanro, Artist in Residence

The gallery features pointillist painter, Sherab Khandro, as their Artist in Residence. In fact, when you stop by, you may find Khandro working on a piece – she creates incredible works of art from dots of color. The seemingly simple technique in her hands results in magnificent works of art that one must see in person to appreciate their full beauty. Unfortunately for us, she was not onsite on the day of our visit. I would have loved to watch her create.

Khadro’s talents are not limited to the canvas, this artist creates sculptures and works in other mediums as well. She’s a spiritual artist who creates traditional Buddhist images, as well as more modern themes.

Sedona Art: Visit the Goldenstein Gallery

I’ve barely scratched the surface of the Goldenstein Gallery. Visit yourself to see the art which covers hand-carved wooden sculptures, handbags, paintings, fiber arts, fine furniture, gourds, hand-embellished adornment, jewelry, Judaica, limited edition giclee, multi-media, photography, pottery, woodwork, and more.

The Goldenstein Gallery is located in West Sedona at 70 Dry Creek road. It’s just minutes from Uptown and worth the drive. The Gallery is open daily, but check hours and exhibit information on the Goldenstein Gallery website.