The Sedona Chamber of Commerce and the Sedona Arts Festival are excited to announce and congratulate the winners of the first Javelinas on Parade Scavenger Hunt drawing: Gity Hebel from San Francisco and Carolyn Peterson from Sedona. The winners received Javelinas on Parade merchandise, including a Javelinas on Parade t-shirt and coffeetable book!

You could be a winner too, just use your Javelina map, which you can find on www.JavelinasOnParade.com or at the Sedona Chamber Visitor Center, to track down 10 of the fifty Javelinas parading around Sedona and enter the scavenger hunt codes on the form on the back of the map. Then submit the form, complete with your contact information to the Sedona Chamber of Commerce. Don’t delay or you might miss your chance to win a Sedona getaway or great Javelinas on Parade merchandise!

Javelinas on Parade “Summer Shoot Out” allows art lovers, photographers, residents and visitors alike to submit photos of their favorite Javelinas on www.JavelinasOnParade.com between June 1 and August 31, 2007 for another chance to win great prizes.

In August Goldenstein Gallery presents “The Dog and Pony Show” an exhibition featuring artists whose images capture the splendor of these creatures. Artists include watercolorist Naomi Offner who records local scenes of working ranches in the Verde Valley , photographer Tami Gramont whose sensitive images of horses captures their power and magnificence, and accomplished painters Jane Darrow and Tara McGovern who sees her paintings of dogs as a straightforward celebration of the love they express. “The Dog and Pony Show” will run from August 1-31. The public is invited to meet these three artists and other local artists at the opening night reception on Friday August 3rd from 5-8pm during the First Friday Sedona Gallery Association art walk. A strong fine art presence in Sedona, Goldenstein Gallery has been exhibiting internationally recognized local and regional artists from many traditions for years.

Goldenstein Gallery is located at 390 North Highway 89A in Sedona. Parking is available behind the gallery. The gallery is open from 10am to 6pm daily. For more information go to www.goldensteinart.com or call 204-1765.

Los Abrigados Resort & Spa, an ILX Premiere Vacation Club resort, announces the appointment of Danny Woodbridge as the resort’s new Executive Chef.

Woodbridge , a graduate of the Scottsdale Culinary Institute, comes to Los Abrigados with years of culinary experience in upscale resorts including the Royal Palms Resort & Spa, the Scottsdale Fairmont Princess and, most recently, the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa. “We are extremely excited to have Danny join us to head up our culinary team. His solid background preparing a wide range of cuisines at several of the top resorts in Arizona, coupled with the skills of our established team of seasoned cooks, will only enhance the already-proven menus in both Joey Bistro and Stakes & Sticks. Those planning to hold meetings and celebrations at Los Abrigados will discover many of his creative menu selections”, said Dennis Morrissey, Los Abrigados Resort & Spa General Manager and Senior Vice President of ILX Resorts.

Los Abrigados Resort & Spa is located at 160 Portal Lane adjacent to Tlaquepaque and is part of ILX Resorts, which also operates the Bell Rock Inn & Suites in the Village of Oak Creek and the Los Abrigados Lodge in Uptown Sedona.

Mark Hemleben captures the intensity in
> his plein air oils, documenting the change of light and the dance of
> shadows and colors. “Its vibrancy and harmony and splendor are what
> inspires me to capture the abundance of life and energy, the constant
> change of light and season.”
>
> Hemleben paints with energetic emotion. With a well controlled stroke
> he translates onto canvas a feeling of life. Dynamic and hypnotic, his
> paintings constantly capture you and reveal more, drawing you in when
> suddenly you see them in a new light or from a different angle,
> revealing poetically in rich color a landscape rarely treasured with
> the naked eye.
>
> From working on a grand scale with his art, as a mural artist for
> private and corporate locations around the states and Mexico, Hemleben
> has also traveled the world-when serving as a U.S. Marine-and on
> painting commissions and retreats.
>
> Mr. Hemleben is from Lafayette, Louisiana where he studied at
> Louisiana State University and then at Long Beach, CA where he lived
> in an Artist Colony and at one time taught history.
>
> Mark, a professional plein air landscape painter since 1996 is now
> living with his wife in Jerome and continues to grow “with each
> sunrise and sunset.”
>
> Mark was named “Best Local Artist” by the readers of the Verde Valley
> newspapers for 2006. ”

Aug. 14 • 7:00pm - Educational Presentation/ Seminar: Juicing For Digestion and Health by Aileen L. Rose, L.P.N. - Join us on wonderful journey through the world of fruits and vegetables as Aileen shows us just how easy and fun it can be to juice for yourself and family. Fresh juice provides the body with immediate energy and nutrients. Aileen will share tips for juicing and discuss the importance of enzymes in food as it pertains to the digestive system. Join us for this free presentation and taste delicious juice and smoothie recipes and discover what the buzz about juicing is all about.

Aug. 16 • 3:00 - 6:00pm - MyChelle Dermaceuticals Skin Care Consultations with Giselle Collette, Aesthetician - MyChelle Dermaceuticals was developed for all skin types to balance, nourish and hydrate even sensitive skin by supporting the skin’s immune system. Sign up for a complimentary skin care consultation with Giselle.

Aug. 30 • 12:00 - 6:00pm - Holistic Pet Day - Pick up free samples of all natural pet foods and treats for dogs and cats and educational information too, all in honor of Holistic Pet Day.

L’Auberge de Sedona, the title sponsor of the 3rd Annual Sedona Plein Air Festival, which begins on October 21, is offering a once in a lifetime vacation experience. Thirty of the country’s finest plein air artists will gather in Sedona to capture the magnificent landscapes in one-of-a-kind works of art. Guests may be able to paint alongside one of the top plein air artists and attend the Patron’s Gala where they will have first option to purchase these new original paintings prior to the general public. Available October 25, 26 and 27th with a three-night minimum stay, the Plein Air by L’Auberge Package includes: Creek side cottage for two, exquisite dinning, couples spa retreat, plien air painting and more! For more information or to make reservations, guests should call L’Auberge de Sedona at 800-905-5778.

Submit Sedona photos for America the Beautiful!
The Sedona Chamber of Commerce requests your assistance in submitting photos of Sedona for MSNBC’s hunt for the top 10 most beautiful places in the United States. If a Sedona photo is chosen, they will broadcast America the Beautiful from our destination. Please click on this link to submit your mesmerizing snapshots of Sedona.

Join the 30 galleries and studios of this exciting mountain town for a night of celebration.

Stroll the winding streets or shuttle in the town van from the Old Jerome High School to one lively gallery after another. Artists will be on hand to meet the public with special openings throughout this magical town.

The galleries stay open between 5PM and 8PM.
Upcoming dates - August 4, September 1, October 6, November 3, and December 1, 2007
Click the link below for a detailed description of this year’s events.
Jerome Art Walk

Come experience the Sedona art scene as the galleries stay open late August 3rd! Some SGA highlights include:
Erickson Studio Gallery – Radiant Sunset with painter Marilyn Erickson
Goldenstein Gallery – The Dog and Pony Show with watercolorist Naomi Offner, photographer Tami Gramont and painter Tara McGovern.

For more information visit www.SedonaGalleryAssociation.com where you can find a complete listing of galleries and a printable map to all locations.

Chapel of the Holy Cross: Even the not very religious turn off the highway in Sedona to get a close look at this small church perched delicately amid the red rocks. Take a seat in the pews and admire the view through the immense picture windows behind the altar. Then head to the patio for an even better look at the area’s stunning rock formations. Finished in 1956, Chapel of the Holy Cross sits atop a pinnacle 250 feet above the valley floor. The chapel blends in with its surroundings, looking almost as if it was a natural formation. It was designed by architect and sculptor Marguerite Brunswig Staude.
Details: www.chapelofthe holycross.com

Montezuma Castle National Monument: It may have been drought or, perhaps, invaders; no one is quite sure why the original inhabitants abandoned this impressive high-rise roughly three centuries after it was built in 1100.
Montezuma Castle is one of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in North America. It is easy to imagine people still living amid its 20 rooms. No wonder when President Theodore Roosevelt celebrated the passage of the Antiquities Act in 1906, he declared Montezuma Castle as one of four national monuments.
Details: nps.gov/moca

Information provided by AZ Republic, Scott Craven