Sedona Arts Center

Sedona Arts Center is proud to partner with the Arizona State University Center for the Study of Race and Democracy on this year’s Vision & Sound: An African American Experience. Now in its ninth year – but only its second in Sedona – Vision & Sound focuses on creating connection between African American arts and culture and communities.

This is the first catalog we’ve created for Vision & Sound and we hope you share it with others who are interested in finding out more about the African American artists in Arizona who contribute so much to our lives through their work. We are very excited about this year’s artists – bringing back some who participated previously and adding several new artists. They are highlighted here for a deeper examination of who they are, why they create and what moves them.

For 2023, we decided to take a deeper dive in to the connection between arts and Access, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ADEI) and explore those concepts through a Symposium style event that allows participants to interact with Vision & Sound artists while examining a deeper meaning between art and inclusion. We are extremely excited about this exploration and partnership with the CSRD. We hope this inaugural Symposium will continue to grow with Vision & Sound for many years to come.

We continue our wonderful partnerships with the City of Goodyear and the City of Glendale this year and we will open Vision & Sound at Celebrate Sedona – sponsored by the City of Sedona. The City of Goodyear hosts an exhibit that will run from February through March and an afternoon celebration on February 5th with the artists and a concert by Don Williams and Company. The Glendale Public Library will host artist lectures on February 4th and 6th.

Vision & Sound is supported by so many terrific funders. Specifically, the AZ Office of Tourism, the City of Goodyear, the City of Glendale, the ASU Center for the Study of Race & Democracy, AZ Community Foundation and The Links, Inc. We also want to acknowledge inkind support from the Best Western Arroyo Roble Hotel and Creekside Villas. We offer special thanks to the staff of the CSRD and Sedona Arts Center for all their work on this program.

Julie A. Richard CEO, Sedona Arts Center