Stories Published in Western Art & Architecture

Painting the Parks

Western Art & Architecture, June/July 2016

In 2016, we celebrated the centenary of the National Park Service (NPS), which was established “to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” Even before those first parks, national monuments and Native American reservation sites were set in 1916, the arts were connected with these special places and, in fact, helped to make the argument for the NPS. Some of these early artists were Thomas Moran, George Catlin, Thomas Cole, Thomas Hill, Thomas Doughty, Asher B. Durand, Frederick Edwin Church, Albert Bierstadt, Gunnar Widforss and John Fery. And, today, a new generation of artists continues that tradition in an increasing variety of media.

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The Artistry of the Allison

Western Art & Architecture, May/June 2015

The 85-room/suite Allison Inn, less than an hour drive from Portland, celebrates the area’s topography, textures, wine terroir, history and art on 35 beautifully landscaped acres in the famed Willamette Valley. Today, where the four-level inn serves as a gateway to Oregon’s famed wine country, ice-age Missoula Floods once laid down rich volcanic topsoil from what is now Montana and Washington, forming ancient Lake Allison to depths reaching 400 feet. Nurtured over millennia, this fertile lake bed has produced one of the world’s premier vinicultural areas, renowned, in particular, for earthy, deeply textured Pinot Noirs, available at many of its 200-plus vineyards. The inn is also a gallery: Inside and out of the Allison, 500 pieces of original artwork showcase the work of 100 Oregonian artists.

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Funston House

Western Art & Architecture, October/November 2014

A recent awardee by the Historic Hotels of America, The Inn at the Presidio is a stroll away from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Built in 1908, the 22-room boutique hotel was originally purposed as the unmarried officers’ quarters until the extensive renovation began in 2008 by The Presidio Trust. The Inn opened to great response three years later. Recently added at the Inn is the Funston House, a separate residence which sleeps up to eight people in three bedrooms and one master suite. It honors Brig. General Frederick Funston (Sept. 11, 1865-Feb. 19, 1917), former Presidio of San Francisco commander. Dating to 1889, when the building was an Army officer’s residence or “quarters,” Funston House has been beautifully renovated to combine contemporary style and comfort while maintaining the integrity of the Greek Revival style.

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The Lodge at Torrey Pines

Western Art & Architecture, April/May 2014

The superlative Lodge at Torrey Pines is on a bluff looking toward the Pacific Ocean and adjacent to the 2,000-acre Torrey Pines State Reserve and the Torrey Pines Golf Course. The 6.5-acre resort embodies the spirit of the Greene brothers whose California Craftsman architectural style was inspired by the Arts & Crafts movement of the latter 19th and early 20th centuries.The AAA Five Diamond property, between La Jolla and Del Mar, also celebrates the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868–1928), the Scottish architect and Art Nouveau artist. And, its rooms and suites have furnishings in the style of Gustav Stickley (1858–1942) and wallpapers recalling the work of William Morris (1834-1896).

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Connectivity: Celebration of Fine Art

Western Art & Architecture, January/February 2014

Every year in Scottsdale, 50,000 or so visitors view the work of 100 artists from throughout the country at the Celebration of Fine Art (CFA). In 2014, the annual arts event continued through March 23 at the southwest corner of the Loop 101 and Hayden Road. Part gallery, wording studio and juried art show, the event showcases the art beneath 40,000 square feet of signature white tents. Outside is a one-acre landscaped sculpture garden. A major dynamic is its variety of styles and mediums, with bronzes and ceramics, furniture, figurative and representational paintings of artifacts, such as paintings of beaded moccasins and weavings. What’s more, offerings are always changing, as artists create in interactive studios beside their galleries while the CFA continues. So, sketch out some space in your calendar this winter for this colorful arts event.

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