Appreciating Creativity

 

 

We spent the day in pursuit of the creative spirits who have influenced the Valley of the Sun. First stop was Taliesin West, architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter camp. We’ve taken several of the different tours during past visits; today’s choice was the one-hour Panorama tour. Our excellent guide discussed Wright’s philosophy of linking indoor and outdoor spaces. The tour visits Wright’s private office, Seminar Theater, Music Pavillion and Cabaret Theater.

 

 

The on-site bookstore/shop sells a plethora of all things Wright. Shelves bear hundreds of books featuring his life and work. Wright designs appear on almost anything imaginable – jewelry, t-shirts, notecards, ties, dishes, clocks, placemats, decks of cards, coloring books, candles, on-and-on.

 

Additional tour options include the 90-minute Insights Tour, a more intensive 3-hour Behind the Scenes Tour and the 2-hour Night Lights Tour. The evening tour is offered seasonally on Friday evenings; from panoramic sunset views to the fire-breathing dragon this is a spectacular experience.

 

Cosanti was our second venue for the day. The former residence of the late Italian-American architect Paolo Soleri (1919-2013) is the home of Soleri Windbells. Ceramic and bronze wind bells hang everywhere around the gallery/studio. Shoppers test the tones before making their selection creating a harmonious symphony. Bob knew exactly the sound he was seeking and happily found the right bell to take home.

 

 

Even lunch met the creative theme of the day. Arcadia Farms Cafe in downtown Scottsdale is a number one location for breakfast and lunch. Supporting local family-owned farms the menus highlight wholesome, natural organic products. Not to be missed are the daily selection of pastries; we managed to devour both the Coconut Baby Cake and a Key Lime Tart in Coconut Crust. We noted that across the street at the Marketplace happy hour means the day’s bakery items are half-priced from 2-5pm.

 

 

 

The Dale Chihuly glass exhibit in the Desert Botanical Garden motivated our visit to the Scottsdale/Phoenix area. Entry times are in three blocks of the day. We chose the 4-8pm time, allowing more than 2 hours to see the exhibit in daylight, watch the desert sunset and see the gardens and glass illuminated as night falls.

 

 

 

 

As fascinated as we were with the Chilhuly strategically placed in the garden we didn’t neglect attention to the garden plantings themselves. Many of the cacti are opening blossoms in celebration of spring. The sunset wasn’t the most spectacular Arizona display we’ve seen but was worth a few photos.

 

 

 

The illuminated gardens and Chihuly glass sculptures added even more creativity to a very inspiring (and tiring) day. Each of these sites deserve their own feature blog but that will have to wait for another day.