Art and architecture of Scottsdale offer a rich cultural experience – Vancouver Sun

Article content

Many Canadians visit sunny Scottsdale over the winter months for the golf and hiking. But it’s definitely a city with no end of other attractions, including iconic architecture and a thriving, homegrown arts scene.

Article content

Dotted with towering cacti and set against the breathtaking backdrop of the McDowell Mountain Range, the sun-splashed Sonoran Desert sets the scene for our art-filled adventure in Scottsdale. It is in this desert that renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright built his winter home, Taliesin West , an expansive mid-century modern compound that quite literally merges into the landscape.

“I knew well that no house should ever be on a hill or on anything. It should be of the hill. Belonging to it,” said Wright of his beloved winter home and desert laboratory. “Hill and home should live together each the happier for the other.”

Wright and his acolytes, beginning work on the home in 1937, nestled the buildings that comprise Taliesin West — now a UNESCO World Heritage site — into the base of the foothills of the McDowell Mountains. The design strikingly mimics the hills behind the home in the angle of its many rooflines.

Article content

The foundations and walls of Taliesin West were constructed from local rock set in wooden forms and bonded with a mixture of desert sand and cement. Wright developed and modified the buildings until his death in 1959, and their colour and texture echo the surrounding desert.

A guided walk-through reveals the home as a series of spaces connected by verandas, gardens, and elaborate water features. Stepping into the living room, filled with Wright’s Taliesin 1 armchairs, or ‘origami chairs,’ the Technicolor palette of the original furnishings and décor reflects the vivid desert light to create an otherworldly effect.

Today, Taliesin West is home to The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and The School of Architecture. The Foundation offers several thematic tours as well as Sunsets and Sips, a happy-hour program allowing visitors to access select spaces on the property, indulge in cocktails and take in the sunset over the breathtaking vista — Wright called it “standing on the rim of the world” — of Paradise Valley.

Article content

A lasting legacy . . .

Wright’s lasting influence on this part of southern Arizona is further evident at Cosanti , the former gallery, studio and residence of controversial Italian-American architect Paola Soleri.

Soleri studied and worked at Taliesin West for 18 months in the mid-1940s before returning to Italy to pursue his own architectural vision, made famous by his concept of ‘arcology,’ a fusion of architecture and ecology. He returned to Scottsdale in 1956 to build his family home in Paradise Valley, just a few kilometres from Taliesin West.

The dome-shaped, earth-formed concrete structures that populate this historic site offer a cool respite from the desert heat. Filmmaker George Lucas is said to have modelled the homes on the desert planet of Tatooine in Star Wars on Soleri’s low-slung organic structures.

Article content

Today, Cosanti operates as a studio, foundry and gallery for Paolo Soleri bronze and ceramic windbells and sculptures. Walking the grounds, you’ll hear the sound of bells ringing and chimes tinkling in the constant, gentle breeze. Inspired by Soleri’s original designs, the sculptural bells — of innumerable shapes and sizes — are handcrafted using a mixture of bronze and ceramic.

Guided tours of Cosanti are readily available, and there’s a dramatic bronze casting demonstration at the foundry on weekday mornings.

Valley Ho! . . .

Back in Old Town Scottsdale, the ultimate mid-century modern architectural experience may well be a visit to one of the best-preserved hotels of that era. Designed by architect Edward L. Varney, known for his intelligent, minimalist architecture, the iconic Hotel Valley Ho opened in 1956 and was an instant success.

Article content

Most famously, movie stars Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner hosted their wedding reception at the Hotel Valley Ho. It was also a holiday hideaway for the Hollywood elite of an earlier era — Bing Crosby, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Tony Curtis, to name a few.

The architectural tour of the property, led by historians from Scottsdale’s Ultimate Art & Cultural Tours , provides a behind-the-scenes look at a postcard-perfect hotel where contemporary modernism meets classic, mid-century modern design. And, if you’re lucky, you’ll hear a few not-so-well-kept secrets from a heady bygone era.

An artistic complex . . .

A short drive north from Old Town Scottsdale, Cattle Track Arts Compound is a living repository of the area’s unique cultural heritage and a must-see for art lovers of every stripe. The non-profit collective offers a running calendar of presentations and performances, and an opportunity to see local and visiting artists and artisans at work.

Article content

On 11 rustic acres, adobe structures provide homes for artists to live and work with galleries to display their unique creations. Wandering through this warren of creativity, artists, photographers, craftspeople, and other creators are eager to chat with visitors about their projects and the work of past artists who have called the collective home since it was established more than 80 years ago.

Still-life artist Mark McDowell expounds on the rich history of the area and the strong bond within the Cattle Track community during a visit to several of the compound’s active workspaces, including the studio of ceramicist Mary Van Dusen .

“We all get along incredibly well,” says Van Dusen, a retired schoolteacher whose elegant, functional tableware is in high demand by local hoteliers and retailers.

Article content

“I do what I want, and I get paid to do it,” chimes in printmaker Brent Bond , barely able to contain his enthusiasm for his good fortune in having secured a studio space at Cattle Track, where he produces limited edition relief prints with a restored vintage printing press.

McDowell explains that he’s in a bit of a hurry. It’s late on a Friday afternoon, and he’s expected over at nearby Andaz Resort and Bungalows to warm up for his weekly gig with R&B band The Dusty Ramblers.

In 2017, when Hyatt Hotel Group opened the Andaz, it invited Cattle Track artists to collaborate on the interior design of the renovated hotel. Thousands of pieces of artwork later — including works by Van Dusen, Bond and McDowell — this boutique luxury resort has been transformed into a haven for art lovers.

Article content

Public art . . .

Whether you’re walking or biking in the downtown area of Scottsdale, there’s no shortage of artful experiences — Scottsdale currently boasts 99 permanent and 15 temporary public art pieces. In Old Town, it’s well worth making time for a self-guided walking tour of the city’s public art , many of the pieces conveniently located outside Scottsdale’s museums and public plazas.

Notably, at the Scottsdale Waterfront, adjacent to the Arizona Canal as it flows through Old Town, The Soleri Bridge and Plaza offers an excellent opportunity for some tourist selfies. Paola Soleri designed this pedestrian passage to double as an outsized sundial. Its two steel-clad, 19.5-metre-high pylons feature a 15-centimetre gap that lets the sunlight through, creating a moving shaft of light as the earth rotates. The finishing touch is an immense mobile suspending four of the architect’s famous sculptured bronze bells above the plaza.

Article content

Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Arts (SMoCA) and Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West are within easy walking distance of each other and well worth a visit. SMoCA’s airy gallery space features exhibitions of contemporary and modern art, architecture, and design. The Western Spirit, meanwhile, is an immersive experience capturing the region’s transition from the Old West to the present day.

No trip to Scottsdale is complete without a photo in front of the iconic Love sculpture by American pop art pioneer Robert Indiana. Located on Scottsdale Civic Center Mall, this enduring symbol for peace is the perfect way to capture a memory of a visit to a place you won’t soon forget.

If you go:

Getting there:

Both Air Canada ( aircanada.com ) and WestJet ( westjet.com ) fly direct to Phoenix, Arizona. Uber/Lyft to Scottsdale in less than 30 minutes.

Article content

Staying there:

Paradise Valley’s Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain offers an intimate, luxury setting amid mountainside casitas. Unwind at its world-class Sanctuary Spa. sanctuaryaz.com

Considered an icon in Old Town Scottsdale, Hotel Valley Ho is an urban resort. Tour the restored mid-century modern architectural property and wind up the day with a Mango Tango cocktail (infused with a grilled jalapeño!) at Café ZuZu restaurant. hotelvalleyho.com

Dining there:

Postino on Highland is located inside a restored mid-century modern bank designed by architect Frank Henry. Casual fare with the best charcuterie selection and beautiful wines. postinowinecafe.com

Downtown Scottsdale’s popular gastro pub Citizen Public House is worth a visit for the Bacon Fat Heirloom Popcorn alone – a bar snack you won’t want to share. And if you’re looking for healthier fare, staff toss the Original Chopped Salad right at your table. citizenpublichouse.com

Article content

Arizona Food Tours presents a walking food and historical tour of Old Town Scottsdale. A history lesson combined with delicious food and beverages at a variety of restaurants, pubs and patios. Arrive hungry and wear comfortable shoes. arizonafoodtours.com

For more information:

To plan your trip to Scottsdale, Arizona, visit experiencescottsdale.com

Visiting Scottsdale soon? Explore Chihuly in the Desert:

Now through June 19, a new exhibition of works by renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly is on view at Taliesin West and the Desert Botanical Gardens. chihulyinthedesert.org

mbroberts@postmedia.com

The writer was a guest of Experience Scottsdale. No one from Experience Scottsdale vetted or read this article before publication.