Cactus Shadows High School Art Show – Opening and Exhibit
Come celebrate the creativity & talent of our community youth at the Cactus Shadows High School Art Show & Reception where 4 Advanced Placement students will showcase their original works.
Come celebrate the creativity & talent of our community youth at the Cactus Shadows High School Art Show & Reception where 4 Advanced Placement students will showcase their original works.
Professional artist & art educator, Nicolette Bonnstetter, enlightens our community about the art world with her blend of creativity, humor, and thought-provoking discussions in the Art, Coffee, & Conversation series. Seasoned art enthusiasts and newcomers alike will enjoy her relatable approach to deeper contemplation about art. About this session: "Cats, flies, dogs and so much more have made an impact in art. Come see what I found! Do you have art with an animal in it? Bring it along."
Route 66 turns 100 years old in 2026 and author & travel writer Roger Naylor will discuss the Mother Road’s history and cultural significance. Arizona is the state that saved Route 66 and Naylor will tell that remarkable story. Learn about the astounding scenery, small town getaways, and mom-and-pop eateries that are still found along the Arizona portion of The Mother Road.
Get to know accomplished artists and learn all about their creative processes in the Amazing Artist series—a collaboration between The Sonoran Arts League & The Holland Center. This is a fantastic opportunity for art enthusiasts to connect with local talented artists as they share their journeys, inspirations, and passions with our community. This month's featured artist: Photographer George Gruel.
Award-winning writer and current Navajo Nation Poet Laureate, Laura Tohe, tells the history of the Navajo Code Talkers of WWII — a group of young Navajo men enlisted in the Marines who developed a secret code that saved American lives. Excerpts from live interviews with the Code Talkers tell their stories before, during, and after the war that reflect their resiliency and their service to the U.S., a country that once tried to erase Navajo identity and language in the schools.
Cattle is one of the original "Five C’s”— joining Copper, Citrus, Climate and Cotton—that formed the original foundation of the Arizona economy. The land area from Cave Creek, extending North clear to today’s Interstate 40, was not only home to the largest cattle ranch in the Southwest United States, but it was also home to the deadliest range war in American history. We will explore the evolution of the area’s now almost forgotten Cattle trade, its impact on the community, and the characters who made it possible.
You are invited to an exclusive opportunity to preview and purchase hundreds of handmade Navajo rugs and jewelry before they go on sale to the public.
Our fourth annual Navajo Rug & Jewelry Show is truly a memorable cultural awareness event that we're privileged to experience in our area. Shop for one-of-a-kind handmade Navajo rugs, jewelry, and crafts — and experience Native music, weaving demonstrations & stories, and cultural teachings. 100% of all proceeds directly support the Navajo Elders and help reduce the extreme poverty and hardship they face on the Navajo Reservation.
Our annual Navajo Rug & Jewelry Show is truly a memorable cultural awareness event that we're privileged to experience in our area. Shop for one-of-a-kind handmade Navajo rugs, jewelry, and crafts — and experience Native music, weaving demonstrations & stories, and cultural teachings. 100% of all proceeds directly support the Navajo Elders and help reduce the extreme poverty and hardship they face on the Navajo Reservation.
Phoenix Art Museum Docent Lisa Spahr presents a fun & engaging lecture about the joys of taking children on tours of the Museum. Their fresh perspectives and comments—sometimes funny, sometimes poignant—are always unique. Fearless and honest, their thoughts and observations make us see familiar works in a new way. We'll also discuss some of the most iconic works from the Museum's collection—each one with insights from the youngest guests.
Join Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) Docent Jeff Weiner to discover how 1950's rock grew from rhythm & blues and other early styles. Hear the artists who inspired Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and more. Enjoy discussion, music clips, and plenty of toe-tapping fun!
You are invited to a special event celebrating the art of expression by our current featured gallery artist Jerry Sieve. Registration not required, but RSVP kindly requested on our website.
Join us as PBS "History Detectives" host Dr. Eduardo Pagan investigates the mystery behind an unusual Navajo rug. The story takes us to meet a Navajo medicine man and a traditional Navajo weaver in Crownpoint, New Mexico — a place long considered the center of Navajo weaving. Did the weaver violate a taboo to create the rug? A textile historian helps us uncover who may have been behind this controversial design.
Professional artist & art educator Nicolette Bonnstetter enlightens our community about the art world with her blend of creativity, humor, and thought-provoking discussions in the Art, Coffee, & Conversation series. Seasoned art enthusiasts and newcomers alike will enjoy her relatable approach to deeper contemplation about art. About this session: Come see the most expensive tulip art ever sold and how this flower impacted architecture.
Get to know accomplished artists and learn all about their creative processes in the Amazing Artist series—a collaboration between The Sonoran Arts League & The Holland Center. This is a fantastic opportunity for art enthusiasts to connect with local talented artists as they share their journeys, inspirations, and passions with our community. This month's featured artist: Sandy Pendleton - Glass.
We begin this four-part series with the early English colonies that dominated the Atlantic coast of North America, north of Florida. While they comprised a very small portion of the British gross domestic product, for a century and a half they thrived financially. But while the Americans that lead the Colonies considered themselves loyal British subjects, they liked the freedom and independence colonial separation accorded. The French and Indian War changes everything.
Author Jay Jones shares a powerful coming-of-age story set between cultures in late-1960s Arizona. After his father’s deployment and his parents’ divorce, young Jay moves to the Navajo Nation, where he faces identity, belonging, and resilience. Enjoy a live reading, personal insights, and a book signing following the lecture.
Get to know accomplished artists and learn all about their creative processes in the Amazing Artist series—a collaboration between The Sonoran Arts League & The Holland Center. This is a fantastic opportunity for art enthusiasts to connect with local talented artists as they share their journeys, inspirations, and passions with our community. This month's featured artist: Carlos Page - Metal, Wood, and Cement.
Explore the rich history of mining in the American Southwest, with a special focus on Cave Creek. From the ripple effects of the California Gold Rush to Arizona Territory’s early mining districts, discover how mineral pursuits shaped the region. Learn how mining flourished into the early twentieth century and uncover the lasting traces still visible in the surrounding hills today.
The second of this four-part series will review the short timeframe between the French and Indian War and the Declaration of Independence. A series of British authoritarian proclamations negate the freedoms enjoyed by the colonies. Loyal British subjects in America begin to believe they are not viewed by Parliament as full citizens of Great Britain and examine applicable options that include separation from the rule of King George III.
Professional artist & art educator Nicolette Bonnstetter enlightens our community about the art world with her blend of creativity, humor, and thought-provoking discussions in the Art, Coffee, & Conversation series. Seasoned art enthusiasts and newcomers alike will enjoy her relatable approach to deeper contemplation about art. About this session: "I sewed most of my clothes growing up... but nothing like this! Come see amazing artwork with the needle. Bring special needlework you may have."
Vibrantly colored scarlet macaws appear at hundreds of archaeological sites in the U.S. Southwest and Mexican Northwest. This talk examines how, over more than 1,000 years, their acquisition, circulation, and deposition forged meaningful cultural, spiritual, and social ties with pre-Hispanic Indigenous communities.
The third segment of this four-part series will examine the American Revolution. Following a series of disputes with British authority and the implementation of restrictions that negated the colonist's personal freedoms, and the right to self-government, the American colonists revolted. We will examine the boldness of the Declaration of Independence and the challenging times of the American Revolution.
We wrap up the series by stepping into the messy, fascinating aftermath of the Revolution. Winning independence was one thing — figuring out how to govern 13 separate republics was another. With the Articles of Confederation falling apart, America faced a new challenge: creating a unified nation. This session explores how the struggle led to the U.S. Constitution and the foundation of the country we celebrate today.
You are invited to a special event celebrating the art of expression by our current featured gallery artist Beth Zink. Registration not required, but RSVP kindly requested on our website.
Most people today recognize the name Tesla because of the electric car company. The original Nikola Tesla was one of history's most remarkable inventors. Long before smartphones and satellites existed, Tesla imagined technologies that would one day connect the world. Join us as we explore the life of this brilliant and eccentric visionary whose ideas helped shape the modern age.
American history is filled with surprising coincidences—moments that feel too remarkable to be random. Some people even say there are no true coincidences, only events we don’t yet fully understand. Join Jim Sherbert as he shares some fascinating and unexpected connections in our nation’s past. These unusual historical “coincidences” are sure to spark curiosity, conversation, and maybe even a few raised eyebrows.
Professional artist & art educator Nicolette Bonnstetter uses humor, creativity, and a fresh perspective to bring art to life through the stories, history, and ideas behind it. Whether you're an art enthusiast or simply curious, these lectures offer an engaging look at the art world. This is an opportunity to purchase a 2026-27 season pass for all 7 lectures at a reduced rate of $50.
Professional artist & art educator Nicolette Bonnstetter enlightens our community about the art world with her blend of creativity, humor, and thought-provoking discussions in the Art, Coffee, & Conversation series. Seasoned art enthusiasts and newcomers alike will enjoy her relatable approach to deeper contemplation about art. About this session: Art of the Body... We will look how body art has evolved and consider the reasons.
A special event celebrating the art of expression by our current featured gallery artists Pamela Fingerhut, Diane J. Huff, and Margit Kagerer. Meet the artists and learn about each piece in the exhibit.
