EXPERIENCE ARIZONA

experience. arizona Festivals, powwows and get-togethers / by CARRIE M. MINER STORM LIGHT

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon in July offers a land of unpredictable photo opportunities. A ridge of clouds along the distant horizon often signals a coming storm. As it moves across the Canyon toward the North Rim, the light changes and anything is possible. Join Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Jack Dykinga, July 16-20, for this special workshop and capture a desert storm in one of the most extraordinary settings on Earth.

For more information about this workshop and a complete schedule of the Friends of Arizona Highways photo workshops, call (602) 712-2004 or tollfree (888) 790-7042, or visit the Web site at www.friendsofazhighways.com.

OTHER WORKSHOPS

May 7-11 Slot Canyons With Richard Maack July 16-20 Storms With Jack Dykinga July 21-26 Wildflowers of the Rockies With Jim Steinberg September 7-11 Spirits of the Navajo With LeRoy DeJolie September 22-26 Slot Canyons With Jerry Sieve

Arizona Highways Photography Exhibits CELEBRATIING THE GRAND CANYON

Photographs by Gary Ladd Through May 27 Sharlot Hall Museum, Prescott (520) 445-3122

MAGAZINE GALLERY

Photographs by Arizona Highways contributors Permanent exhibit Mesa Southwest Museum, Mesa (480) 644-3417

THE ARTS AND CRAFTS MOVEMENT

April 10; Flagstaff The Arts and Crafts Movement originated in the early 1900s under the guidance of craftsman Gustav Stickley. The simple designs, sometimes called Mission-style, favored plain, handmade items emphasizing high-quality craftsmanship.

In 1904, brothers Timothy and Michael Riordan commissioned renowned architect Charles Whittlesey to design an Arts and Crafts-style mansion in downtown Flagstaff. The lumber businessmen decorated their home with Stickley furniture.

Today the mansion has one of the largest Stickley collections in the country with 24 original pieces. Tours of the home are offered to the public, and on April 10 Riordan Mansion Park Manager Rick Knotts will host a Brown Bag Lecture on Stickley and the Arts and Crafts Movement. Information: (520) 779-4395.

SINGING THE BLUES

April 20-22; Glendale Delta Blues, Chicago Blues, Zydeco, Texas Blues or West Coast Blues - all forms of blues music have roots sunk deep in the Mississippi Delta region, where African-Americans first brought songs from the fields to the clubs. The music relies on a 12-bar structure and rhyming three-line verses. Growing from strong African roots, the tunes celebrate life's gritty realities of loneliness and sorrow but sometimes treat them with defiant humor. Thirteen bands will perform at the Glendale Jazz and Blues Festival in a musical weekend at Murphy Park. Information: (623) 930-2299.

BOOK THE DATE

April 7; Phoenix Before the invention of books, the Mesopotamians recorded handwritten text on clay tablets. By the Middle Ages the codex, rectangular pages grouped together, became valued not only for its contents, but for the artful covers adorned with gold, silver work and jewels. In A.D. 868, the first knownprinted book, the Buddhist text, The Diamond Sutra, was crafted with wood blocks.

With the creation of paper and moveable metal type, books took off during the Renaissance and evolved into a fine art form by the time they were mass produced. At the fourth annual Arizona Book Festival, at Margaret T. Hance Deck Park, bibliophiles can visit with some of today's renowned authors including Tony Hillerman, Terry Tempest Williams, Ann Zwinger and J.A. Jance. Other activities include book signings, readings and panel discussions. Information: (602) 843-7532.

AUCTION ACTION

April 28; Ganado In 1876 John Lorenzo Hubbell came from New Mexico to the Ganado area and began trading with the Navajo people. He exchanged staples and household goods for Navajo blankets and jewelry, and soon became known for his generosity and hospitality. Hubbell Trading Post, a National Historic Site since 1965, runs much as it did in Hubbell's day-stocked with everything from canned goods to horse collars. Weavers and silversmiths demonstrate their crafts, while high-quality rugs, paintings and jewelry are still offered for sale at the Native American Arts Auction. Kachinas, rugs, pottery, baskets and paintings may be purchased directly from the artists. Information: (520) 755-3475.

Other Events

Annual Herb Festival; April 14; Superior; (520) 689-2811. Herbal cooking demonstrations and exhibits at Boуce Thompson Arboretum.

Maricopa County Fair; April 18-22; Phoenix; (602) 2520717. Rides and livestock competitions.

International Hava-Salsa Challenge; April 21-22; Lake Havasu City; (520) 680-0221. A spicy boating competition.

Arizona State University Spring Competition Pow Wow; April 20-22; Tempe; (480) 965-5224. Intertribal dancing and Native American arts and crafts.

Oracle Oaks Festival; April 21; Oracle; (520) 896-9326. Parade, games and homemade arts and crafts.

Region VII All-Arabian Horse Show; April 24-29; Scottsdale; (480) 312-6802. More than 700 Arabian horses.

La Vuelta de Bisbee; April 27-29; Bisbee; (520) 432-5795. A racy weekend for cyclists of all ages.

Young's Farm Western Weekend; April 28-29; Dewey; (520) 632-7272. Hayrides, pony rides and a cowboy cookout.