The city of Sedona invites the public to attend its next artist reception on Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the City Council chambers and Vultee Conference Room at City Hall to celebrate two couples: master painters Betty Carr and Howard Carr and painters Susan Kliewer and Jeff Dolan. Special music guests will be Gina Machovina and husband Alberto Hinojoza.
Masks are required at the event due to pandemic concerns. This exhibit is planned to be on display through the end of April.
“It is with great pleasure I present the city’s first exhibit featuring couples. However, I was so sad to learn of Howard’s recent passing. Betty admirably decided the show must go on. This special exhibit has additionally become a tribute to Howard’s life and work. Most know Susan as a talented sculptor and are not aware of her love of painting, which she shares with her husband, Jeff. This exhibit highlights both their work as well,” said Arts and Culture Coordinator Nancy Lattanzi.
About the artists
Betty Carr received her Master of Fine Arts from San Jose State University and taught painting and sculpture workshops nationally and internationally for more than 45 years. She was selected as a Master Artist in the American Impressionist Society. As a professional artist throughout her distinguished career, she has traveled extensively, gathering inspirational subject matter through plein air painting. She has received numerous juried awards, as well as exhibited in major exhibitions and galleries throughout the country. In addition to being featured in numerous books and magazines, Carr is the author of acclaimed instructional book “Seeing the Light: An Artist’s Guide.” She is a signature member of Knickerbocker Society of Artists and Arizona Plein Air Painters.
Howard Carr was born in California and was a child actor landing roles in several TV series, including “The Rifleman,” “My Three Sons” and “The Danny Thomas Show.” After he left acting, he served in Vietnam and following his military service received a fine arts degree. In 1976, he moved to Santa Cruz, Calif. and opened a graphics and sign business. There he met his wife, Betty. They moved to New Mexico where light and color greatly influenced his paintings. Known for his landscapes, still life and coastal scenes, Howard’s impressionistic oils reflect clarity and simplicity, ultimately his artistic strengths. Howard’s contributions to the art world were numerous. He authored and illustrated many articles for leading magazines, as well as led national and international instructional workshops.
Although known for her bronze sculptures, painting has always been Kliewer’s first love. In fact, she spent many happy days painting in Europe and around the U.S. A native of California, she made Arizona her home for 40 years and began sculpting in 1987. In 1993 she won a competition to create a monument of Sedona Schnebly for the city of Sedona. The10-foot-high sculpture of her town’s namesake was installed in front of the Sedona Public Library in 1994. Many more of her monuments have been commissioned and installed in the U.S. and Europe. She has earned numerous awards and is especially proud of the Governor’s Award at the Cowgirl Up Show in 2007. Her work can be seen in several galleries throughout the West including those in New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, Colorado and California.
Dolan grew up in Ipswich, Mass. and while visiting the various galleries of local artists, he developed a love for the impressionistic landscapes and harbor scenes of such painters as Emile Grupe and Aldro Hibbard. Moving to Sedona in 1988 he began to develop an interest in western art. Eventually Kliewer and a couple of her painting buddies chipped in and bought him his first French easel, so he could join their Wednesday painting group. Since then, they have travelled to England, Ireland, France and New England with their easels and palettes, as well as painting in the western U.S. Dolan believes that the American West has always represented a world of discovery and new beginnings.
More information
Viewings are available by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, or for more information on the City Hall Art Rotation Program, please contact Lattanzi at 928-203-5078 or NLattanzi@SedonaAZ.gov.
