Festival Coyote Showcases to create buzz for arts event

By Curtis Riggs | June 11, 2008 Flowers
Excitement about the Cave Creek Film & Arts Festival will build at the end of the month. Several Coyote Showcases are planned, leading up to the annual festival awards ceremony on July 19.

Coyote Showcases are preview events for festival art, writing and music categories. Viewings of photography and art entries, festival original songs and films and a poetry reading will be held in the community the last weekend in June.

Festival photographs and the top adult visual art entries will be on display at the Desert Foothills Library on Friday, June 27. This Coyote Showcase will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

On Saturday, June 28, the Coyote Showcase featuring festival films, original songs and dance entries will be held at the Cactus Shadows Fine Art Center from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Festival youth art entries will also be on display.

The Coyote Showcase for poetry will be held at the Cave Creek Coffee Company on Sunday, June 29 from 4 to 7 p.m.

Longtime Cave Creek Mayor Vincent Francia commented on the huge increase in festival entries this year, "When you jump from 201 to 346 you must be doing something right. With every category going up it really shows the festival is gaining momentum."
Pink cow
Festival coordinator Sue Mueller also said the Coyote Showcases will help to build excitement about the festival. According to Sue, the community really has something to look forward to with the high quality of this year’s entries featured in the Coyote Showcases.

Festival committee chair-woman Judy Bruce expects the Coyote Showcases to be "extraordinary."

Francia expects the festival momentum to continue through the Coyote Awards Ceremony to be held at Harold's on Saturday, July 19 from 6 to 9 p.m. The winners of the seven festival categories will receive $30,000 in prize money. The Sonoran Arts League's new "Spirit of Cave Creek" award will go to the entry that best exemplifies what Cave Creek is all about. Longtime Cave Creek artist Judy Darbyshire will choose the winner of the "Spirit of Cave Creek Award."

A short story reading will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at Hammerhead Jack's on July 13, the Sunday before the Harold's award ceremony.

For more information about the festival and the Coyote Showcases call 480-298-9432 or visit the film/art festival website at www.CaveCreekFilmandArts Festival.com.

Photo captions: On display for the Art Showcase will be paintings such as these by Carol Sabo (top, left) and Robin Ray (lower, right).

Level Nine makes move to new location


Level 9 Gallery owner, Mickey Meulenbeek, is proud of her new location at 6552 E. Cave Creek Rd. next to Cave Creek Coffee Company. The gallery has a studio where artist Felice Kent (shown with students Kiva, Tia and Nico) is teaching workshops. New workshops will be starting the last two weeks of June for adults (18 and over). ‘Drawing with Charcoal’ on the 17th & 19th and ‘Beginners guide to Drawing’ on June 24th & 26th are four hour sessions and lunch is included. For more information call 480-329-6118 or stop by Tuesday – Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. or Saturday by appointment only.