Celebrate Sedona kicks off Big Gay Art Show – Verde Independent

Angel Phoenix, Carnie Asada and Vypra G Saxton will perform a family-friendly holiday show during the kickoff of the Big Gay Art Show exhibition. (Courtesy photos)

Celebrate Sedona returns Wednesday, Dec.7, at Sedona Arts Center with a family-friendly, fun, holiday-themed drag performance by Angel Phoenix, Carnie Asada and Vypra G Saxton to kick off the Big Gay Art Show.

Join us for a singing, dancing, and a fun celebration in the Theatre Studio at Sedona Arts Center in Uptown Sedona from 4 to 6 p.m. Attendance is free. Food by The Cheesy Javelina and drinks will be available for purchase.

Celebrate Sedona is specifically targeted toward strengthening ties within the greater Sedona area to support the local community. Admission to Celebrate Sedona is free to the public with food and drink available for purchase. The Big Gay Art Show is a juried art show that exhibits and sells artwork in support of the LGBTQ+ community and allies and runs from Dec. 7–23. This much-anticipated and well attended exhibition is open to all artists in any medium and of any level. 

In 2012, the Big Gay Art Show was conceptualized by a small group – some connected to SAC and others in the Sedona Pride organization. The event began as an effort to offer the LGBTQ+ community a voice in the local art scene. Since that first show, Sedona Arts Center has welcomed hundreds of emerging and professional artists to Sedona to share their work. The event provides a positive venue to for the LGBTQ+ community and its allies to show their work. In the past, Sedona Arts Center hosted and promoted this event, but has now taken on the special event at the request of Sedona Pride. 

“We are incredibly excited about the Big Gay Art Show. This is first BGAS since the pandemic and since we took over the event from Sedona Pride,” said Julie Richard, CEO of Sedona Arts Center. “Work in the show is coming from all over the U.S. – and I believe this is going to be a very impactful and stunning exhibit. It is definitely not to be missed.”

Sedona Arts Center is one of Northern Arizona’s most well-established cultural organizations and serves as the creative heart of Sedona—connecting, enriching, educating, and leading through the inspiring power of the arts and creative discovery. Founded in 1958, the nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization is based in Uptown and offers year-round classes, exhibitions, festivals, and cultural events that enhance the creative life of the Verde Valley. The Center’s Fine Art Gallery promotes the original works of over 100 local artists and regularly offers special assistance for collectors and art buyers, offers private studio visits, and fosters hundreds of arts education opportunities each year. 

Visit SedonaArtsCenter.org to learn more.

Information provided by Sedona Arts Center