June 17, 2010

The Art Barn in Pinetop, AZ is celebrating it’s 25th consecutive year this year and I am fortunate to be a part of it. Featuring 12 artists and crafters and open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday now through September 26th, it should definitely be on everyone’s to do list for those visiting or living in the Pinetop, Pinetop-Lakeside and the Show Low area. For those living in the Phoenix – Scottsdale area it is less than a 4 hour drive to the cool White Mountains – a perfect location to beat the summer Phoenix heat.

This is the location of my summer studio and I will be there every weekend except for those weekends I am attending other shows as listed on my exhibition page. The Art Barn is located at 4756 Buck Springs Road in Pinetop, AZ. Hope to see you there this summer.

What follows is an article that recently appeared in the White Mountain Independent Newspaper – the local newspaper – featuring the Art Barn.

Matt Suess

The Art Barn in Pinetop, Arizona

ART BARN CELEBRATING 25 EXCITING YEARS OF CREATIVITY ON DISPLAY

The Art Barn is celebrating its 25^th year of traditional excellence in exhibiting and selling fine arts and crafts in the cool pines on the outskirts of Pinetop.  Come and experience the exciting work of local area and southwestern artists and crafters.

The Art Barn season runs from the Memorial Day weekend through the end of September. The Art Barn hours are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM. The artists and crafters in residence at the Art Barn are Monna Berrick, oils; John and Karen Wilhelm, steel/scratch board drawings, metal sculpture and photography; Diane Fleming, fused glass; David Fischer and Don Hotz, handcrafted soaps and personal care products; Valerie Vitale, jeweled crosses and jewelry; Cami Buttler, oils; Matt Suess, photography; Dennis and Peggy Hill, oils; Alan Smith, oils; Vickie Smith, jewelry.

Many of the artists and crafters will be holding a variety of workshops and classes throughout the summer months.  Come in and find out about these exceptional educational opportunities and the artists’ schedules for times and dates.

During the past 25 years the Art Barn has been a surviving and thriving arts and crafts venue in our small-town Arizona community.  The barn has showcased quality art and crafts and in return has been a tremendous support to the local economy as a prime tourist and festival destination.  The barn has brought together local and regional artists to the White Mountains now and the past who give a big “Thank You” for the continued patronage of the local community, summer homeowners, and visitors to our community.

The Art Barn has a colorful history.  The actual building has its origin with the railroad that used to service the logging industry of the past.  The barn building was originally located farther down Buck Springs Road at the Roundhouse Resort.  It was a working horse barn for the railroad working out of the Roundhouse.  The barn was moved to its present location over three decades ago.  You can still see the horse stables with their outside swing doors and stalls now the booths for the artists in residence.

Over a quarter decade ago the barn was very primitive: no insulation, pegboard walls, gaping holes in doors, small animal infestations, and a ladder hatch to the 2^nd floor loft.  It had no phone service, limited electricity, no porches, and a blue tarp awning on the front.  It remained in this condition until about 20 years ago when the summer artists made temporary walls and displays, improving the lighting, and began an upgrading process.

The barn’s current appearance is credited to Frank Smith of Frank M. Smith Realty and Associates.  When Frank Smith bought the location around 2000, he began a serious upgrade of the structure.  He installed a staircase to the loft, added bathrooms, shower facility, and a complete kitchen.  Next, Frank added a front porch, awning and deck; upgraded the barn’s interior with rough sawn board and batten pine; improved the electrical service; added a sound system, skylights, and replaced all stall doors with windows; and added a back slab porch and grill.  This year, Frank has refinished the entire flooring.  The old Roundhouse railroad horse barn has definitely found an advocate who appreciates the beauty of a treasured landmark.

When Frank Smith took ownership of the property and began all the fine upgrades to the barn, he renamed it The Gathering Place where it is available for all types of public and private events like meeting, conventions, weddings, etc. In addition to being a great advocate and steward of the historic Roundhouse barn, Frank Smith has always been a strong supporter of the arts, very helpful and accommodating to the Art Barn artists, and their continuing use of the facilities during the summer months.

During the summer months Alan Smith (no relation to Frank Smith) and his Running Bear Productions leases the facility as a cooperative with the working artists each season for the past 25 years to transform it into the Art Barn: an open arts and crafts studio with 8 – 12 artists displaying and selling their work on weekends from 10 AM to 5 PM Friday, Saturday, and Sundays.

The art shows began a transformation about 25 years ago when Alan Smith took over barn management in the early 1990’s.  Alan is a well-known artist in oil in his own right and has an extensive background in producing art shows, teaching art, and owning an art gallery.  In the years before Running Bear Productions, there was only one art festival produced at the barn and was only open weekends during July and August.

Since Alan began barn management, his focus has always been to create an atmosphere of art awareness and appreciation in the White Mountains.  Alan believes that the arts are integral to the health of a community and serve as one of the fundamental economic engines for the area.  Alan’s mission statement reads, “producing the highest quality small fine art and craft shows and festivals in the Southwest.”  His festivals are all juried and are a real treat to experience the high quality standards that he upholds.

Alan previously produced fine arts festivals in Greer.  He moved the Memorial Day Art Festival to the Art Barn and added the Labor Day Art Festival.  A couple of years later he extended the barn’s open weekends to the end of September and added the Fall Art Festival in conjunction with the Run to the Pines Antique Car Show.  More recently, the Art Barn extended its summer weekends to now run from the Memorial Day Art Festival to the end of September and added the 4^th of July Art Festival.  Now the Art Barn is open for four months each summer from June through the end of September with four Fine Art and Craft Festivals produced during this time.

Over the past 25 years the Art Barn has had some of the finest artists and crafters creating and exhibiting on-site each weekend: oil, watercolor, acrylic, and mixed media painters; wood carvers; potters; jewelers; metal sculptors; handcrafted soapers; gourdists; furniture makers; photographers; and more!  There is always a waitlist for artists wanting to create and exhibit at the Art Barn during its busy summer season.

The Art Barn, celebrating its 25^th season, is the longest running, highest quality, premier fine art destination located in the cool White Mountains, located at 4756 Buck Springs Road, Pinetop, Arizona, adjacent and behind Frank M. Smith Realty.  (928) 369-5002 (Barn phone).