Celebrating Art Podcast

Western Spirit: Scottsdale's Museum of the West (SMoW) is celebrated for honoring the people, places and events of the American West, spanning 19 states, including those bordering Mexico and Canada. With such a rich history and culture to explore, the museum hosts an ever-evolving rotation of exhibits for visitors to choose from.

Tricia Loscher, Ph.D., is SMoW's assistant museum director, where she is in charge of collections, exhibitions and research. Tricia is no stranger to the West, having grown up all over Arizona. Her fascination with the region, including her interest in native art, led her to eventually spend 12 years at the iconic Heard Museum as a curator and program director.

In this episode, Susan and Tricia discuss how SMoW has evolved since its grand opening a few short years ago, why it places a high priority on storytelling and how the museum's robust docent program enriches the visiting experience for everyone. Tricia highlights what guests can look forward to in 2020 and what advice she has for western art lovers curating their own collections at home.

Curt Mattson was raised in the horse business, which explains his fascination with the buckaroo lifestyle of contemporary and historic horsemen and horsewomen. This lifelong passion drives his work as an artist, as he brings cowboy art to life through sculpture, watercolor, pencil and oil painting. Today, his award-winning works can be found in private collections and renowned museums across the world. This year marks his eighteenth as a visitor favorite at the Celebration of Fine Art.

In this episode, Curt shares how he made the leap to pursue life as an artist and what continues to drive him to uncover the authentic relationships between horses and humans. He also divulges which piece of his art is his personal favorite, which piece became a turning point in his career, and key lessons his mentors have taught him over the years.

Plus, Curt talks about the importance of museums and how it helps visitors develop their eye for art. Click the player above to listen to their conversation in its entirety.

Trevor Swanson is a renowned wildlife artist who works with oil on canvas, board and metal. He was born into a family of painters and first picked up a paintbrush as a child. In college, he pursued art classes but never scored above average. Undeterred, Trevor began taking lessons from his father and uncle and hasn't stopped painting since.

In this episode, Susan and Trevor discuss the influence his family had on his artistic style, how they taught him to see colors in a new way and the importance of learning through trial and error. Trevor describes his deep love for nature and the joy of being alone in nature to capture magical moments for the purpose of sharing them with others. Trevor also shares stories from the intersection of nature and preservation, and where art comes into the picture.

Tune in to hear Trevor's crazy tales from his adventures in nature, including being kicked by a buffalo in Botswana.

Robin Branham has been a part of the Celebration of Fine Art for 25 years and is sought out for her large-scale paintings that range from abstract to figurative to still life, and yet each of them remain quintessentially Robin. Her son, Colin Branham, shares her passion for creating and painting eye-catching abstract works with dramatic colors and shapes. This fall, host Susan Potje traveled to Southern California and joined Robin and Colin at in Malibu to find out more about their visions and techniques, and take a peek at their studio.

During this episode, Susan learns more about how art has impacted the lives of three generations of Branhams, and how each has learned to find their own voice through their unique experiences. Robin and Colin also describe the harrowing days preparing and living through the recent fires in Southern California, and why they decided to stay in their home and do all they could to protect their land from what could have been a devastating loss.

Heidi Rosner is an acclaimed fine art watercolor painter who has been a staple of the Celebration of Fine Art for two decades. Her work flips preconceived notions of watercolor art on its head, as she opts for vibrant scenes bursting with color and energy rather than the traditional soupy skies and misty landscapes. Heidi is heavily influenced by her extensive travels and love of plants, flowers and vegetation. More recently she's begun to incorporate birds into her paintings and has forayed into making living art, which combines paintings with succulents in shadowboxes.

In this episode, Susan welcomes Heidi to the podcast to talk about her unique background as a mechanical engineer in the aerospace industry and how she eventually pivoted to fine art after stumbling into a watercolor class at the Scottsdale Artists' School. Heidi breaks down her painting technique, why she recommends people invest in high-quality art supplies and what advice she has for aspiring artists. Finally, Heidi describes how deeply travel has affected her life and her approach to art, why she's captivated by the culture and landscape in Italy, as well as her love for the south of France.

Ann Morrow is the co-founder of the Celebration of Fine Art. Her appreciation of art began as a young girl when her family had an art shop. At the time, they featured everything ranging from European antiques to American Indian art, as well as contemporary art made by craftsmen from all over the United States. And while that's where Ann first discovered her love of art, it turns out the shop was just the beginning of her life as an art collector, art connoisseur and art influencer.

In this episode, Susan and Ann reminisce about the earliest days of the Celebration of Fine Art, how they found an audience and why they were intrigued by the concept of bringing people together over art. They also discuss Ann's time as the executive director of Scottsdale Artists' School, including her efforts to help build up Scottsdale's community of artists. Lastly, Ann shares her favorite museums around the world and how they've made her feel and see art in a whole new way.

Hannah Friel is a resin and mixed media artist based in Scottsdale, and has been a part of the Celebration of Fine Art for several seasons now. Inspired by her love of nature and fascinated by the organic movement of natural phenomena, Hannah's abstract style gives a nod to topographic maps, images in space and even slabs of granite. Collectors are drawn to the light and pigmentation of her work, glittery and complex, and have often remarked on how they look lit from within.

In this episode, Hannah joins Susan to share her journey to becoming an artist, how her family supported her creativity and how she eventually honed her own, one-of-a-kind technique. Hannah discusses why she became fascinated by resin and how she's learned to create organic designs with movement, texture, depth and dimension, coupled with bold color combinations that bring her joy. Susan and Hannah also talk about trial and error in creating art, and what trends they see catching on in the art world today.

Kirk Randle, an oil on canvas painter, and Matt Suess, a fine art photographer, are two of the Celebration of Fine Art's longtime artists and friends. Over the summer, host Susan Potje joined Kirk and Matt in Montana's sprawling Bitterroot Valley to get up close and personal with the expansive vistas and mountain ranges and learn how each artist translated what they saw into brand new works of art.

Also in this episode, Kirk and Matt discuss their strategies for location scouting, why lighting and values dictate their approach, and how two artists can see the same location completely differently. Kirk explains why the Bitterroot Valley has captured his heart (and why he wants to keep it a secret!), while Matt talks about shedding light on the beauty others might overlook. They also describe the joy of exploration, unexpected moments of discovery and the ruggedness of the great American West.