We couldn’t have imagined a more inspiring week of artistic connection than the one we shared in August. The creative energy was undeniable. It moved through every room, every sunrise, every conversation. Each day unfolded with fresh inspiration, not just for us, but for the remarkable artists in residence who brought their vision and spirit to the inn. Our time together felt like a true gift and one we’re deeply grateful for. We’re so excited to share a glimpse into the beauty, process, and quiet magic that filled this weeklong residency.
The first evening started as strangers gathering but the kind of strangers who speak in the same colors. We shared a meal in the olive grove (wood fired pizzas and Parch’s desert margaritas), watched the great horned owl fly overhead, and knew we were in for a beautiful week.
There’s something different about hearing music in the desert. Out here, the stage isn’t marked by velvet curtains or neon lights. Rather by mountain ridges, framed in fading sun and grounded in the warm embrace of a desert summer. It was a full body experience watching Antrom Alexander and Penner Lucas of Desert Friends band perform the song they created while seeking inspiration from the Sonoran Desert.
We stopped by to say hello to Aleksandra Zee, our favorite woodworker! She took over the yoga room in designing a light sculpture in an exploration of light and darkness. There’s something sacred about witnessing a friend in their element. In watching ideas turn to form, vision to object, silence to beauty.
A beautiful piece that we are now grateful to have in our collection is this stunning portrait of the great-horned owl who resides in the palm trees here at the inn, drawn with graphite pencil by Parker Thornton.We’ve all grown especially fond of the owl (whom we realize needs a name!) throughout the years and it was our delight that Parker felt an immediate connection meeting the owl too. Parker shared a lovely recollection of his experience being part of the artist residency: A Full Circle Journey: My Magical Experience At The JTH Artist Residency.
Devin Tuel and Stephen Harms immersed us in another evening of live music. We sat around the fire pit listening to the first notes hit the sky noticing how they didn’t drift up, rather they soared, carried by the warm desert breeze moving between saguaros and sunsets. Listening to them was both grounding and untethering. As untethering as challenging the societal norm that productivity equals value is. They also recently curated our refreshed New Moon Playlist!
Lisa Rooney is a multi-disciplinary artist who works with ceramics, murals, 2D, earth works, jewelry, and photo. You can find more of her work here. She spent her time at the inn creating ceramics using the natural pigments we were surrounded by here in the Sonoran Desert. We loved seeing her creating in multiple places around the inn: the Cholla Room’s private patio, next to the communal fire pit and in the dining room in the main kitchen!
Jenica Heintzelman is a photographer and videographer currently based in Tucson, AZ. These blue and white images are cyanotypes she captured while here. Cyanotypes are a photographic process that uses sun light to create these images. She captured amazing images around the inn and portraits of the artists during her time here. If you have a stay planned with us soon, you can book a portrait photo session with her here!
Daniel Falcon is a contemporary visual artist and currently creates works on paper that juxtapose cultural elements. He spent time with watercolors on the private patio of our Creosote Suite. His print work is available at his Casa Studio!
The magic of the inn felt amplified with the artists here tapping into the creative energy of the Sonoran Desert, and it was our honor to share the inn for such a profound experience. Our mission was to reconnect with the natural world and we feel that this group was energized to do the same with their time here and to share what they witnessed with their loved ones.
We feel so grateful both to the artists and to you for keeping up with this journey. Our hope is that we invited inspiration into your lives to connect with two of the most beautiful and meaningful parts of this life: art & nature.
A special thank you to Parch for keeping us all hydrated through the week with their new Sedona Spritz and our favorite, their Desert Margarita. Their ethos in their brand and recipe making process is: What Grows Together Goes Together. They blend adaptogens (Ashwagandha, L-Theanine and American Ginseng) in their drinks crafted by a naturopathic doctor to work symbiotically with the human body’s natural processes. Not only is it absolutely delicious, it’s a real treat knowing it’s good for you!
