Sedona AZ (June 3, 2015) – Sedona sculptor Tom Gebler headlines the June meeting of the Sedona Visual Artist’s Coalition (SVAC) as he shares the remarkable story of how he came to create Kituwah, a bronze sculpture that received the People’s Choice Award at the SVAC Fall Exhibition at Sedona Arts Center Gallery last November. The meeting, 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 18, is at the church at 54 Bow String Drive in Sedona. Gebler says his experience with Kituwah reflects both a deep, personal as well as artistic journey and that completing the sculpture has ignited the true artist in him that has been yearning to emerge for many years.
Gebler plans a highly interactive presentation that will include the invitation to audience members to share their artistic stories about images, signs, symbols that have, perhaps even in retrospect, helped them grow on their artistic journey. He says he believes artists and others have an expanded field of opportunities open to them if they can remain open and aware and not dismiss what may at first appear to be unconnected, unrelated or unusable material.
“We simply have to learn to be open enough and clear enough and able to pay attention to and receive the lessons life brings, as well as let go of any expectations around those lessons,” says Gebler, who originally studied art in college, then pursued a longtime career in architectural design before returning again to sculpture last year. His 34-year journey with Kituwah began when as a college student he experienced an intense visual experience of a Native American man accompanied by an equally intense feeling of visceral ‘knowing.’ “The artist in me knew enough to quickly fashion a clay image of the bust to capture his likeness”, says Gebler.”
But he never cast the piece. It wasn’t until 12 years later, while participating in a guided visualization, that the image returned and Gebler heard himself utter the word Kituwah. With the feeling and image back, he began a larger clay sculpture but upon approaching completion, suddenly felt the need to stop working on the piece. He says it felt somehow wrong to continue on but he continued to maintain a deep connection to the sculpture and trusted he would know when it was time to complete it. It was over 20 years before the initial feeling would return, which occurred as a result of an experience that provided further revelations about his relationship with the mysterious Native American image. Gebler’s connection to this vision spans eight generations and recently led him to stand before representatives of the Eastern Band of Cherokee to present a casting of Kituwah to the Cherokee tribe in North Carolina.
For more information about the meeting contact Julee at (928)239-9967.
The Sedona Visual Artist’s Coalition is an inclusive organization welcoming artists at all levels while providing a sense of belonging. Some of the benefits of membership include opportunities to participate in both the Fall Exhibit and in the annual Open Studios Tour, a web page on the SVAC interactive website, and an opportunity to participate and interact with SVAC committees which help solidify the arts in our community. SVAC is also very proud of its high school scholarship program as well as its Inter-Generational Mentoring Program where members bring the fine arts into the schools and to adult daycare organizations. For more information about SVAC, visit the website at: http://sedonaartistscoalition.org/, contact president@sedonaartistscoalition.org, or call (928) 239-9967.
