During the month of September, the Village Gallery of Local Artist will feature long-time member Phaedra Hutsell.  A Sedona artist and mystic for over ten years, Phaedra creates handcrafted ceremonial artwork made of feather, stone, wood, leather, found and re-purposed objects.

Phaedra had an untraditional childhood that was rich with adventure. Her mother made her living by selling artwork at festivals, fairs, and powwows. The family traveled quite a lot all across the U.S. and sometimes lived off the land.  As a child, Phaedra helped her mother make dream catchers to sell and began to acquire the skills of the craft and eventually developed her own style. Phaedra was exposed to many diverse spiritual traditions and crafts from early on.  At age 16 she became the youngest female Sundancer in the Lakota tradition. This experience bonded her to a lifelong dedication to spiritual growth and development.

When Phaedra moved to Sedona 13 years ago, she made her living taking people on nature tours. She made “Intention Trees” from collected objects for her clients to take home with them to remember their connection with the Earth. Phaedra took this concept and further expanded her artwork of sacred objects.

Phaedra has been a Spiritual Counselor in Sedona for the last 10 years. She explains “I see my job as helping to clear away the unnecessary clutter in people’s lives, to make way for the growth that follows.” Her artwork is an extension of her spiritual path. Her ceremonial art includes prayer fans, rattles, dream catchers and Intension Trees. These objects adorn a home, and also can help create a sacred space and be used in spiritual practice. The materials Phaedra puts into her artwork are ethically sourced, with great respect for the Earth and honor of the ancestors.

A reception for Phaedra will be held on Friday, September 6^th from 5-8PM, and the public is invited to come and enjoy refreshments. Phaedra will be available to talk about her journey and her art, and many other artist members will attend as well. The Village Gallery is located at 6512 State Route 179 in the Village of Oak Creek at the Cortez roundabout. For more information call 928-284-1416 or visit our Gallery.