The Phoenix Art Museum received a $3.1 million gift from Ellen and Howard C. Katz for a new wing displaying modern art. The wing is one of five major work orders of the museum’s $41 million expansion project. Previously, the museum has been able to place only about 5 percent of its 17,000 works of art on view at one time. The four-level wing will add more than 25,000 square feet of gallery space, including additional room for private receptions, product launches and special events.

“This is an historic time for Phoenix Art Museum,” said Ellen Katz, vice president of the museum’s board of trustees and chair of the grand opening celebrations. “The strong support of the community for this significant expansion will enable the museum to grow and mature among the nation’s leading art museums.

My husband and I are thrilled to be able to play a role in the museum’s exciting future.” Other major components of the expansion include a new lobby and entry plaza, a sculpture garden/urban oasis, more space for The Museum Store, and growth of the museum’s endowment.

Visitors to the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North can now view The Gallery at Four Seasons, a living, organic gallery with all works available for sale, presented in partnership with The Trail of Painted Ponies artist organization. The collection will be completed in separate gallery “zones,” with the first zone unveiled in April 2006. Works by premier Native American painter Kevin Red Star will mingle with contemporary pieces by award-winning artist Joel Nakamura and organic sculptures by natural materials artist Marcela Panasiti, among others. Also included in The Gallery are two original Painted Ponies, which are life-size horses that are turned into works of art by the designated artist. Crazy Horse by artist C.J. Wells and Mesa Spirits by artist Buddy Tubinaghtewa are on display for the first time ever and also available for purchase. Called the “Madonna of the Art World,” Wells’ powerful portraits of proud Native Americans are in the collections of such celebrities as Sylvester Stallone and Robert Redford.

To complement The Gallery, Native American silversmith and master bow maker Peter Roybal serves as the “Artist in Residence” at the resort. In this role, Roybal displays and creates handcrafted works of art on property, and takes guests on complimentary guided tours of The Gallery collection.

For more information, visit www.fourseasons.com or call (888) 207-9696.

According to Smartertravel.com, Havasu Falls, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona is one of the Five places you’ve never been (but can’t afford to miss).It’s just about the last thing you’d expect to find in the middle of the Arizona desert: a virtual Garden of Eden at the end of a grueling 10-mile hike into the parched southwest corner of Grand Canyon National Park. This is Havasu Falls, a tropical oasis of blue-green pools spilling out of a hundred-foot waterfall. While it can be seen in many calendars and postcards, it’s also a relative ghost town compared to many of the more accessible corners of the Southwest. Visit Smartertravel.com for the full story.

Visitors to thePhoenix Art Museum can view Constructing New Berlin, the first major survey of contemporary art made in post-wallBerlin, which is on display April 9-Sept. 24. Lured by generous grant programs, abundant and inexpensive studio spaces, and an expansive gallery scene, many artists have flocked to the new capital of re-unified Germany.
The city itself – its history, resurgence and rebuilding – also has provided inspiration and subject matter for these artists. The exhibition features 16 Berlin-based artists of various generations and nationalities working in painting, sculpture, photography, film, installation, video-installation, sound and performance art. The majority of works are from the 21st century, including a number of new pieces made specifically for this project. After its premiere at

Phoenix Art Museum, the exhibit will travel to Bass Museum of Art to be on view during the 2006 Art Basel Miami Beach.
The

Phoenix Art Museum also is nearing the end of construction on its expansion. The new museum is scheduled to open in November 2006. For more information, visit www.phxart.org or call (602) 257-1880.

The Caleo Resort & Spa, recently acquired by Kimpton Hotels, recently opened Jurlique Spa, the first of its kind to provide signature services with Jurlique products in
Arizona. The Spa is a distinctly organic, nature-based experience that is available to guests on a priority basis as well as the public, based on availability.
Jurlique Spa features seven treatment rooms including a couples massage room, Vichy water massage room, and manicure and pedicure stations. Each treatment room has a residential feel to make guests feel at home and features overstuffed furniture and soft chandelier lighting. Several rooms also include deep soaking tubs. Spa goers can enjoy Zen Harmony, the spa’s signature facial that uses the delicate Japanese Shiatsu method of stimulating energy channels. The Travelers Tonic Bath is designed to encourage circulation and stimulate the mind and body with refreshing lemon-lime and rosemary essential oils, and lavender bath salts to restore the weary traveler to vibrant health.
All of the treatments feature Jurlique products, which are produced by an Australia-based company that offers 200 organic, plant-based products for face and body care, and have a devoted following of celebrities worldwide.
For more information, visit www.caleoresort.com or call (800) 528-7867.