Client: Host Hotels & Resorts

Overview

Eaton Fine Art (EFA), a full service art consultancy firm based in Austin, completed the art program for the recently-renovated, five-star, five-diamond Canyon Suites at The Phoenician, a Luxury Collection Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. EFA curated the artwork for the public spaces and resort’s 60 Canyon guestrooms. The collection of artwork for The Phoenician plays to the textures and colors of the natural landscape of the Sonoran Desert and local culture. An eclectic mix of media from local Arizona and Southwestern-based artists collectively illustrates the diversity of the topography and rich history of the region.

Goals

The Canyon Suites at The Phoenician wished to introduce guests to a more refined and nuanced story of the oftentimes rough depiction of the Southwest without sacrificing authenticity. To meet the expectations of the resort’s affluent clientele, Eaton Fine Art’s carefully curated art program utilized a vast collection of artworks — from honoring and paying homage to the region’s landscape and history to bringing focus onto the bustling contemporary art scene and local artists — to achieve a timeless and international aesthetic.

Contemporary abstract photography brings an elegance to each of the spaces and a balance the more textured pieces. The closely cropped image of a horse’s face references the importance of the animal to the area’s history in a graceful way. In a similar vein, graphic drawings in a multitude of artistic styles showcase a modern interpretation of Native american woven textiles and baskets.

In the lobby, a focal, custom wallcovering by an Arizona-based artist reinterprets the Sonoran landscape and sky in a sophisticated abstraction. The art program embodies and reinforces the Canyon Suites’ upscale and contemporary design narrative, while embracing the tranquility of the desert oasis.

Process

Eaton Fine Art’s mission is to curate innovative art programs and collaborate on hospitality projects that engage guests. For the Canyon Suites at the Phoenician Resort, Terry Eaton, EFA’s founder and chief curator, and Gwendolyn Mesa, EFA’s director of projects, collaborated extensively with Wimberly Interiors, the project’s interior design firm, to develop a thoughtfully curated art program that elevated the guest experience.

Starting in 2013, the two firms worked together to develop the art program’s narrative, communicating throughout the process to ensure everything from concept to color palette complemented the hotel’s overarching brand arc.

In addition to the collaboration with Wimberly Interiors, EFA worked closely with the artists represented in the project, commissioning several custom pieces specifically for the space. This was the case for several mixed-media and acrylic paintings in the lobby. Created by a local Arizona-based artist, the abstract landscape paintings are crosscut by string, which is secured at the sides by copper nails. The string represents the journeys of individuals throughout life, reinforcing meditative themes in sync with the desert resort. Similarly sophisticated artwork decorates the guestrooms, transporting visitors to an upscale oasis.

Additional Information

The Canyon Suites is the only hotel in the metro Phoenix region to earn five stars from Forbes Travel Guide and five diamonds from AAA, each organization's highest ranking. It was vital that the art program reflected the elite status of the resort, and Eaton Fine Art developed an elevated program that further solidified that stature. The collaboration between the client team, interior design and EFA led to a curated program that enhances the guest experience. (The artwork budget was withheld at the client’s request.)