Members of the fundraising committee prepared to meet with Diana Madaras during a luncheon at Hacienda del Sol. Left to right: Barbara Barr, Kristi Halvorson, Pasty Ticknor, Linda Howard, Wendy Guyton (chair), Diane Demeroutis, Linda Daubers, and Wanda Bailey
Wendy Guyton
SaddleBrooke residents are invited to join us for an afternoon of wine, hors d’oeuvres, and art on Saturday, April 9, from 1 to 4 p.m. in the ballroom at SaddleBrooke Ranch. The Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke is hosting a fundraiser with renowned artist and philanthropist Diana Madaras. Finding Your Inspiration is the theme for this event, and Diana is bringing the gallery to SaddleBrooke Ranch. The celebration will include a gallery trunk show featuring art by Diana Madaras and guest artists of the gallery, as well as Southwest gifts, Southwest holiday cards, jewelry, and more. Each guest will receive a gift from the gallery.
Artist Diana Madaras says, “Painting fills me with joy.” She is equally well-known for her bold, colorful Southwest art as for her generous charitable giving. Madaras owns the Madaras Gallery in Tucson that features her work, and she is president of the non-profit Art for Animals Foundation, a charity she founded in 1999 to help abused, injured, and orphaned animals.
Madaras is a colorist who celebrates the subtle, natural beauty of ordinary scenes in a way that is both intense and dramatic. A signature member of the Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild, Madaras has been featured in a dozen one-woman shows, and her art has hung in the Tucson Museum of Art. She was named the featured artist of the Empire Ranch 100 Show in 2009.
Madaras has completed paintings for Westin, Loews, and Miraval Resorts. She also has created eight paintings for the estate of the former President of Mexico. Her painting The Blues at Old Main was commissioned for the cover of the University of Arizona Alumni Magazine, and her art has appeared on the covers of six other magazines, including Art Book of the West and Tucson Lifestyle.
Madaras is very active in community service, and her art has benefited more than 100 charities. “I believe that when you have a wonderful, fortunate life, it’s important to give back and help others who need a hand up,” she said. In 2008, her art show African Sojourn raised $80,000 for charity. The show followed a safari to South Africa and Botswana, a trip the artist describes as an unforgettable adventure. “If I can help animals and people through art, there’s nothing better.”
Event activities include Diana speaking about finding your inspiration, door prizes, a live auction at 3 p.m. for a Diana Madaras giclee with a value of $500, and Diana has donated four $250 shopping sprees at the Madaras Gallery, which will be raffled off. Sponsors for the event are Morris Trust and All Season’s Senior Living.
Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at SaddleBrookeRotary.com or from members of the Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke. For more information, contact Wendy Guyton ay 520-404-5712 or [email protected].