Sedona Vacation Ideas for Art Lovers and Creative Souls
Last Updated March 28, 2026
Sedona's art scene is easy to overlook when the red rocks get most of the attention, but it is worth building time into your trip for both.
You can spend an afternoon visiting galleries, meet artists during the monthly gallery walk, take a ceramics or painting class, or plan your trip around one of Sedona's major fall art festivals.
Here are some of our favorite ways to experience Sedona's art scene in 2026.
Explore the Galleries at Tlaquepaque
Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village is one of the easiest places to start. Its courtyards and walkways are home to galleries covering everything from painting and photography to sculpture, glass, textiles and Native American art.
Current galleries include Mountain Trails Gallery, which focuses on art of the American West, Rowe Fine Art Galleryfor wildlife and bronze sculpture, Creative Gateways Gallery for contemporary glass and wall art, and Honshin Fine Art, among many others.
Visit the Sedona Arts Center or Take a Class
The Sedona Arts Center in Uptown combines a gallery with an active School of the Arts, making it worth visiting whether you want to see art or make something yourself.
Its 2026 calendar includes painting, ceramics, mixed media, photography, book arts and other programs, ranging from single-day classes to multi-day workshops. Fall offerings include photography, ceramics, oil painting and other hands-on programs.
Check the schedule before your trip. Some classes are geared toward experienced artists, while others welcome beginners and can fit easily into a Sedona vacation.
If you would rather look than create, the Arts Center also hosts changing exhibitions throughout the year.
Go to 1st Friday in the Galleries
If your trip overlaps with the first Friday of the month, 1st Friday in the Galleries is one of the best ways to experience several parts of Sedona's art scene in one evening.
Participating galleries host openings, artist receptions and special events, with locations across Tlaquepaque, Uptown, West Sedona and other parts of town.
The event is free, although individual gallery hours and participation vary each month. It’s a great opportunity to visit several galleries at once and, in many cases, meet the artists behind the work.
Plan Around Sedona's 2026 Art Festivals
The Sedona Arts Festival returns October 10 and 11, 2026 for its 35th year, bringing artists from around the country together for a two-day festival in West Sedona.
A week later, the 22nd Annual Sedona Plein Air Festival runs October 16 through 24. Artists paint throughout Sedona and the Verde Valley, with public paint-outs, demonstrations and events during the week.
Of the two, the Plein Air Festival offers the most direct connection between Sedona's landscape and its art scene. Rather than only seeing finished work in a gallery, you can watch artists interpret the red rocks and surrounding landscape as they work.
Stay at Pop Art Villa Verde
If art is part of the reason you are coming to Sedona, Pop Art Villa Verde makes a fitting home base.
The residence brings a different visual style to Sedona, with colorful pop-art-inspired interiors rather than the traditional Southwestern look found throughout much of the area. Its West Sedona location also keeps you close to galleries, restaurants and the city's fall events.
Every Pop Art Villa stay includes complimentary personal concierge service. If you would like help planning gallery visits, finding a workshop or working one of Sedona's art festivals into your trip, we are happy to help.