Meet Margaret Sullivan of Fountain Hills Artists Gallery and On the Edge Gallery

Today we’d like to introduce you to Margaret Sullivan.

Hi Margaret, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Retiring in 1968, I moved to Rio Verde, AZ, expecting to play golf and tennis and float thru retirement. I soon found “playing” was not for me and I needed a new path. I found what I needed when having dinner with friends who had a gourd on their coffee table. After buying some gourds in south Phoenix, I began to explore the art possibilities of a canvas that was not flat and became infatuated with the possibilities. As a self-taught artist, I realized there are limitless possibilities to what you can accomplish with patience and perseverance! Twenty years later, I show my art in Ft. Hills in the Fountain Hills Artists Gallery and On the Edge Gallery in Scottsdale. I have managed the Fountain Hills Artists Gallery for a number of years and found it very challenging and exciting to work with the 30 artists in the gallery. I am also on the Board of both galleries and enjoy the endless possibilities this has created for me. I also try to create between five and seven workshops a year to share knowledge of the art.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I found only new paths to follow and don’t see them as struggles.

We’ve been impressed with Fountain Hills Artists Gallery and On the Edge Gallery, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Fountain Hills Artists Gallery was created as a co-op gallery 12 years ago and I became a part of that organization six months after it’s opening. It is a juried gallery of working artists who sign up for a year at a time. There are a hand full of artists that started in the beginning and continue to be a part of the organization. I began managing the gallery a couple of years after its inception and have found it very rewarding to have grown and become an establishment that residents of Ft. Hills, and visitors from other areas have found it to be a rewarding experience each time they visit. On the Edge Gallery was created nine years ago by the Board of the Fountain Hills Artists Gallery. We decided we needed to add to our venue in Ft. Hills and felt that Scottsdale was a perfect solution. We began by finding a location, recruiting 40 artists from the area and, using Ft. Hills Artists Gallery as our footprint, we were up and running! I managed that gallery, also, for four years and, because of lack of time, turned it over to its current manager. On the Edge began on 5th Avenue but moved to Main Street last year as block we were in is to be renovated. I am proud to be a part of the art scene in Ft. Hills and Scottsdale and find it a rewarding challenge to be able to show my art in these locations while helping other artists to do the same. My art is continually evolving in flavors of the Southwest and my clients are continually coming into the galleries to visit and buy new art or to elaborate on their love of past purchases of my renderings.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc.?
I am continually looking for ideas in books, the internet and in everyday life. It’s exciting to see something just walking down the street that puts a picture in my mind of what I want to try next.

Pricing:

• Mini Masks start at $29 and run to $1200 for larger, more elaborate masks
• Gourd figures start at $49 and run to $600
• Gourd Vessels start at $49 and run to $500

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Other: Fountain Hills Artists Gallery, Ft. Hills, AZ, On the Edge Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ