The Art of Olive Oil!!! Californai State Fair July 17-August 2, 2025 presents a world class olive oil commercial competition

 

Wow the California State Fair July 17-August 2, 2025 bring an impressive world class Olive Oil competition. Looks like a fun time. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MARCH 4, 2026   Media Contact Darla Givens dgivens@calexpo.com media@calexpo.com   California State Fair Commercial Olive Oil Competition Breaks Record with 216 Entries Judging Set for March 10 (SACRAMENTO, CA) - The California State Fair Commercial Olive Oil Competition has reached a historic milestone, receiving a record-breaking 216 entries, surpassing the previous record of 198 submissions.   “Breaking a record like this speaks volumes about the strength of California agriculture and the pride our producers take in their craft,” said Tom Martinez, CEO of Cal Expo and the California State Fair. “We’re proud to provide a platform where excellence is recognized, innovation is celebrated, and Fair guests can experience firsthand the quality that makes California olive oil second to none.”   Judging takes place on Tuesday, March 10, where a panel of 15 expert judges will carefully evaluate each entry in a blind tasting based on aroma, flavor, and finish. The panel is led by Head Judge Julie Menge, who brings extensive industry expertise to the competition.   “We have excellent producers in California who create exceptionally high-quality oils,” said Julie Menge, Head Judge. “The only specifically statewide-focused competition is held at the California State Fair where producers can have their oils evaluated alongside their peers. With such experienced judges, we truly are identifying the best of the best.”   Results of the competition will be announced on March 17, 2026. The winners will have the opportunity to showcase, sample, and sell their award-winning olive oils during the 2026 California State Fair. In addition to free tastings and cooking demonstrations, Fair guests can look forward to olive oil education classes at the California Classroom with interactive experiences designed to highlight the craftsmanship behind California’s premium olive oils.   Tickets for the 2026 Calfornia State Fair are on sale now. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit Castatefair.com.   The Fair runs from July 17 to August 2. Gates open at 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and at 10 a.m. Friday through Sunday.   About the California State Fair Cal Expo is home of the California State Fair, an international award-winning fair, receiving top honors at the International Association of Fairs and Expositions out of more than 1,100 fairs worldwide. For the past two years, the Fair was ranked the best State Fair in the nation. Established in 1854, the California State Fair is dedicated as a place to celebrate the best the state has to offer in agriculture, technology, and the diversity of its people, traditions, and trends that shape the Golden State’s future.  ###

Scottsdale Art Week , March 19-22, 2026 aspires to be the Art Basel fo the West.

The Scottsdale Art Week  March 19-22, 2026, appears to be an ambitious, and well promoted event. I applaud the efforts promoters  towards a world class event. It appears the collection of galleries are worthy of those traveling to attend the developing marketplace. It will be interesting to see how the areas traditional venues or cultural inclusion of indigenous tribal may include a  growing Native American  fine art artists .Like Coeur D'alene Idaho, or Santa Fe, which which are other rapidly growing US luxury markets the opportunity is there to incorporate traditional western art with cutting edge contemporary regional art . As glean from the the press material, and article below: the collection of galleries listed for Art Week at Scottsdale is an amagation of a diverse contemporary market. Well presented first class collectable works are listed below for sale. My opinion  Scottsdale Art Week is worth the visit to experience the energy of a new luxury market place emerging. Jamie Forbes, Publisher, SunStorm Fine Art Magazine, and the Fineartmagazineblog,blogspot. Have a great day filled with creativity. 

"Scottsdale Aims to Become the Art Basel of the Southwest"--Phoenix Business Journal

We are so pleased with all the wonderful media coverage Scottsdale Art Weekpresented by Scottsdale Ferrari has been receiving as we build up for the second edition of the fair. This article from the Phoenix Business Journal is something that we wanted to share with all of you as supporters and participants in Scottsdale Art Week as it discusses many of the elements of the fair that we find to be important and we are eager to have you read about it all.  The article you see below ran in full in the print and digital editions of the Phoenix Business Journal on February 24, 2026. Wonderfully written by Mignon A. Gould, this is what the Journal had to say about Scottsdale Art Week presented by Scottsdale Ferrari.  Scottsdale Art Week is back for a second year at Westworld of Scottsdale Phoenix Business Journal February 24, 20206 The four-day international event from March 19-22 will include more than 120 galleries from 18 countries. Twenty-plus local galleries will partake in the event across multiple cities: Scottsdale, Phoenix, Tucson, Tempe, Sedona and Tubac. Other galleries come from states such as California, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico and New York. Argentina, China, England, France and Turkey are among the several other countries where galleries are located. Co-founder Jason Rose likens the event to the world-renowned Art Basel, which he says is the inspiration and aspiration for Scottsdale Art Week. “We are the biggest New American art fair in decades,” Rose said. “We would like to think about ourselves as the Art Basel of the American Southwest.”

Purchase All  Ticket Packages Here

Works of art will include pieces from notable artists such as Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali, Marc Chagall, David Hockney, Alex Katz, Robert Rauschenberg, Cy Twonbly, Yayoi Kusama and Julia Opie, among others. The art periods and genres run the gamut from historically significant blue-chip pieces and contemporary mixed-media installations to Indigenous and Western art. All of the art will be available for direct sale. While galleries are not revealing sale prices, serial entrepreneur Rose — the owner of Rose & Allyn Public Relations and the Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships — said the individual pieces of art on hand are expected to sell from $3,000 into the millions. Some museum-caliber pieces could go for as much as the high six to low seven figures, he told the Business Journal. Among those in the seven-figure range are a sculpture and a fossil. The sculpture called “Triumph” is from Gino Miles, who started the piece during the Covid-19 pandemic and worked on it for several years. The crocodile fossil, titled “Max,” is a 9-foot, 50 million-year-old relic from Green River Fossil Company. The prehistoric piece is priced at $1.2 million. Building a world-class art fair The event was co-founded by Rose and Trey Brennen, the owner of T.H. Brennen Fine Art Gallery in Old Town Scottsdale. The entrepreneurs assembled a group of local business leaders as its co-owners including Amy Gause, a former publisher who serves as the event’s director; Mark Candelaria, an architect; John Corritore, a commercial real estate broker; Emilie Dietrich, owner of Raymar, a national art canvas company; Brett Wilson, the publisher of Phoenix Magazine; and Cities Events, the publisher of Phoenix Magazine and Phoenix Home and Garden.

Rose credits co-founder Brennen, an avid art fair attendee, for launching the event and securing Westworld, where the annual Barrett-Jackson car auction is held. "He called me out of the blue one day and said, 'Hey, I'm aware of your promotional abilities and what you do with the Bentley Polo Championships and your musical productions. I'm thinking of doing a big art fair in the market. What do you think?'" Rose explained. "I said, 'Well, we've never met, but I love Art Basel, and I love Frieze.'" From there, a partnership was born, and so was Scottsdale Art Week.

During Scottsdale Art Week's first year, Rose estimates the event pulled in seven- to eight-figures sales overall, though he declined to give exact numbers. The inaugural event featured 106 galleries and generated seven-figure sales. Some galleries even sold out. For the future, Rose said he plans to expand the event to more days and make an economic impact on the state. "Particularly exciting is the ecosystem around it — how restaurants, bars, hotels use it to advance their own business interests," he said. An example of this is how Scottsdale Art Week sponsor Scottsdale Ferrari ist hrowing a party March 20 on top of the new Optima at the 101 and Scottsdale Road, Rose said. De Sarthe Gallery is also having an afterparty with an arts publication on March 21. Additionally, the event will kick off with an opening night vernissage.The private viewing, which will benefit Phoenix Art Museum, will give attendees an opportunity to acquire works ahead of the public opening. There will also be an awards presentation, live music by Lunar Calendar and a wearable art runway show by Galina Mihaleva from FIDM at Arizona State University. ArtNexus will be offering attendees a one-hour overview of the show with expert insights to create premium experience, as well as enhanced engagement with the artworks and exhibitors. Each tour is led by qualified art professionals who will provide informed and thoughtful commentary to enhance the overall fair experience.  ArtNexus organizes official guided tour programs for major international art fairs, including Art Basel (Basel and Miami Beach) and The Armory Show (New York), ArtBo (International Art Fair of Bogotá), and ZONA MACO (A leading art fair for contemporary art in Mexico City). Book Art Nexus Tours Here

For more information on Scottsdale Art Week or to follow developments for next year's festivities, visit www.scottsdaleartweek.com. For more information visit: Scottsdale Art Week

To Apply for a booth For Scottsdale Art Week 2027, please contact Joshua Rose at joshrose@scottsdaleartweek.com or Donna Thiele at DThiele@scottsdaleartweek.com

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info@scottsdaleartweek.com 480.423.1414

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The Slattery Gallery exhibition of Cincider the Alternative : New Trends in Contemporary Painting February 27-April 6, 2026.

Consider the Alternative: New Trends in Contemporary Painting on view February 27 - April 6, 2026

Nikolina Kovalenko Once Upon a Star Oil on canvas 16 x 20 inches

Slattery Gallery is pleased to present Consider the Alternative, a group exhibition that brings together a dynamic selection of artists whose practices reflect unique developments in contemporary painting. Through innovative techniques and fresh approaches to visual storytelling, the exhibition examines how painters today are expanding the language of the medium.

John Lark Making it Better Oil on canvas 48 x 48 inches

Featuring works by Melanie Delach, Karim Hamid, Nikolina Kovalenko and John Lark, Consider the Alternative highlights a range of stylistic and conceptual perspectives, from material experimentation and unconventional mark-making to narrative-driven compositions and hybrid visual forms. Together, the artists challenge traditional boundaries of painting, engaging with themes of perception, identity, memory, and the evolving role of images in a visually saturated culture.   For a complete PDF of the exhibition, email damien@slatterygallery.com. All artworks in this exhibiton can be purchased directly through our website: www.slatterygallery.com.

Karim Hamid Bachelorette 24 Mixed media on panel 40 x 30 inches

Consider the Alternative emphasizes painting as an active, evolving practice—one that absorbs influences from digital media, photography, abstraction, and figuration while maintaining a strong connection to the physical act of painting. By foregrounding both technical innovation and conceptual depth, Consider the Alternative offers viewers an opportunity to experience how contemporary painters are redefining visual storytelling for the present moment.

Melanie Delach In the Night Field Mixed media on panel 15 x 11 inches

Also featuring works by: Milton Avery / James Brooks / Robert Dash Willem de Kooning / Perle Fine / Wolf Kahn KAWS / Man Ray / Cleon Peterson / Pablo Picasso Kiki Smith / Hiroshi Sugimoto / Andy Warhol

Joseph Beuys in Memoriam Warhol, Andy USD 45 000 1986 · Screenprint in colors on Arches paper 32in x 24in | 81.28cm x 60.96cm

Salvo Fine, Perle USD 18 000 1957 · Oil on canvas 12in x 14in | 30.48cm x 35.56cm

Rattlesnake Mountain Kahn, Wolf USD 25 000 1986 · Color monotype on cream wove paper 42in x 80in | 106.68cm x 203.2cm

Bay of Sugami, Atami Sugimoto, Hiroshi 1997 · Silver gelatin print 20in x 24in | 50.8cm x 60.96cm

About Slattery Gallery: Slattery Gallery is a new exhibition space located at 30a Jobs Lane in the heart of Southampton Village. The gallery’s focus is on Irish and American Contemporary Art as well as exceptional Post-War and Modern masterworks. Gallery founder John Slattery is a native of Ireland and a new resident of Southampton, NY. Slattery opened the gallery to showcase outstanding works of art from his homeland, as well as his adopted home of Southampton, here on the East End. Gallery Director Damien Roman leverages his 30 years of expertise in the art world to source a thoughtfully curated collection of secondary market treasures to complement the gallery’s contemporary program of new and mid-career talents. The Slattery Gallery features paintings, photographs, sculpture, and rare printed materials. #slatterlygalleryart#fineartmagazine.com#fineartmagazineblog.blogspot#artfunfineartmagazine