Artists work to aid Sonoran Desert
Staff Report ~ 7/8/2010

Western artists like Sharon Brening and the late Kenneth M. Freeman captured the spirit of the American West and the deserts of Arizona are prominently featured in many of their master paintings. Brening is passionate about preserving and protecting our desert landscapes for future generations, as was Freeman. So when the opportunity arose to support the Desert Foothills Land Trust through the sales of two limited editions, both Brening and curator Bonnie Adams-Freeman of the Kenneth M. Freeman Legacy, leaped at the chance to give back to the community.
Through the Kenneth M. Freeman Legacy, master artist Kenneth M. Freeman (1938-2008), fondly called “Rembrandt of the Rodeo” by Arizona media, is helping preserve the West he so dearly loved. Freeman was a member of the Western Artists of America and received their Lifetime Achievement Award (hereafter called the Freeman Lifetime Achievement Award). Freeman is also the recipient of The Cowboy Spirit Award from The National Festival of the West.
Joining in the effort to protect the desert landscape is Brening whose paintings of Native American children, elders and family life has earned her collectors around the world. Brening is also the newest inductee into the Western Artist of America (www.WesternArtistsofAmerica.com), a select 24-member group of artist dedicated to the America’s Western heritage.
Between these two artists, more than $125,000 can be raised to help the Desert Foothills Land Trust continue its mission of protecting the most important natural areas in the Sonoran Desert foothills. Each giclee’ can be ordered directly from the artists’ website. For information visit Desert Foothills Land Trust at www.dflt.org.
When it came time to ‘Cowboy Up’ to protect Arizona’s beautiful and fragile Sonoran Desert, Adams-Freeman, curator for the Kenneth M. Freeman Legacy heard the call to action from the Desert Foothills Land Trust (DFLT). A portion of the sales from the Limited Edition of one of Freeman’s paintings entitled After the Ride can help to preserve and protect the desert landscapes.
Visit www.dflt.org for more information or www.shop.KennethMFreeman.com to purchase a print and help protect and preserve the Sonoran Desert for future generations.