sedona legend helen frye

Helen Frye- the Artist
examples of her work....

Sedona Legend Profile Series

Sedona Arts Center late 1950's, courtesy of Bob Bradshaw the renowned Sedona photographer. Helen Vanderbilt Frye, one of the co-founders of the Sedona Arts Center Inc., (Sedona Arts Barn), is seen reclining under the tree on the far left cloaked in shadow. Per Helen's good friend Marie Stilley,
"Nassan Gobran and Cecil J. Lockhart-Smith stood right here in front of my fireplace and told me that Helen had suggested they secure the former barn (above) for an art center". It had been previously used for apples and peaches. Marie went on to say, "if it had not been for Helen Frye, Nassan, and Cecil, there would have been no Sedona Arts Center"!

On April 19 1959, just 2 months after Jack Frye's tragic death, the Sedona Red Rock News joined Helen Frye for a very special occasion, to find the perfect location for a new Sedona art center. On that chilly April day a photographer followed Helen and her guests, Nassan Gobran, George Babbitt Jr., his wife Madeline Hunter Babbitt, and Nick Duncan (Crescent Moon Ranch foreman), on locations near Cathedral Rock. (Nick was Walter Duncan's brother, the long-time foreman of Smoke Trail Ranch). The name of the art center would be Canyon Kiva, later evolving into the present, Sedona Arts Center. Helen Frye attended the School of Art Institute of Chicago, one of the most prestigious art institutes in the nation. This led her to an early career as an artist and magazine illustrator. By 1932 she met her soon second husband, Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr., while sketching in Albuquerque N.M. They were married in 1935. It must be noted that Helen's dear friend Dorothea Tanning, also attended the School of Art Institute of Chicago. Dorothea, along with her husband Max Ernst, became two of Sedona's earliest artists spending much of their time with Jack and Helen Frye at their Smoke Trail Ranch. Dorothea Tanning, after living in Paris for a time currently resides in New York City. She last returned to Sedona in the late 1970's when she came to see Helen Frye at her Wings of the Wind home, shortly before Helen passed away. Jack and Helen Frye both collected a variety of exquisite art work during their lives. It has often been said by people visiting Jack and Helen through the years, that their homes contained a surprising collection of rare art and literary works.

Two of Jack and Helen Frye's dearest friends, the beautifully exotic Dorothea Tanning and Max Ernst, Sedona Arizona about 1948. The two white dogs were remembered to accompany Dorothea to the Sedona parties Jack and Helen would throw for their friends in the 1940's. Photo courtesy of Max Ernst and Dorothea Tanning Collection

Helen with dear friend Faye Crenshaw said to be (Sedona's first realtor) and Elisa Armijo, outside of the Winged Arts Building in the early 1960's. This building survives today at the corner of
Airport Road and Highway 89A in Sedona Arizona.

Helen's portrait of her dear friends, Pat and Al Purchase. This show business couple is seen portrayed as very jolly and musical, richly captured and true to life!

Portrait of Rosie, one of Helen's most devoted and lifelong friends, meant to represent two distinct personalities.
The painting was based on a photo Helen took of Rosie on the
Hopi Reservation. Rather then try to explain the meaning of the painting, please click here and read what Helen said about this work, in a letter to Rosie from 1960.

Portrait of Elisa, this was the daughter of Helen's close friend Rosie. Helen was like a god-grandmother to Elisa.

Black and white photo of a unfinished color painting Helen was working on, portraying Nassan Gobran. Her intent was to reveal three spritual pinnacles of his oversoul. Location is House of Apache Fires studio. Eventually this painting was given to Helen's dear friends, Pat and Al Purchase.

No known photos are available of Helen at work on her art except this blurry image which shows Helen in the late 1970's seen working on a canvas at her Wings of the Wind home. Helen worked in a variety of mediums, to include sculptures and paintings for over 45 years. Helen signed her work a variety of ways, for instance: Helen Varner, Helen Renvar (Varner reversed), Helen Vanderbilt, and of course Helen V. Frye. Although some of Helen's work likely survives to this day, it is supposed that many collectors don't realize the true identity of the artist. Helen did do landscapes. One such painting survives, last seen many years ago hanging in a Kansas City rest home. The Sedona landscape painting was a treasured possession of one of Jack Frye's most loyal secretaries, the late Mrs. Meriam Furse Filkins. "A gift" she once said proudly, "from Mrs. Jack Frye". It would be wonderful if some of Helen's work could be represented in a collection of Arizona woman artists. One of the finest such national collections is represented right here in Sedona. "Arizona Women Artists, Creative Women of the West", spearheads this wonderful legacy, as associated with the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington D.C.. For Arizona information, please contact Fran Elliott in Sedona, Arizona. Mrs. Elliott is one of Sedona's most dedicated art patrons. Her extensive art collection of early women artists is one of the finest in the nation. Helen too, was passionate about encouraging the arts although sadly she has been overlooked and forgotten in regard to many of her associations. In her philanthropy work Helen supported and helped launch the Sedona Arts Center, Sedona Humane Society, and the Stagecoach Players (1952) to name just a few organizations.

Helen Frye, center, with Rosie Armijo and her husband, Frank in 1955, at Baldwin's Crossing, now called Red Rock Crossing.

Thank you to Rosie Armijo, dear friend to both Jack and Helen Frye,
for the invaluable photos utilized on this page! Without Rosie's priceless assistance, many precious aspects of Helen and Jack's lives would be lost to time....

IN LOVING MEMORY
HELEN VIRGINIA VARNER VANDERBILT FRYE

November 28, 1908
December 4, 1979
Both paintings commissioned by Jack Frye in 1942
Artist Sir Arnold G. Mountfort

Please note: Sir Arnold "Monty" G. Mountfort and his wife Patricia "Paddy" were intimate friends of the Frye's. Mountfort painted these two portraits in 1942 possibly at Deer Lick Ranch, now Cross Creek Ranch Estates. However it is more likely they were painted at the Willow House, as the Fryes had moved in there by late fall of 1941. Mountfort's wife Paddy managed the Sedona property for the Fryes from it is thought, 1945 to 1947? with a ranch foreman.

It must be noted that Helen Varner Vanderbilt Frye was certainly well-connected in her love of the arts. Her aunt, (by marriage), to Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr., was none other than Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. This prominent woman, one of America's most valued women artists and art patron, founded the Whitney Museum of American Art. For more information on this period of Helen's life please see this section.

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Sedona Legend Helen Frye