Hidden Treasure

BY RAEANNE MARSH

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT SANDLER

>>> Horizon Art, Scottsdale, Arizona

Horizon Art owner Harold Hoeg in the showroom.

"If I can't find it here, I can't find it anywhere." That's what Horizon Art owner Harold Hoeg says he's been told regarding his gallery's framing options. But, although there are walls completely covered in samples that represent most major frame and molding suppliers, the first thing visitors see on entering the airy gallery at the Arizona Design Center are the furniture and other dimensional pieces arranged in vignettes.

"Originals only," Hoeg notes. And even the functional pieces are more art than furniture.

Still maintaining its to-the-trade status, Hoeg expanded Horizon Art into a 9,000-square-foot showcase for fine art when he purchased the business from its founder three and a half years ago. Pieces are handmade, and range from tabletop works such as turned-wood bowls with inlaid veneers to sofas and cabinets. And, of course, there are also two-dimensional works in a variety of media to hang on a wall. "We offer a variety of price points so that a designer can introduce an element of fine art into a project — such as in a high-impact or high-priority area — and complement it with other pieces to keep the cost balanced," Hoeg explains, noting that Horizon Art works with residential designers as well as commercial specifiers.

Focusing on contemporary and transitional styles, Hoeg works directly with the artists and can offer customized modifications, such as different themes or sizes. The sales staff encourages a dialog with clients in order to understand their needs. "We can help designers source the art for their projects," Hoeg emphasizes.

While many of the artists Hoeg represents are local, he also collaborates with art consultants and publishers of art, meeting with them regularly to "see what's new." Notes Hoeg, "We work hard to offer works that are unique."

That holds as true for the framing as for the gallery pieces. No matter how unusual the request, Hoeg says, "We have the imagination to come up with a design to make it work." And, when clients invite them out to see the completed project on site and share in their excitement, "That's special," he relates.

The showroom's airy gallery space is backed up by a large work area and storage warehouse.

Ranging from ornate to subdued — Vegas-style glitter and safari animal looks to hand-stitched leather from Peru — the frame and mat options seem infinite. Horizon Art has even been known to frame client collections. A collection of purses required a deep frame, with the purses nestled into tufted fabric. For a World Series MVP, the project required a massive shadow box that could display the ball and bat, shoes, glove and jersey.

Hoeg also does a significant amount of business in mirrors. Since all mirrors at the gallery are custom orders, Horizon Art can accommodate any size as well as special needs. This goes beyond beveled edges or bronzed finishes, Hoeg notes; for instance, you can have holes cut so lighting can be mounted without having to show the wiring.

Behind the gallery, approximately 3,000 square feet are devoted to the prep area, with a table saw, joining machinery and large tables to handle the mounting and preparing the mats. "We have a lot of fabric, which adds a nice custom element and gives a [broader] range of design choices," Hoeg points out. Custom painting and finishing are also available, including simply adding a wash to the molding to mute the color if the client wants it somewhat less bright.

Hoeg recommends framing with conservation glass. There are many different grades available, and all help protect the art from ultraviolet light, which, he notes, "gets diffused throughout your space" and can therefore still damage the colors. Modern glazing material does not have the glare that used to be associated with glass-fronted framing.

Nearly a third of Horizon Art is reserved for materials storage, where, in orderly rows, lengths of wood and metal moldings jut toward the ceiling 20 feet overhead. In addition to allowing the gallery to keep a tremendous variety of material in stock, the space affords Horizon Art the ability to buy in volume, which helps keep prices down.

Being able to respond to client requests in a timely manner — being able to bring the craftsmen and designers together to confer — is important to Hoeg. It's the reason he maintains the frame manufacturing on the premises. With approximately two-thirds of the store's square footage devoted to work and storage areas, there is far more to Horizon Art than even what first meets the eye.

Horizon Art, 7350 N. Dobson Rd., Ste. 127, Scottsdale, AZ 85256; (480) 949-1990 or www.horizonart.com.