It is hard to believe that this year Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts village is turning 40! Maybe that wouldn't be so remarkable in another city where arts and culture have been celebrated for decades or even centuries. Sedona, however, which had a population of 2000 in the early 1970s, and only became incorporated as a city in 1988, quickly became renowned as a vibrant arts community.

Since its inception in 1973, Tlaquepaque has played a significant role in putting Sedona on the map as a world-renowned arts destination.

Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village would become not only a world-class shopping destination, but also would serve to anchor the artistic energy and diverse culture of Sedona. In the last four decades, Tlaquepaque has been visited by millions the world over and has become a landmark Arizona and Southwest treasure.

It stands as testimony to the fact that people who have taken time to explore Tlaquepaque in the last 40 years have loved and appreciated the arts. And they continue to support the highly accomplished artists, world-class galleries, gifted artisans, craftspeople, entrepreneurs and restaurateurs who have, over the years, set up shop inside these beautiful walls.

This extraordinary story sprang from the vision of one remarkable man, Abe Miller.

You are invited to peruse the Discover Tlaquepaque! Magazine. It's our third issue and is filled with reminiscences from folks who were here from the beginning, who — with Abe — took a risk and decided to become a part of something exciting and fresh — a living arts village like no other.

Abe Miller's humility, tenacity and adherence to the authentic expression and dream of building an arts community, fashioned after a Mexican village, is the stuff of legends. He was truly as one of the greatest developers who understood that it was important to also protect and nurture the soul of a place.

To that end, Miller had a deep and abiding love of the land Tlaquepaque sits on. Just visit this place and marvel at the beautiful sycamore trees, preserved and tended to with loving care all these years. They were part of a promise to steward the beauty of the land and the abiding legacy of Abe Miller.

It has been my pleasure to be a part of his enduring legacy. We will continue to share Tlaquepaque through our festivals, events, weddings and community gatherings. We look forward with humility and appreciation to the decades ahead and promise to continue to fulfill the dream of its founder.

Please visit us again soon!

Best wishes,

Wendy Lippman

Resident Partner and General Manager

Home to more than 45 shops and galleries and four restaurants, Tlaquepaque, the Art and Soul of Sedona, is located at 336 State Route 179 in Sedona, Ariz. It is open daily at 10 a.m.

For more information, call (928) 282-4838, visit http://www.tlaq.com and http://www.shoptlaq.com, http://www.sedonashoppingcenter.mobi, and visit us on Facebook