EDITOR'S LETTER

Ninety-eight years. That's

How long it took us to get here. To hit a hundred. On paper, it's just a number, one that probably doesn't mean much beyond the walls of our world headquarters. But to those of us on the inside, it's another important milestone in the long history of this magazine.

Our first “Grand Canyon” cover was in March 1926. The image is an understated black-and-white. Like Gillette's prototype for the first replaceable razor blade, it's not something you'd want lying around on your coffee table. It wasn't perfect, but we've made some improvements since then. And our 100th nod to the natural wonder is something we're extremely proud of.

The artist is Michelle Condrat. You might recognize her from our December 2021 issue. Or maybe the Grand Canyon Celebration of Art. She's been one of the premier artists at that renowned event for many years. That's where I first saw her work, which she describes as impressionistic and contemporary. “It has a traditional foundation with solid compositions and color relations,” she says, “while reflecting an edgy feel with an unconventional paint palette and blended brushstrokes.” It wasn't a given that we'd use artwork on the cover. We considered some other things, too, including an Ansel Adams image and a photo illustration, but, like naming your children or adopting a desert tortoise, we knew this was a big decision. One for the long haul. We spent almost a year looking around, but no matter where we went, we kept coming back to fine art. In part because it's counterintuitive for us. To that end, Michelle was an obvious choice. What to have her paint was not.

If our subject were Yellowstone, Old Faithful would be the focal point - it's the crown jewel of that park. If it were Yosemite, El Capitan. Sequoia, the General Sherman. A crown jewel is harder to come by at the Grand Canyon. Likewise, there will never be consensus on the most beautiful place up there. Only a fool would dare to single out a superlative. No one has ever seen all there is to see. So, to say that any one place surpasses all others would be presumptuous. Yet we do it all the time. We rank things.

I suppose that kind of thinking is innate. That somewhere inside we have an involuntary compulsion to rate everything around us. Or maybe it's learned behavior from TripAdvisor. Wherever it comes from, that need is exaggerated in a place like the Grand Canyon, where the superlatives line up like Grammys on Beyoncé's mantelpiece.

Widforss Point, Nankoweap, Cedar Ridge, the Confluence, Roaring Springs, Deer Creek ... each one is the most beautiful place in the Grand Canyon. Until you get to the next place. That's why it's foolish to write about superlatives. Or maybe it's foolish to write anything at all. That's what our late friend Charles Bowden wondered.

“There is a part of me that thinks that no one should write a word about the Grand Canyon,” he said, “or take a photograph or paint a picture. And I believe this because the Canyon is like great music, within the reach of everyone and beyond the comprehension of anyone.” I think he was right, on an intellectual level, but we're undeterred by limitations in our pursuit of comprehension. And expression. We have to try, because it's what we do, whether we're poets at Point Sublime, photographers on the Unkar Delta or artists at Lipan Point.

At Arizona Highways, we've been trying to comprehend that otherworldly landscape since 1925. In that time, there have been so many beautiful essays, by master writers such as Frank Waters and Craig Childs and Ruth Rudner. And Chuck. And so many photographs. Thousands of them, by legendary photographers such as Ansel Adams, Esther Henderson and David Muench. And so many more by the contemporary greats such as Jack Dykinga, Gary Ladd and Claire Curran. In all, 96 of our 100 Grand Canyon covers have been photographs. The other four were made by fine artists.

The first was Jimmy Swinnerton. His painting appeared on our January 1951 cover. The caption reads: “Jimmy Swinnerton faithfully portrays the grandeur and majesty of the western scene. His favorite subject has been the Grand Canyon, which he has been painting for 40 years.” Sixty-six years later, in January 2017, Chris Gall illustrated a cover reminiscent of a vintage travel poster. The next masterpiece, in February 2019, marked the centennial of Grand Canyon National Park. For that issue, we wanted something classic. Something in the tradition of Louis Akin, Thomas Moran and Gunnar Widforss. Our choice was Amery Bohling. And now, Michelle Condrat is in that small group of artists with her wintry painting of a special place near Desert View Watchtower.

To Chuck's point, no words or photographs or paintings will ever be enough. To feel the deeper connection to even attempt comprehension - you have stand at Widforss Point or Cedar Ridge. But not everyone gets that opportunity. And that's where we come in: the writers, the photographers, the artists. We make books and magazines. And we make fine art. Some of which ends up on our cover.

“I've titled my painting To New Beginnings,” Michelle told me, right after she gave me a sneak peek. “I think it's fitting because it's the January issue. Metaphorically, it's a toast to the start of a new year - a time when we're all hoping for good things to come. I think the snow fits into that, as well. It's a fresh snow. The kind you wake up to at the beginning of a new day.” Thank you, Michelle. Here's to new beginnings.

On behalf of everyone at Arizona Highways, I wish you all a safe and happy new year. We'll see you at the Grand Canyon.