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Magical Arts

José and Virginia Cárdenas, Chandler

Chandler homeowner Virginia Cárdenas still sees the location of her home as "a magical spot." She and husband José Cárdenas, host of KAET's Horizonte and chairman of Lewis & Roca law firm, bought their home (then 2,950 square feet) in 1986.

Set in a 20-acre horse property development surrounded by cotton fields, "you could see our house from Dobson Road," Virginia recalls.

"Price then was not yet paved. Dobson was only paved to Chandler Boulevard.

"It has a sense of living in the country. We find it a little more down home and we love it."

An intervention assistant in the Chandler Unified School District, Virgina also is chairman of the Arizona Commission on the Arts. Her taste runs to Mexican-style hand-painted furniture, which she traces to memories of her grandfather's house. "It's comfortable to me. It makes me feel warm," she says.

Themed collections of art dominate the rooms in the Cárdenas home. The couple has been collecting for more than 15 years and Virginia pays tribute to Jose's eye for grouping artwork. For those who would like to know how to use art more effectively at home, Virginia has some advice.

"Don't buy it for color. Buy what you love in your heart," she says. "Let your house speak to you. Don't be afraid to mix colors or even mix styles. You'd be surprised what goes together." As an example, she cites a hallway with a green-and-gold painting by Rufino Tamayo that plays happily alongside a dark, Surrealistic Leonora Carrington canvas.

The dining room, dubbed the "Madonna Room," boasts a dozen artistic renditions of the Virgin Mary. Black-and-white woodcuts and hand-painted pieces from Spain and Mexico provide variations on a theme. Windows will soon look out to a landscaped courtyard "so we can keep the entertaining going outdoors," Virginia says.

"We're eclectic," she adds. "We built that room for entertaining: there are warming drawers, an ice maker and a wine cooler. It's a place where we can take the table out and put in three tables of 10. We both like to give our guests a feeling of space and comfort."

The space was once part of a five-car garage. Over two years' time, the formal dining room and a new master bath and bedroom were carved from the area, boosting the home's livable area to 4,800 square feet.

Even the hallways are adorned with art. One saltillo-tiled passageway displays a collection of masks, some in small nichos above the wooden pillar-supported doorway.

The Cárdenas' family space is called the Angel Room, which is connected to the kitchen. A chile red fireplace anchors one corner of the room. Angels are depicted both in paint and in sculpture around the room by such artists as Nivia Gonzalez and Mexico City artist Victor Uhthoff. Close to the fireplace are pieces by Cuzco, Peru, art students who reproduce paintings. Handmade candelabras that echo those once used in 17th-century churches flank the inviting sofa.

Perhaps the most interesting space is the Day of the Dead room. Red travertine tiles are underfoot while figures from El Dia de Los Muertos - paintings and ceramic sculptures - line the walls and shelves. Another chile red fireplace warms the corner while large vigas define the ceiling overhead. Though many who mark this cultural holiday might store their calacas away for the rest of the year, the Cárdenas prefer to see the art work daily.

"We love them so much. We keep them up," Virginia says. "We don't like to put them away."