Explore Other Luminaries:

Andrew Quinn
Dave Alford
Don Carson
French Thompson

Dzeneta Arslanovic
Jason Kaplan
Stan Utley
Zev Nadler

Ultimate Art

Each year, Experience Scottsdale profiles a selection of local celebrities, from restaurateurs and sports figures to artists and adventurers. We invite you to meet this year’s luminaries and find out what they have to say about living, working and enjoying life in Scottsdale.

"Life is so cool if you leave yourself open to the possibilities," says Ace Bailey, president of Ultimate Art & Cultural Tours. "I haven't been afraid to try new things, and that's how I got here."

Though she comes from a long line of creative minds, Bailey didn't study art in school. "I always gravitated toward the arts when I was younger, but I never considered myself an artist. My mother and all of my sisters are very creative people. I guess it's just something in the DNA."

Bailey worked for an area art gallery before learning of a position with an art tour company. She signed on and went to work designing customized tours for museum and corporate groups. "I did that for six years and decided it was time to reinvent myself," she says.

After leaving the company, she found herself inundated with requests for personalized tours that were no longer offered by her former employer. Hesitant at first, she decided to throw caution to the wind and start Ultimate Art & Cultural Tours in 2006.

Through her tour company, Bailey hopes to spread a sense of understanding about the creative world. "I want to demystify the arts. I want people to look at a piece and say, ‘You know, I don't get it, but I can appreciate the work that went into it.'"

Her connection to Scottsdale's well-known landmarks dates back to her childhood, when she would sneak in to use the pool at the Hotel Valley Ho – now she leads architectural tours at the historic property. "Scottsdale's history just fascinates me," she says. "When I lead tours, I want people to feel like they've lived here for a nanosecond of time. I want them to leave wanting to know more, and I want them to come back."