Bringing Art To The People and People To The Art!
Open Studios Art Tour was launched in 1986 with a simple goal: to get art fans and artists together — all across Santa Cruz County. Artists open their studios, and art enthusiasts go on tour. Using our Guide, the public gets to visit studios, meet artists, see their process, and buy incredible art.
The 2016 Tour features more than 275 artists working in dozens of mediums. People come from around the world to cruise through Open Studios. We’ve inspired other tours in cities and counties around the United States, including Portland, Oregon and Philadelphia.
Open Studios Hours: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. throughout Santa Cruz County, from Watsonville to Davenport and all stops in between.
- South County (133 artists) Oct. 1 & 2
- North County (145 artists) Oct. 8 & 9
- All County Weekend (235 artists in North & South County) Oct. 15 & 16
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Elaine Pinkernell #9: “Clay has always been the way for me but it got way more interesting after having kids and working in the classroom for 13 years. I felt ‘done’ with the red glaze this year! I have a new glaze called Green Tea that will be featured. Stop by to see it in person!”
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There are many ways to chart your tour:
- Pick up the FREE Artist Guide alongside the Sept. 21 issue of Good Times.
- Pick up a FREE Artist Guide at outlets throughout Santa Cruz County. For a list of outlets, visit artscouncilsc.org.
- Download the FREE 2016 Open Studios Art Tour App — available Sept. 19 on iTunes & Google Play.
- Preview the 2016 Guide for free online.
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Katell Le Bourdonnec #239: “As a collage artist, I am constantly collecting all types of papers. I choose an image for what it represents and I choose the paper for its texture. Hunting for papers is one of my favorite activities. It can be on the walls in the streets of Paris, in the metro stations, in magazines, in antique fairs and flea markets or when I travel to exotic countries. I have collected many papers on my trips to Asia lately. I have so much paper that it is becoming a problem to store it all!”
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Notable for 2016:
This is the first time in the history of our Tour that we’re offering the Open Studios Artist Guide AND the Open Studios Art Tour App at no cost! 35,000 copies of the Guide will be available alongside the September 21 issue of Good Times. The Open Studios App will be available online on iTunes and GooglePlay starting the week of September 19.
Sneak Peek — Visit Arts Council Santa Cruz County’s Facebook page and check out the “Fab Four” photo collages and individual artist profiles.
Open Studios Art Tour Preview Exhibit — Sept. 24 through Oct. 16 at the Santa Cruz Art League, 526 Broadway in Santa Cruz, featuring works from each of the 2016 Open Studios artists.
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Sarah Bianco #172: “My art has evolved a lot over the years. I’ve always painted and my work used to be abstract oil paintings, by way of process painting. Then the figure in motion entered the paintings within the abstract landscapes, either jumping, falling, diving … feeling freedom and emotion. Lately I have been working on my canvas drop cloths that I use for my commercial painting business. The elements of figurative abstract paintings are still there, but have a more defined narrative, while still expressing emotion. The palate has changed over the years as well.”
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Preview Exhibit Public Reception — Sunday, September 25 from 3 – 6 pm at the Santa Cruz Art League. Musical entertainment from local favorites, Kuzanga Marimba. Mix & Mingle with Open Studios Artists at this joyful gathering!
Go touring and meet Open Studios Artists as they show the public their work, give demonstrations, and talk about their creative process.