October means the return of the Open Studios Art Tour, a free self-guided tour that invites the public into nearly 300 artist studios working in dozens of mediums across Santa Cruz County.
Sue Holmes of Scotts Valley
There are seasoned artists who’ve participated since 1986, talented newcomers, and makers and creators of all kinds. Neighbors, friends, collectors and art lovers are invited to meet the artists, see their creative process up close, and buy art directly from the source.
“We’re so happy to be producing the tour again this year,” said Ann Ostermann, Open Studios director for Arts Council Santa Cruz County. “Artists are really looking forward to having one on one conversations with their visitors after a long year of interacting with folks online.”
She added, “We’ve supplied every artist with face masks, hand sanitizer and signage to keep themselves, their families, their helpers and their guests safe during the tour.”
This year, more than ever, it’s taken a lot of planning and rearranging to prepare for the tour.
“The payoff comes in the form of new connections, art sales, and a renewed sense of joy in sharing the artistic process,” Ostermann said.
Matthew Werner of Scotts Valley
A program of Arts Council Santa Cruz County, Open Studios takes place the first three weekends of October, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Studios are divided between North and South County (with the SantaCruz Yacht Harbor as the dividing point) on the following schedule:
- Oct. 2-3: South County artists
- Oct. 9-10: North County artists
- Oct. 16-17: All County weekend featuring select artists.
There are many ways to plan your tour and they’re all free.
Whether this is your first Open Studios or you’ve been attending for years, here are a few strategies for finding your way:
1) Pick up a FREE artist guide at Good Times drop off points throughout the County.
Find artists in your neighborhood, by medium, or simply browse through the guide and find artwork that captures your eye.
2) Download the FREE app — available Sept. 27 on iTunes & Google Play (search for “Open Studios Art Tour”).
Mark favorite artists, map their location, and then build a tour around that.
3) Follow the green signs. During Open Studios weekends you’ll see lime green signs with artist names and arrows all over the county.
Please consider every Open Studios sign as your own personal invitation. Follow the signs and enter a studio.
4) Check out the preview exhibit at Santa Cruz Art League, featuring artwork from a majority of the participating artists.
Michele Hausman of Soquel
The exhibit opens Friday, October 1 as part of the First Friday Art Tour, and runs through Saturday, Oct. 16. It’s a great way to discover artists and plan your tour. Pop into the gallery, find artwork that intrigues you, and make a note of which studios you want to visit.
Can’t make it in person? Take a walk via a Virtual Tour, available on santacruzopenstudioes.com starting Sept. 29.
5) If you’re interested in art from the outlying studios, visit the satellite preview exhibit at the R. Blitzer Gallery, 2801 Mission Street in Santa Cruz.
This exhibit features work by artists in remote areas throughout the county, including Bonny Doon, Corralitos, Felton and more.
The satellite exhibit opens on Oct. 1 as part of the First Friday Art Tour and will be open to the public through Oct. 17.
6) Visit one or 100! No one is keeping score. Spend a day or just a few minutes.
Open Studios is a self-guided, free tour. Cater it to your style and mood.
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The Arts Council generates creativity, vibrancy, and connection in Santa Cruz County. For 42 years it has fueled this creative community, supporting individual and collective artistic expression and building bridges and bonds between people throughout the county. The council has provided grants to artists and art organizations, funded arts education programs that serve more than 17,000 kids across Santa Cruz County, and supported community initiatives such as Open Studios and Ebb & Flow.
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TOP PHOTO: “A Visual Journey Beneath the Water’s Edge” is one of the paintings that will be on display by author, storyteller, face painter, watercolor instructor and graphic designer Marsha Strong-Smith. After losing her husband, Noel Smith, to cancer right before COVID, she pulled out her dry watercolor paints and created a series of 30+ letter-size paintings called “Healing from Grief.” This inspired her to paint a larger variety of watercolors, which will be seen during the 2021 Open Studios.