The Clark County Open Studios Tour is back on the calendar for this fall, Saturday and Sunday, November 5-6, 2022. Now in its ninth year, the free self-guided tour continues to build connections as local artists open their studio doors to inquisitive visitors from near and far.
Open Studios is an annual juried art event designed to enhance community awareness of talented local artists while enriching the cultural life of Clark County neighborhoods. “We invite the community to step into the artist’s world and be inspired by the process of creativity. You’ll find inspiration, connect with others, and learn first-hand about painting techniques, printmaking, sculpture, glass, ceramic, jewelry, fiber arts, photography, and much more,” says Jennifer Williams, Open Studios Director.
The art and the studios where the creative process happens are as diverse as the artists themselves. This year’s tour features multiple farm studios, including father and daughter studios in a historic barn in Vancouver, a sheep farm in Ridgefield, an Alpaca farm in Camas, and an organic garden in Fern Prairie.
Driving around the county, exploring creative places can in itself be a fun experience, but tour-goers will find it’s the artists’ stories and the details behind the scenes that are the heart of Open Studios. Visitors have the opportunity to ask questions, learn how the artists’ careers began, how they make their work, what drives them to create, and how they make a living as an artist. Each year, the event showcases both a wide range of art mediums and a diverse mix of artists.
More information about each of the fifty participating artists and all the tour details can be found at artstra.org. Visitors can customize their tour by planning which studios they’d like to visit using the category filters to find: mediums, wheelchair-accessible studios, available classes, and more.
Prior to the tour, the public can enjoy a preview of all fifty artists’ work, at Art at the Cave gallery at 108 East Evergreen Blvd. in downtown Vancouver. The exhibit opens First Friday, November 4, from 5 to 8 p.m., the night before the tour. The show offers a taste of what to expect on the tour and will remain at the gallery through the month of November. Attendees at the preview event will be able to pick up a printed tour guidebook, mark the studios they want to visit and customize their route for the weekend tour.
