Sierra Art Trails Open Studio Tour is October 4-6

The works of a record-number of artists will be on display for the 11th annual Sierra Art Trails Open Studio Tour taking place October 4-6.

Based in Oakhurst which is located about 20 minutes south of Yosemite National Park, the region has a reputation for having more artists per capita than anywhere else in the United States, the annual tour attracts thousands of art lovers each year. The result is the annual tour that has been growing each year.

“We’re really excited for this year, we have 108 artists who are taking part and they have some amazing works of art to share with the public,” said Jon Bock who organizes the annual art show and year-long series of events that lead up to it.

The annual showcase features works of art in just about every media one can imagine at a series of venues throughout the region. Stops along the trial include just about every foothill community, with the first stop
being in the small town of O’Neals, followed by Yosemite Lakes Park and Coarsegold, Oakhurst, Ahwahnee,
North Fork and Bass Lake.

Bock said the large number of artists is fueling what he believes will be a great weekend for art lovers. “What I’m seeing is that people are genuinely excited this year, that makes me feel really good. The artists are making bigger efforts and we’re getting more online and mail orders for catalogs. I feel a really good energy this year and I hope that translates to a good weekend,” he said.

The cost to attend the self-guided tour is $18 for two adults. The 2013 Sierra Art Trails Catalog, which also serves as the admission, contains a profile of each of the artists, maps and other information regarding the area.

“I’d like to see even more people support the arts and get the catalog, it’s a great publication. It’s become a resource for culture in the area,” Bock said.

The Sierra Art Trails Open Studio Tour was started in 2002 to take advantage of a very active, and large, art
community.

“We wanted to draw people in to the region from areas outside of Yosemite and the Sierra. Really it was the
realization that we had a cultural resource and the chance to take advantage of that and make the region a
destination,” Bock said.

—Sierra Art Trails Open Studio Tour