For the next two weekends, anyone interested in learning more about our local artists, visiting studios and seeing them in action, or shopping for art of all kinds can take part in ARTrails of Southwest Washington’s 2009 Studio Tour.
The event begins this Friday with a gala and opening reception from 4 to 8 p.m. at Centralia’s Historic Train Depot. Each artist participating in ARTrails will have something on display, and finger foods provided by local chefs will be available.
The exhibition gallery at the depot will then be open daily from Saturday, Sept. 19, through Sunday, Sept. 27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
But the heart of ARTrails is where you go after your stop at the gallery. Visitors can pick up a brochure and plan their tour to any of the dozens of studios listed. Visiting hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays from now until Sept. 27.
Many artists will have demos or lessons available during the tour. And nearly all will have art for sale, both at their studios and at the gallery.
ARTrails of Southwest Washington began several years ago when local artists Richard and Susan Roth returned to their native Winlock after spending five years in Northern California.
While in California, they had taken part in the Sonoma County ARTrails program. Back home, they decided that a similar event in Southwest Washington would be successful.
“We wanted to draw people to the area, and have them say, ‘Hey, there’s a lot of art going on down there — and it’s good art,’” Richard said.
Their hopes for the event have been fulfilled many times over. ARTrails continues to grow every year. This year, Richard said, 10 new artists were accepted into the tour.
Artists interested in being featured as part of ARTrails had to submit an application and photographs of the work they wanted to be juried back in April. The idea, Richard said, is to encourage everyone to participate, but it’s important that the art included be high quality.
In addition to drawing tourism and appealing to art lovers in Southwest Washington, Richard and Susan hope that ARTrails will develop a stronger artist community as well.
The only roadblock to success in that department has been logistical in nature. If artists are showing their own studios during ARTrails, they can’t visit each others’ studios.
To that end, this year the artists in ARTrails will have a Studio Crawl, which will not be open to the public, whereby any participating artist will have a chance to see other studios during off hours.
If You Go
What: ARTrails studio tour
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 19-20 and Sept. 26-27. Gala opening is 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at the historic Centralia Train Depot.
Where: Various art galleries and studios throughout Southwest Washington
Cost: free tour, artwork will be for sale at many locations
Info including tour maps: www.ARTrailsofSWW.org
Dian McClurg is a former Chronicle reporter and current freelance writer living near Silver Creek. She can be reached at dlmcclurg@tds.net.
