Sedona, Arizona - Working artists in the Verde Valley will be opening their private studios to the public for the weekend of November 10-12. Under the auspices of the Sedona Visual Artists’ Coalition (SVAC) is presenting this exciting self-guided event that is free to the public. The Tour runs daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, November 10 through Sunday, November 12th. The Tour’s co-chairs are clay artist Mike Upp and painter Julie Ronning Talbot who are counting the days until the Fall Tour kicks off. “Astounding, gratifying, exciting,” are words both say pretty much describe the phenomenal growth of the 14-year-old Open Studios Tour in the four years they’ve been at the helm.
The SVAC Tour has become known as a wonderful weekend for art lovers to visit with professional artists in authentic working studios, as well as the opportunity to purchase art while enjoying the lush landscape of Sedona and the Verde Valley. It also offers a fabulous venue for local artists to shine by engaging visitors and fostering a community that values the arts.
Past tour visitors report one of the distinct pleasures of shopping on the studio tour for their own collection or for gifts, is spending time with the wide variety of artists who offer a personal look at how and where a piece is made. Open Studios’ co-chair Mike Upp explains that artists enjoy demonstrating their creative processes as they show off their work spaces and, more importantly, make that special and personal connection with buyers and visitors alike.
“For the visitor, the Open Studios experience invites the artwork to speak much more intimately to them as it provides an opportunity to gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of the creative process,” says Upp, adding that a major appeal of such an experience is the chance to buy gorgeous, one-of-a-kind and locally produced artwork direct from the artist. “The wide range of style, quality and art forms is a testament to the thriving vitality of the arts community in Sedona and the beautiful Verde Valley.”
This year there will be over 40 studios and 66 individual artists participating in Sedona, the Village of Oak Creek, Cornville, Cottonwood, and Clarkdale. Open Studio visitors agree the event is a way to experience the creative process as a real hands-on learning event, with the invitation to watch a demo as a top draw. It can be something as basic as exploring the variety of artist’s tools used in creating the beauty on display-- from brushes, cameras, canvas, paper, paint, kilns, glass, fibers. “There’s really no way not to be charmed, beguiled, and thrilled with something different, or original in whatever your favorite medium is, be it glass, ceramics, pottery, sculpture, digital art, jewelry, painting, drawings, photography, fiber, weaving, mixed media, silks…it’s all here!” Talbot and Upp cheerfully promise.
Brochures with a complete list of participating artists, including a map, will be conveniently available at numerous locations around the Verde Valley, including hotels and restaurants as well as the Sedona Arts Center and the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center in Uptown Sedona. For complete information, including artists’ name and medium, studio locations, a downloadable map, and suggestions and ideas for planning a personalized tour, please go to the SVAC website: http://sedonaartistscoalition.org/ .
The Sedona Visual Artists’ Coalition is a 501c3 nonprofit educational and charitable organization. This inclusive organization welcomes artists at all levels and encourages creativity, community, and camaraderie. Benefits of membership includes a promotion of your artwork on our website, bi-monthly announcements of happenings in our FYI newsletter, opportunities to show your art, Open Studios, social events and networking possibilities. For more information, please contact: Mike Upp at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 503.789.4437.