We hear a lot these days about the importance of shopping local, and that means supporting local artists and craftsmen, too. The Sedona Visual Artists’ Coalition gives you the opportunity to put your money where your mouth is during its Sedona Open Studios Tour, which takes place April 29-30 and May 1. Fifty-six working artists from Sedona, the Village of Oak Creek, Cottonwood, Cornville, Clarkdale and Camp Verde will open their private studios to the public, demonstrating their talent, talking about the artistic process and selling their work. (A handful of artists will share studios that weekend, providing a chance for one-stop shopping.) The free, self-guided, tour takes place 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. all three days.
Ceramicist Mike Upp, who co-chairs the event with painter Julie Ronning-Talbot, says that despite two years in a row of bad weather, Sedona Open Studios Tour continues to grow, attracting more and more visitors from other parts of the state. Last year, 2,500 art lovers turned out for the event. SVAC hired a PR team from Phoenix this year to help get the word out. “When you have the name Sedona in your event title, it gives you the opportunity to be nationally recognized,” says Mike. “We’ve been continually adding more and more artists from the Verde Valley, which is another goal of ours. We want the tour to be all encompassing. I think this year will be our biggest ever.”
That’s certainly not a stretch considering that the number of participating artists has more than doubled in the last four years. Represented mediums include painting, sculpture, glass, jewelry, ceramics, photography and multimedia. New this year is a raffle that will benefit SVAC’s scholarship fund. Raffle tickets will be sold for $1 each. Ambassadors will be stationed at each stop to provide information about other open studios in the area. Brochures with a list of artists and a map will be available at businesses in Sedona and the Verde Valley including the Sedona Arts Center and the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center in Uptown. – Erika Ayn Finch. Photo courtesy of Sedona Open Studios Tour.
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