Quick Take:
With the Open Studios Art Tour set for the weekends of Oct. 1-2, Oct. 8-9 and Oct. 15-16, here’s your guide for getting...
Arts Council Santa Cruz County has announced that applications for the 2023 Open Studios Art Tour are now open. This self-guided tour, which runs over the first three weekends in October, provides visual artists of all mediums with the opportunity to showcase their work to a broader audience.
The Open Studios Art Tour has been an annual event in Santa Cruz County for several years, with over 300 artists participating each year. The 2023 tour promises to be even more exciting as the organizers welcome new artists to take part.
According to Ann Ostermann, Open Studios Director, “Open Studios is a great way to showcase their work to a broader audience and sell their work.” This opportunity is not just for artists who have studios. If you don’t have your own dedicated studio space, we can partner you with a local artist or gallery host.”
“Open Studios is a great way to showcase their work to a broader audience and sell their work.”
— Ann Ostermann, Open Studios Director
The Arts Council’s mission is to nurture and invest in artists, culture, and the arts. Through grants to artists and arts organizations, arts education programs, and community initiatives such as Open Studios, the Tannery Arts Center, and the Watsonville Center for the Arts, the Arts Council helps Santa Cruz County thrive.
To apply for the Open Studios Art Tour, interested artists need to pay a $40 application fee.
A six-member panel of arts professionals will select the artists who will participate in the tour. Selected artists pay a $300 participation fee ($260 for first-timers) and receive support with tour preparation including tips on displaying, pricing, and selling art. The fee helps cover overall marketing costs and event coordination.
To learn more about the application and tour, artists are invited to attend a free drop-in Application Assistance Workshop, scheduled:
- Thursday, March 16, 7-8pm: Watsonville Center for the Arts, 375 Main St, Watsonville (bilingual)
- Saturday, April 1, 1-2pm: Watsonville Center for the Arts, 375 Main St, Watsonville (bilingual)
- Wednesday, April 5, 7-8pm: Arts Council Santa Cruz County, 1070 River St, Santa Cruz
The deadline for applications is midnight on April 30, 2023.
For more information and updates on the Open Studios Art Tour, visit santacruzopenstudios.com or follow @openstudios.scc on Instagram.
