Mountain View artists open studios to visitors
BECCA MARTIN-BROWN
bmartin@nwadg.com
It’s a three-hour drive from Fayetteville to Mountain View, but the amount and variety of visual arts you can pack into one weekend might just make it more than worth it.
The Off the Beaten Path Studio Tour, turning 18 years old the weekend of Sept. 13-15, showcases the work of 39 artists in 29 studios. That’s quite a change from the first year, says Becki Dahlstedt, one of the founders, when 12 artists seemed like a success. But the real magic comes with letting visitors see the secret side of artists’ lives.
“Beginning with the first tour, we established that we would accept only artists’ working studios, and that is still the requirement,” says Dahlstedt. “By entering these private work spaces, the visitor gets an up close and personal look at where and how the artists create their amazing work.”
This year the tour welcomes two new artists: painter Mark Moller (Mountain View) and stained glass artist Claire Cresto (Calico Rock), according to Dahlstedt. Fiber artist Barbara Carlson (Calico Rock) is rejoining the tour after a brief sabbatical. Artists returning from last year’s tour include Joellen Rosenquist, silver jewelry; Ray Warren, yard art; Doris Fountain, primitive folk art; Blant Hurt, booksmith; Tom and Sage Holland, flame-worked glass beads; Owen Rein, furniture and baskets; Skip and Rachael Mathews, flame painted copper; Patrick Thompson, blacksmith; Shawn Hoefer and Jeanette Larson, brooms — and Dahlstedt and her husband, David, of course, whose studio is just three blocks from the Mountain View square.
“We make primarily functional stoneware pottery,” Dahlstedt says. “We demonstrate wheel work during the tour and also give an overview of the process from start to finish. People really appreciate being able to purchase art work directly from the artist, particularly after they have seen how it is created. That is one of the biggest draws of the tour — which makes it very successful for the participating artists.”
__
FAQ
Off the Beaten Path Studio Tour
WHEN — 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sept. 13-14; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 15
WHERE — Mountain View
COST — Free
INFO — offthebeatenpathstudiotour.com
BONUS — There is an artists’ reception from 7 to 9 p.m. Sept. 13 hosted by the Arkansas Craft School on the Court House Square in downtown Mountain View.
