Fall Open Studios Tour Presented by The Sedona Visual Artists Coalition

At El Portal Sedona Hotel we love to keep visitors, guests, and locals all informed about events in the Sedona area. Next weekend is no exception…The Fall Open Studios Tour is the 10 – 12 of November!

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 12^th.  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/.

At the end of a long day of experiencing the Open Studios, you will need somewhere to relax and rejuvenate for another day of adventures. El Portal Sedona Hotel, a twelve-suite luxury boutique inn located just steps from Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village, is proud to welcome guests and their pets. Upon arrival, pets receive a welcome basket including a blanket, treats, and waste bags. El Portal has earned significant recognition for its enthusiastic commitment to giving all guests and pets personalized concierge services for the Sedona area. Recently, Dogster Magazine named El Portal the second most dog-friendly hotel in the country, and it has previously ranked number one as the “Best Pet-Friendly Hotel” in USA Today and 10Best.com. Human guests will enjoy cozying up by the lobby fireplace or admire the hotel’s unique architecture and décor, which Sunset Magazine described as having a “rustic elegance that beautifully captures the romance of the Southwest.” 

El Portal Sedona Hotel
95 Portal Lane
Sedona, AZ 86336
800.313.0017
info@elportalsedona.com
www.ElPortalSedona.com