Now’s your chance to step inside a local artist’s studio and see some of the creative processes behind the work.
The Saanich Peninsula Spring Studio tour hosted by the Community Arts Council of the Saanich Peninsula (CACSP) runs June 10 to 11.
The tour is self-guided, meaning people can wander from studio to studio at their leisure over the two days. A glossy map outlining the tour, accompanied by a brochure explaining each artist, can be picked up at the ArtSea Gallery at Tulista Park in Sidney or at the McTavish Academy of Art (MAOA) in North Saanich. They are also available at various markets and coffee shops on the Peninsula, as well as online.
This year there are 12 different studio locations and around 20 different artists involved, including one mystery artist who will be posted at the ArtSea Gallery.
The event encourages people to get out and enjoy the arts.
“There’s two aims. The first aim from the Arts Council point of view is to promote the arts on the Peninsula,” says Monika Korsten, studio tour coordinator. “And for the artists, it’s an opportunity to share their passion with the community.”
Korsten says in the past when the weather has been nice she and her husband have bicycled the tour, which this year covers North Saanich and Sidney. Korsten adds that if people feel so inclined they can even walk it.
Most of the artists provide snacks for the tour goers and there is also an opportunity for people to buy art if they so choose.
The tour is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day and there is no cost to join. Many of the studios are wheelchair accessible. Maps and more information can found at cacsp.com.