The Shandaken Art Studio Tour returns for its fifth year on July 21-22 with 45 artists, including several new to the tour, new sculpture gardens, and exhibits of work by dozens of local and regional artists. Artist studios will be open from 11 to 5 on both Saturday and Sunday, and local art galleries will be hosting opening receptions on Saturday night from 6 until 10. All events are free!
The Shandaken Art Studio Tour winds along the creeks and mountains of the Catskill High Peaks, so even your drive from studio to studio will be filled with remarkable beauty. Besides the scenic appeal of the tour, an outstanding characteristic is the wide variety of artwork offered, from lovely landscapes capturing the natural beauty to sculptures of creatures even more wild and wonderful than the ones actually roaming the mountains. From classic to folk to "heavy metal," this tour's got it all.
Artists new to the tour include mixed mediator Joan Hall, all-natural Tony Jannetti, edible artist Amy Jackson, graphic designer and painter Kurt Boyer, travel painter Mona Jacobs, and potter Sally Rothchild. The outdoor sculpture exhibits include Dog Sculpture Park at Mama's Boy Café in Phoenicia and Poet's Sculpture Garden across from the Railroad Museum. There are outdoor sculptures at the Community Center in Pine Hill and an impressive collection of sculpture at 49A in Highmount alongside the Galli-Curci Historic Mansion, just past the Belleayre Ski Center. You will see Naomi Teppich's monumental "Snakeroot," Kevin Green's "Peace Horse," John Byer's "Orb," and two heroic figures by Dave Channon, "Tree Hugger" and "Athena Calico." Assemblage artist Judith Singer has been collecting the work of local and regional artists for years and will open her private collection for display along with her art studio.
The Arts Upstairs on Main St. in Phoenicia will host a potluck bash and meet-the-artists reception starting at 6 pm on Saturday the 21st. Down the block, Cabane Studios will hold a special opening to introduce art tour visitors to her stable of artists.
Visit their website, www.ShandakenArt.com, to view artists' images and a tour map. Choose the studios you want most to see. Free maps are also widely available at locations in the area. Shandaken is in the
coolest and greenest center of the Catskill Mountains, and every inch of your drive will reward you with a peak experience.
