Art walks: The best studio tours around the U.S.

The spirit of SoCal: Come to Venice, Calif., May 11-12 to chat with artists during The Venice Art Walk & Auctions. Credit: ToGa Wanderings.

By Erik Torkells

Galleries can be a wonderful way to spend time while traveling, but they can also be a bit isolating — you may not talk to anybody, and if we’re going to be honest, they can blur together after a while. A number of destinations, however, offer annual artist-studio open houses where you can not only see how a real artistworks, but also chat with the artist and other visitors. You don’t have to know much about art, and best of all, the events are usually free. Here are 10 worth checking out, along with their dates in 2012 — but seriously, they’re everywhere these days. Search online to see if one lines up with your next trip, or ask at your hotel.

New York: Tribeca Open Artists Studio Tour, New York City (April 27-30)
California: Venice Art Walk (May 19-20)
Idaho: Artists’ Studio Tour of North Idaho (August 10-12, 17-19)
New York: Saugerties Artists Studio Tour (August 11-12)
California: Monterey County Artists StudioTour (Sept. 29-30)
Pennsylvania: Philadelphia Open Studio Tours (Oct. 6-7)
Washington: Whatcom Artist Studio Tour (October 6-7, 13-14)
Oregon: Portland Open Studios (Oct. 13-14, 20-21)
Texas: East Austin Studio Tour (Nov. 10-11, 17-18)
Arizona: Hidden in the Hills Studio Tour (Nov. 16-17, Dec. 1-2)

Related resources

Formerly the editor of Budget Travel magazine, contributor Erik Torkells has written for many other publications, including Travel + Leisure, the New York Times and T Magazine. He has appeared on MSNBC, Fox News, and “Good Morning America” on Orbitz’s behalf.

Tagged: California