ArtTrails: All roads lead to the creative

Art enthusiasts are invited to take a peak inside the workspaces of some of Sonoma County’s most creative people during ARTrails, a free, two-weekend event consisting of self-guided tours leading to artists’ studios – and what lies within.
The scenery along the way is as diverse as the artists themselves. Trailblazers can choose a country route, a coastal highway or an urban course, when mapping out their tours.
While at their destinations, guests can meet the artists, see demonstrations and even choose to purchase artwork directly from its makers.
“ARTrails is a wonderful way to experience autumn in Sonoma County with intriguing art, people and the beautiful countryside, as you travel the back roads which you might not experience otherwise,” Sonoma County Arts Council Visual Arts Program Manager Vicki Kumpfer said.
“ARTrails is unique from other open studios because it shows artists who were juried in, thus guaranteeing high quality art. Art collectors know they will see only the best. ARTrails also has a special emphasis on education. The artists demonstrate their skills or display various stages of their medium process,” she said, noting more than 160 artists are participating this year.
Participating artists and maps to their studios can be found inside ARTrails directories, located at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, Corricks Stationary Store in Santa Rosa, Copper-field’s Books in Sebastopol, the Sebastopol Center for the Arts, the Petaluma Arts Center, Graton Gallery, the Healdsburg Arts Center, Flying Goat Coffee Company and Tree Horn Books (both also located in Healdsburg), and at many other locations throughout Sonoma County. The directories can also be viewed and/or downloaded online at www.sonomaarts.com/-artrails/.
ARTrails takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the second and third weekends in October: Oct 12–13 and 19–20.
— Laura McCutcheon