A Taste of the Tour
The regular three-day tour of participating artists’ private studios on the 2020 Off the Beaten Path Studio Tour was cancelled this year due to the COVID virus. There are several artists who will be available for your visit during the tour weekend of September 18, 19 and 20, as well as throughout the year. This is a guide to all the participating artists and the specific conditions for visiting their studios if they are open. Information about where you can purchase artists’ work is also included. Wearing masks and practicing social distancing applies to all studio visits.
You can find information about the artists, their contact information and a map to their studio on our website at www.offthebeatenpathstudiotour.com. We are all looking forward to next year’s tour. Mark your calendars for September 17, 18 & 19, 2021
Judi Munn and John Perry will be at their studio all weekend and appointments are not necessary to visit their studio. Much of their work will be on display outside their studio and access to the studio will be limited. They will be glad to tell you about their work and their pottery process. You can also visit the Pottery Shop at the Ozark Folk Center whenever you are in Mountain View to see John and Judi at work. A great selection of their pottery is in the shop. Judi’s paintings are available at the Arkansas Craft Gallery.
Joe Bruhin’s wood fire studio will be open during studio tour weekend and throughout the year with or without an appointment. You can see Joe’s work and get contact information and directions to Joe’s studio on the website www.offthebeatenpathstudiotour.com.
You can visit the studio of potters David and Becki Dahlstedt during the Tour weekend and throughout the year by appointment. Call Becki at 870-615-4825 to arrange a visit. Visitors will be able to tour the studio in small groups to see and purchase pottery. David will be making pottery in his studio with social distancing required. David and Becki’s work is available year round in Mountain View at the Arkansas Craft Gallery, the Iron Forge, the Dulcimer Shop, the Arkansas Craft School and in Little Rock at the Galleries at Library Square, and in the Crystal Bridges Museum Store in NW Arkansas.
Shawn Hoefer and Jeanette Larson, Havencroft Farms, will be happy to do private tours of the farm, by appointment only, with mask wearing and social distancing required. The tours will be outside only, but they will be happy to bring items outside for you to look at and possibly purchase. Message Jeanette on the Havencroft Farm Facebook page to arrange appointment times for September 18, 19 & 20 during the Studio Tour Weekend at https://m.facebook.com/havencroftfarm. The farm gate will be closed unless you have an appointment. See their story and their products at https://www.etsy.com/shop/HavencroftFarm
Maria Smith, Bear Pen Beads will be open by appointment only on the weekend of Studio Tour. Call 870-213-1681 or mariatsmith559@gmail.com. Maria’s work is available at the Arkansas Craft Gallery and the Arkansas Craft School both in Mountain View and at The Galleries at Library Square in Little Rock.
Mahdee and Peggy Rais-Dana’s studio is open year-round on Saturday & Sunday by appointment from 8 am – 2 pm. Contact Mahdee at 501-246-0740 or Peggy at 870-260-9286.
Encaustic artist, La’Nelle Gambrell, is offering classes and gallery tours by appointment only. Small groups and single students only at this time. Masks required. For more information on the ancient art of encaustic painting using molten bees wax and natural pigments please visit www.LaNelle.com. Credit card payments via phone are accepted as well as cash, checks and PayPal. Shipping available. ZOOM classes coming soon! Call for more information, 870-746-4146.
Stained Glass artist Claire Cresto will be open on the tour weekend by appointment only. Call her to make an appointment at 870-291-0659. crestoclaire2@gmail.com. Spider’s Web Studio, 5955 Gorby Road, Calico Rock, AR 72519.
Beadmakers Tom and Sage Holland are going to be open to visitors on the dates of the tour at the Meadowcreek Center west of Fox. They will also be available at that location by appointment on weekends the rest of the year. You can find their work online on Planet Sage on Facebook and at www.beauxbead.com.
Directions to Tom and Sage at Meadowcreek: Take Highway 66 west out of Mountain View for 13.9 miles to Highway 263 (on the other side of Timbo). Turn left on Highway 263 and continue 7.6 miles to Fox. Turn right on Meadow Creek Rd. and continue for 3.1 miles past the “T” junction on Meadow Creek Road where the pavement ends. At the bottom of a steep hill take a left to stay on Meadow Creek Road. You’ll pass a big red barn. Stay left at the fork. Soon you will see a large stone triangle where you take a left and go up a small hill to the Education Center of the Meadow Creek Wildlife Sanctuary.
Loretta Babak will be available in her studio for private tours by appointment only on the tour weekend and throughout the year. Contact her at 870-269-5732. Her artwork is available at the Arkansas Craft Gallery and the Arkansas Craft School and is online for viewing and consideration at lorettababaksart.com.
New Artist Cindy Kopack’s Whippoorwill Mountain Jewelry studio will be open during the Tour weekend by reservation. Contact whippoorwillmountainjewelry@gmail.com or call 870-213-8000. Cindi’s jewelry can be viewed on Facebook at Whippoorwill Mountain Jewelry or at her Etsy shop whippoorwillstudioco.
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
New Artist in 2020 Leatherworker Janice Clark will be at the Ozark Folk Center Craft Village on Friday and Saturday at the Leather Shop. Janice posts new items on Instagram at Crossedarrowstradingco, and on Facebook at crossedarrowstradingco and on Janice Clark’s page. Her work is also posted on the Ozark Folk Center Craft Village Facebook page. Her private studio will not be open.
New Artist in 2020 Knifemaker Tom Weir will be in his shop at the Ozark Folk Center on Friday and Saturday. His private studio will not be open.
Charles and Linda Widmer will be in their shop at the Ozark Folk Center. Their home studio will not be open. Linda’s jewelry can be seen on her Facebook page, Linda Widmer Jewelry, or on her website lindawidmerjewelry.com.
Copper Colorists Skip and Rachael Matthews be in their shop at the Ozark Folk Center. You can also contact them via email coppercolorists@msn.com. Rachael will send pictures of products available. They do mail order and use a Square invoice or take credit cards over the phone. You can also send a check, it just takes longer. There is also small store on their website and a convenient contact page www.coppercolorists.com, Their work is also available at the Arkansas Craft Gallery. Their private studio will not be open.
Jim Tindall’s studio will not be open during the tour weekend. His work can be purchased at the Arkansas Craft Gallery and in the Art Cabin Gallery in the Ozark Folk Center Village. You can visit Jim’s Website (jimtindall.com) and contact him via email at (tindallartistry@gmail.com) to commission a painting or to see examples of his art. For caricature bookings, live wedding paintings, commissioned portraits and “Painting With Panache“ classes go to jimtindall.com and contact him by email.
Owen Rein’s Studio will not be open during the weekend of the tour. Please call him at home at 870.269.5381 if you are interested in purchasing work or placing a special order.
Yun Kim’s studio will not be open during the tour weekend. You can see her paintings at the Arkansas Craft Gallery in downtown Mountain View.
Jeweler Pam Alexander will not be available in her studio during the weekend of the tour. You can see her work at the Arkansas Craft Gallery and at Liz’s Place. Pam plans to be at Liz’s Place off and on Friday and Saturday.
Joy Harp’s studio will not be open during Tour weekend. You can view her paintings at the Arkansas Craft Gallery.
Doris Fountain’s studio will not be open during the Tour weekend. She is doing a show in Branson, MO.
Cathy Drew is a lifelong resident of the region that she loves to promote. She was born in downtown Batesville in the late ’60s, located in one of the eight counties she now enjoys encouraging people to visit.
Drew became associated with the Ozark Gateway Region in 1990 while working at the ad agency (The Media Market Inc.). The agency handled marketing for the regional association, where she and her co-workers produced an annual tabloid publication. She began working as the Ozark Gateway Region director in June 2000.
After Drew became director, she took the region to the next level by helping the tourism organization create a new website and moved it from the old newspaper paper tabloid publication to a color magazine format. She helped open a visitor center for the Ozark Gateway, allowing visitors to pick up information from the entire state 24/7. Over the years, Drew has helped the organization meet new marketing goals, such as in- and out-of-state marketing, assuring that all 100,000 copies of their magazines are distributed each year.
In 2016, she assisted in creating the first Ozark Gateway Region Golf Classic. The tournament continues to grow each year, allowing the organization to expand its co-op program and helping each county have dedicated promotion. Drew stays busy at Ozark Gateway as the ad sales manager, magazine editor, day-to-day office operations, trade show representative, and magazine distribution representative, all while ensuring that the region is represented all over Arkansas and southern Missouri.
Drew was featured in several local and statewide publications over the years, as well as the 1997 cover of the Ozark Gateway Region tabloid, along with her then 4-year-old son, Jon. She has received several awards, such as the Batesville Rotarian of the Year in 2010 and a three-time Paul Harris Fellow.
She also has served as an Independence County election commissioner for several years. She now serves as their co-election coordinator, helping with behind-the-scenes management of voting equipment, day-to-day election deadlines, and poll worker training.
Drew is Batesville Rotary Club Past President, and is the Rotary Clubs’ current membership chair.
In March of 2018, Drew was honored with induction into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame for her many years of dedicated service to the tourism industry.