It’s time once again for the Off the Beaten Path Studio Tour. This free self-guided driving tour of the private working studios of artists located within 30 miles of the courthouse square in Mountain View will take place on Sept. 13, 14 & 15, 2019. This is the 18th year of the tour. On this special weekend, fine artists and craft artisans will open their unique private working studios to the public for an up-close and personal look at how and where they create their distinctive pottery, jewelry, painting, photographs, weaving, wood, furniture, baskets, and much more. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet the artists, see work in progress, and purchase locally produced art and crafts directly from the creators. Studios will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. A reception for artists, visitors, friends and supporters will take place on Friday evening, Sept. 13, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Arkansas Craft School at the corner of Peabody and Main on the Square in Mountain View. Everyone is invited to join us for this celebration of art and artists in Mountain View.
This year the tour welcomes two new artists: painter Mark Moller (Mountain View), and stained glass artist Claire Cresto (Calico Rock). Fiber artist Barbara Carlson (Calico Rock) is rejoining the tour after a brief sabbatical. Artists returning from last year’s tour are Joellen Rosenquist, silver jewelry; Ray Warren, metal art, sculpture and yard art; Doris Fountain, primitive folk art; Judi Munn and John Perry, pottery and painting; Ed Alexander, photography and metal work; Pam Alexander, garden art and jewelry; Blant Hurt, storyteller and booksmith; Tom and Sage Holland, flame-worked glass beads; Lane Berg, photography and mixed media; Loretta Babak, painting; Owen Rein, furniture and baskets; Mahdee and Peggy Raiees-Dana, wood and garden art; Russ and Beverly Wilhite, painting; Skip and Rachael Mathews, flame painted copper; Charles and Linda Widmer, jewelry; Joy Harp, painting; Liz and Lewie Lloyd, wood turning and knives; Yun Kim, painting; Jim Tindall, painting; Patrick Thompson, blacksmith; David and Becki Dahlstedt, pottery; Shawn Hoefer and Jeanette Larson, brooms and weaving; Paul Gillam Jr. and Paul Gillam Sr., woodworking; LaNelle Gambrell, encaustic painting; Maria Smith, glass bead jewelry; and Joe Bruhin, wood-fired pottery.
Explore our website www.offthebeatenpathstudiotour.com for information about each of the artists, photos of their work, and maps and directions to their studios. A digital version of the “2019 Guide to Artists’ Studios” is available on our website.
Pick up a free print copy of the 2019 Guide the first week of September at one of the following locations: in Mountain View at the Arkansas Craft Gallery, the Arkansas Craft School and the Chamber of Commerce office; in Calico Rock at the Calico Rock Museum and Visitors Center; in Mountain Home at the Baxter County Library; and in Batesville at the Chamber of Commerce. Additional locations may be added and will be listed on our website and on our Face Book page www.facebook.com/offthebeatenpathstudiotour.
For more information or to volunteer on tour weekend, call Becki Dahlstedt, tour coordinator, at 870-615-4825 or email becki.dahlstedt@gmail.com.
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.