The Off the Beaten Path Studio Tour is a free self-guided driving tour of the private working studios of artists located within 30 miles of the courthouse square in Mountain View. The tour, now in its 17th year, will take place on September 14. 15 & 16, 2018. Mark your calendars and make your reservations now! Check out www.yourplaceinthemountains.com and Ivyvacations.net.
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 visit with the artists, see the work in progress, and purchase locally produced art and crafts directly from the creators.
Studios will be open from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm on Friday and Saturday and from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Sunday.
This year the tour welcomes four new artists: Gourd artist Glenda Tooke, Ceramic Jeweler Ann Stout, encaustic painter LaNelle Gambrell, and local historian/author Freda Cruse Hardison.
Shawn Hoefer, broommaker, and Jeanette Larson, weaver, will be returning after a years’ sabbatical. Another artist from earlier tours is rejoining the tour this year – Blacksmith Patrick Thompson. Artists returning from last year’s tour are JP Rosenquist, silver jewelry; Ray Warren, metal work; Doris Fountain, primitive folk art; Judi Munn and John Perry, pottery and painting; Ed and Pam Alexander, photography, garden art and jewelry, Blant Hurt, storyteller and booksmith. Tom and Sage Holland, flame-worked glass beads and sculpture; Lane Berg, painter and mixed media; Linda Rawlings, photographer and printmaker; Loretta Babak, painter; Owen Rein, furniture and baskets; Mahdee and Peggy Raiees-Dana, woodworking and garden art; Russ and Beverly Wilhite, painting; Skip and Rachael Mathews, flame painted copper; Charles and Linda Widmer, wire-wrapped jewelry; Joy Harp, painting, Liz and Lewie Lloyd, wood and knives; Yun Kim, painting; Jim Tindall, painting; David and Becki Dahlstedt, pottery; Paul Gillam Jr. and Paul Gillam Sr., woodworking; Maria Smith, glass bead jewelry; and Joe Bruhin, wood-fired pottery.
A free printed Guide to Artists’ Studios, containing information about the artists along with directions to each studio, will be available beginning September 2nd in the tour area. Pick up your guide at one of the following locations:
In Mountain View: the Arkansas Craft Gallery, the Arkansas Craft School and the Chamber of Commerce office;
In Calico Rock: the Calico Rock Museum and Visitors Center;
In Mountain Home: the Baxter County Library
In Batesville: The Chamber of Commerce. The Independence County Library, 267 E. Main
In Fairfield Bay: the Fairfield Bay Community Center.
To view the book online and to get more details on the 2018 Studio Tour check out the website at www.offthebeatenpathstudiotour.com, and look for Off the Beaten Path Studio Tour on Facebook.
Be sure to join us for a reception for artists, visitors, friends and supporters on Friday evening, September 15th from 7 pm to 9 pm at the Arkansas Craft School on the Square in Mountain View.
For additional information, call Becki Dahlstedt, Tour Coordinator, at 870-615-4825 or email becki.dahlstedt@gmail.com.
Thanks to the Ozark Gateway Tourist Council, The Mountain View Chamber of Commerce, the Stone County Leader and KFFB for their continued support of the Studio Tour.
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 serves on the Arkansas Travel Council Board of Directors, is Batesville Rotary Club Past President, and is the Rotary Clubs’ current publicity 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.