Area Artists Sought for Fall Studio Tour

For one day this fall, area residents will be able to tour the studios of local artists from Camarillo to Calabasas, sometimes watching the artists at work.

The Thousand Oaks Arts Commission is looking for artists to participate in the Open Studio Tour, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 5. Organizers hope to feature a wide range of art, including photography, sculpture, ceramics and painting.

Linda Nelson, the studio tour chairwoman, said the project was inspired in part by the new Civic Arts Plaza in Thousand Oaks. The plaza, she said, has given the performing arts a new showcase. Visual art, such as painting and sculpture, needs a similar boost.

“The visual artists now need to be brought to the forefront,” she said.

The tours costs $6 in advance or $8 on the day of the event. Tours will begin at an as-yet-unnamed location, where visitors will pick up maps and catalogues of the artists and their work. From there, the visitors set off on self-guided tours, buying works directly from the artists if they wish.

“We’re timing this for the start of the holiday shopping season, so it gives people the opportunity to get some really unique gifts without going through a middleman,” Nelson said.

Organizers hope the tour, also sponsored by the Thousand Oaks Art Assn. and the Westlake Village Art Guild, will become an annual event.

Interested artists must submit their applications by July 31. For application information, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Carol Williams, Thousand Oaks City Manager’s Office, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks 91362, or call 498-8663 or 449-2128.