Explore the Beauty of the Superstitions Through the Work of Local Artists – Experience the Artists of the Superstitions Studio Tour
Have you ever looked at the majestic Superstition Mountains and the surrounding landscape and felt inspired? Well, you are not alone as dozens of people not only decided to call the Superstition Mountains home, some of them capture the beauty of the area and display their work for the world to see.
In fact, some of the area resident artists and other talented artists formed the Artists of the Superstitions group. This group consists of 75+ artists who all have a vested interest in showing off works of art spanning across many different mediums. They achieve this by engaging the public in a number of events and attending art shows throu ghout Arizona.
One of the premier events for this group is their semi-annual Artist Studio Tour – one in the fall, one in the spring. On this adventure of Backpack Pat, we explore a number of the artists’ home studios to experience the creativity and passion from some of our fellow Arizona neighbors.
Each November and March, various members from the Artists of the Superstitions group open up their homes and art studios to showcase their recent works to the public. Additionally, other artists set up temporary stands on some of the residential properties to display their works through a variety of mediums including acrylic, watercolors, pastels, photography, ceramics, and much more. The specific locations of these studios are advertised on a well-designed pamphlet for attendees to roam around Apache Junction and Gold Canyon. The pamphlet notes that some of the studios are not open on Sunday. Moreover, if the attendees are looking for artists who specialize in a particular medium, the pamphlet will identify where artists are located and what art medium they specialize in.
Art lovers are encouraged to visit as many studios as possible as the event spans Friday through Sunday. Best of all the studio tour is FREE to attend – although it is encouraged to support the local artists and purchase their items for sale. The artists that highlight their studio on the tour are wonderful to engage as many of them chat with the shoppers about their inspiration and process. Some hosting artists even provide snacks, tea, bottled water, and coffee while folks visit their homes to help welcome everyone. On one leg of the tour, there was even a food cart selling a variety of items to help keep the artists and the art shoppers fuel up for their day.
Since the studio tour is a self-guided tour, guests are encouraged to utilize the map on the pamphlet and look for the signs guiding motorists to their next destination. Do keep a watchful eye pulling up to each destination as there may be other art shoppers coming in and out of each property.
While at each spot, be sure to take in all of the awe-inspiring art and the spectacular views of the Superstition Mountains in the background. One can tell that many of the artists get part of their inspiration from their environs.
On the day I attended the studio tour, I had a few special people to buy for and this event checked a lot of the boxes for each person’s style. From one-of-a-kind sculptures to specialty pottery, to breath-taking paintings, one will experience a plethora of artwork at each stop.
The Artists of the Superstitions are having their next studio tour in March so be sure to check out their website, explore all of their upcoming events, and visit (and support) the artists who call the Superstition Mountains home.