The largest open studio tour in Southern California is kicking off its 23rd year of celebrating the Morongo Basin’s art community.
This year’s Highway 62 Open Studio Art Tours features 188 artists across 133 studio locations, scattered from Morongo Valley all the way up to Landers and east to Wonder Valley. With mediums ranging from painting to ceramics, from landscape sculptures to home furnishings, the artists who participate open their studios to the public and showcase works for sale during the first three weekends in October.
Organizers from the Morongo Basin Cultural Arts Council (MBCAC), the local nonprofit that organizes the tour, told the Independent that 53 or so artists are new to the tour this year.
“I like to say there’s art for every taste and every price range,” said John Henson, the art tour coordinator at MBCAC. “It’s so broad and diverse, and that’s really important for visitors.”
The tour coincides with the arrival of cooler fall temperatures—ideal for cruising the highway with the windows down. Studios are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and for the first time this year, there’s a corresponding musical component. Art Tours After Dark will feature more than 70 performances from local musicians across 16 local venues, including local restaurants like Spaghetti Western and the Joshua Tree Saloon, and smaller, off-the-beaten path venues like the Joshua Tree Distilling Company.
Henson said many people ask the artists where to hang out after the studios shut down, so it made sense to create an accompanying event series.
“Our mission is to support the whole cultural community,” he said.
Tour attendees can enjoy seeing the ways in which artists integrate their work into their space. Whether a workspace is a large one-room studio, a converted barn or an enclosed patio, each is as different as the artists themselves.
“Part of the experience is just getting to check out the high desert and the whole scene, see how people live up here and their homes and studios,” Henson said.
For those who are attending for the first time or want to make the most of the event, here are some tips from Henson and the Independent on navigating the Highway 62 Open Studio Art Tours.
Scope Out Potential Stops Ahead of Time
The biggest piece of advice Henson has is to plan ahead. The tour has an accompanying guide—available as a free catalog, online or in an app—that explains a little about each artist and shows three photos of their work.
“There’s everything; it’s just about picking what you’re interested in,” he said. “For anybody interested in art, there’s probably more than they have time to see.”
The app, which can be found in the Apple and Google Play stores, features a list of all participants that can be filtered by mediums, location and weekend—meaning if you want to check out what sculpture artists are open in Joshua Tree on Weekend 2, you can easily do so. Users can also add artists to lists if they want to save their information to check out later or make a plan.
Another way of checking out the scene is to hit up the collective show that features a single piece from many participating artists. This year, it’s held at the Hi-Desert Artists gallery in Yucca Valley from Sept. 27 through Oct. 21.
Be Mindful of Directions
While studios may look clustered on a map, the actual distances may be farther than anticipated. It’s at least a 40-minute drive from Morongo Valley heading east to Twentynine Palms, meaning it could be challenging to hit artists in various locations in one day. “When people get up here, they realize it’s really spread out,” Henson said.
Many participating artists will put up signs directing visitors to their studios at key locations. This being the Morongo Basin, though, some studios may be on dirt roads or unnamed turn-offs. The artist profiles in the catalog and the app will say if something isn’t “GPS friendly” and provide turn-by-turn directions.
Additionally, not all artists participate during all three weekends. Henson, who has done the studio tours for nine years, advises all attendees to double-check the calendar.
Introduce Yourself and Talk to the Artists
Henson estimates studios get an average of 15 to 20 visitors a day. The artists who participate often rely on the art tours as a meaningful opportunity to meet new patrons and publicize their work.
But beyond that, it’s a way to build community and meet new people. Even if the artist seems shy or quiet, chances are that’s just their personality; Henson said the artists participate with the intention of meeting people. He’s had conversations with visitors to his studio that last well longer than an hour.
“Everyone is doing this with the full intention of welcoming visitors,” he said. “Visitors should not at all be shy about introducing themselves to an artist or walking up to them.”
Henson also said artists are a great resource to ask about other studios to visit or local places to check out.
Explore the Area
Last year, the event generated more than a half-million dollars in sales for local artists, and many local businesses rely on the influx of visitors who head into town for the art tours.
Henson is hopeful the Art Tours After Dark series will encourage people to stick around and enjoy the high desert. He encourages visitors to check out shops and restaurants—not to mention the vast, arid expanse of Joshua Tree National Park or other outdoor areas.
“A lot of people come from Los Angeles, and there’s a lot of good art in L.A.,” Henson said. “But there’s nothing like this—getting out to drive through the beautiful landscape and visiting studios.”
The Highway 62 Open Studio Art Tours take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays, from Oct. 5-20. The information hub and collective show is located at Hi-Desert Artists, 55635 Twentynine Palms Highway, in Yucca Valley. The tour and show are free, with art for sale. For more information, visit mbcac.org.