What’s the allure of the Open Studios Art Tour? Some might say it’s like having a backstage pass to see your favorite performers. You get to meet and talk to the stars, see what goes on behind the scenes, and gain an appreciation for what it takes to make the magic happen on stage. Open Studios is an uncensored and non-juried event where 100 local visual artists throughout Butte County open their hearts and studios to all who wish to participate in arts discovery. What’s in store for you “backstage” in 2006?

Regardless of your level of knowledge about the arts, you are sure to find something intriguing going on behind the studio doors. Interested in seeing how wood becomes a work of art? The tour features several wood turners each having a specialty worth seeing. Burl, highly figured woods, fence posts, and local street trees are all raw materials for these artists and the result could be an exquisite functional bowl or a dazzling sculpture with a silky smooth finish that invites enjoyment with both hands and eyes. A master carver is inviting tour participants to the grand opening of his new studio. Felix Berkhoudt specializes in the design and execution of decorative wood décor for public buildings and private homes. Wood sculpting allows him to immerse his soul, fingers, eyes, and emotions in each piece--to trace the map laid down by nature and revealed by the artist. You can also visit the studio of Rich Lea, an artist who designs and builds custom contemporary furniture. He will show you the process of making lumber into a piece of fine furniture that will last for generations.

Are you ready to begin your search for the new, the wonderful, that just right piece of art for your home or garden? Open Studios provides an unpretentious opportunity for browsing—especially for those who might be intimidated by gallery chic. Artists are on hand to answer questions and often will have stories to tell about the work they have created. The extensive travels as a volunteer physician have influenced the art of Phyllis Cullen. Landscapes, people, and animals are portrayed in lively colors and threads in fabric and embellishment. Marc Sorenson creates modern mandalas (depictions of the cycles of life) that are directly influenced by his exploration of the nature of reality through deep meditation. Janice Porter uses walks through Chico’s neighborhoods to gather images. She gives an elegant treatment to simple materials, humble objects, and ephemeral natural views. Artists also appreciate hearing what you have to say about their work. Those conversations, exchanging thoughts and ideas, are rare and cherished for artists who, for the most part, work in isolation.

You will discover that artists can turn almost any medium into a creative device. Oils, acrylics, watercolors, pastels, pencil, charcoal, cardboard, glass, metal, fiber, wood, stone, clay, found objects, and even computers. Sharon Sawyer will show you how she uses computer fractals (the repetitive designs found in nature) to create a vibrant viewing experience. Mike Simpson is eager to show you how he enhances his digital photographs on computer to create stunning images. Art is the process through which skill, inspiration, and experimentation take form. It is a different and compelling process for each artist and you can experience that through Open Studios.

As much as you’ll love the art you see on the tour, the STUDIOS--the places where art is created, the places where artists live and work--are just as fascinating. Pam Baker Watson has converted an old tin garage into a cozy cottage studio in Paradise. People visiting her will be able to see how a small space functions as the comfortable working studio she uses for experimenting with mosaics and fused glass along with hand building and slip casting clay. A visit to Chris Cantello, a potter who formulates all his own glazes, will show you a huge home studio and gallery including a raku kiln, four electric kilns, two gas kilns, four potter’s wheels, a slab roller and clay extruder--all used in the creation of functional ware and large sculptural pieces that are unique and fresh. One flight up and you’re at the studio of Mabrie Ormes—a large high-ceilinged two-room studio/gallery in downtown Chico brimming with paintings, drawings, linoleum block prints, and neon wall sculptures. The packing barn at Noble Orchards is a great backdrop for the artwork of the Paradise Plein Air Painters. Where else could you see the various styles of ten painters and savor fresh fall fruit at one stop? Artist Paul Decker is offering food and drinks by the pool and the opportunity to experience his creative output in a garden setting. Yes, the garage is his studio but the finished work moves on out into the serene setting that is his back yard. And this will likely be the neatest garage/studio you will ever encounter. Norm Dillinger creates impressionistic, pointillist paintings and has been known to paint almost anything that doesn’t move including the interior and exterior of his house, windows, guitars and their cases, and autos (those do move, but not while being painted). His whole house is his studio so you won’t have any trouble locating it and if you want to enjoy your dots at home, he has many paintings in a wide variety of subject matter to take with you. James Moody and Jessica Flanagan share an industrial-looking glass blowing studio in the pines of Paradise and will be demonstrating their skill and techniques daily. Dick Johnston’s studio is located on eight beautiful acres in the foothills south of Oroville. He has a one-acre pond in a park-like setting to enjoy right next to his workshop. Since this is a countywide tour, take the opportunity to drive to several different towns and enjoy the beautiful fall vistas and different architecture each has to offer.

The tour guide is your key to the Open Studios Art Tour with maps to the studios and images and contact information for each participating artist. Tour guides are $10 per person (you can bring your children along for free) and are available for purchase at the Chambers of Commerce throughout Butte County. They can also be purchased throughout the tour at the Chico Art Center (450 Orange Street), at the Paradise Art Center (5564 Almond Street), and in Oroville at the State Theater (1489 Myers Street). Reserve the weekends of October 7-8 and October 14-15 for an exciting arts adventure.