Submitted by Michelle Sonoqui Gillette –
Sierra Art Trails is “Calling all Artists and Artisans…for the the 11th annual Sierra Art Trails Open Studio Tour for 2013.” Only one more week for artists to send in their application!
Now in its 11th year, Sierra Art Trails Open Studio Tour has earned a reputation for excellence, and is highly anticipated by repeat visitors and art collectors.
The show is the largest and most anticipated arts event in the area, encompassing more than a dozen communities in two counties.Sierra Art Trails Open Studio Tour proudly features artists and artisans working in a wide range of media including painting, photography, jewelry, sculpture, fiber arts, woodcarving, ceramics, glass, and more!
If you are a local artist or artisan – this is the art event of the year! The show attracts art buyers from throughout California and beyond. By participating you not only promote your own work, you also support your community by making it a place people look forward to visiting.
Last year, Sierra Art Trails featured 110 artists in 50 venues. Visitor attendance was up, and sales nearly doubled over the previous year.
This year we expect to enjoy a record number of visitors who will be celebrating the Yosemite Grant 150 Year Anniversary, which will give the event a great deal of additional promotional exposure and attendance.
The Sierra Art Trails Open Studio Tour (Sierra Art Trails) catalogue, is one of those little gems that people keep, year after year, as a local listing for the artists in the area. Participating artists are given a generous half-page, 4-color listing in the tour catalogue, that includes a photo of a representative piece of work, a short bio and location information. The tour catalogue also includes great maps that pinpoint each artist location. The catalogue is definitely a “keeper.”
The Sierra Art Trails artists are featured in the beautiful tour catalogue, the month-long Preview Exhibit, and benefit from an extensive advertising campaign promoting the event. The generous sponsors of Sierra Art Trails enable them to promote the event in print, radio and local television. Sierra Art Trails is grateful to Sierra Telephone, Yosemite Sierra Visitor’s Bureau, KJewel Radio, Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino, and ValleyPBS.
Additionally, our annual color brochure is mailed out to more than 1000 potential visitors. Brochures and invitation postcards will also be distributed to participating artists at the All Artists Meeting in mid August.
Of particular interest to our local artists, is the month-long ‘Sneak Peek’ Preview Exhibit at Fresno City Hall in August. The exhibit will be open to all artists participating in Sierra Art Trails 2013, and will extend the promotional benefit into the greater Fresno area.
If you are a local artist, this kind of coverage and representation is a rare opportunity!
Consider that the 2013 marketing campaign includes print advertising in the Sierra Heritage Magazine, Yosemite Gazette, ValleyPBS Audiophile magazine, the Sierra Star, radio advertising on KJWl, KFCF and KVPR; online at SierraNewsOnline.com, and television advertising on ValleyPBS. Additionally, the annual color brochure will be mailed out to more than 100 potential visitors, promoting the Sierra Art Trails artists.
Artist application information, can be found at this link: http://www.sierraarttrails.org/callforsubmissions.htm, or at Stellar Gallery in Oakhurst. Slim’s Koffee Shak in North Fork is able to help those artists who don’t have access to a computer, or who need some assistance with the application process. If you need help finding a location where your work can be exhibited, please contact Stellar Gallery for help.
Save the dates:
– Sierra Art Trails Deadline – May 1. Contact Stellar Gallery at 559-658-8844 or Williams Gallery at 559-683-5551 to pick up an application if you do not have access to a computer. If you need help getting an exhibit location, Sierra Art Trails can help you connect with a local business who would like to host an artist.
– Sept. 7 through Oct. 6 – Sierra Art Trails 2013 Preview Exhibit – representative works by all Sierra Art Trails Open Studio Tour artists will be on exhibit at the Stellar Gallery in Oakhurst, California.
– Sept. 14, from 4 – 9 p.m. – Artists Gala reception at Stellar Gallery – http://www.stellargallery.com
– Friday, Oct. 4 through Sunday, Oct. 6 – Sierra Art Trails Open Studio Tour
Sierra Art Trails is made possible by a dedicated group of volunteers responsible for managing and promoting the organization, planning exhibits, activities, and events, fundraising, and publishing the annual Sierra Art Trails catalog. Catalogues for this year’s event can be purchased at quite a few locations within Madera and Fresno. Click this link to find a location near you: http://www.sierraarttrails.org/order.htm
