The Chautauqua-Lake Erie Art Trail will be having its annual Open Studio Tour this weekend and again from June 2-3.
Featuring 24 artists with backgrounds in a multitude of different media, the trail stretches from Westfield to Cherry Creek and as far north as Silver Creek. The studio tour is a free event that is held in conjunction with the North Shore Arts Alliance every year and draws people from all over Western New York to see the artwork that is being created across the region.
Along with art from more than 20 individuals, there are many other reasons to visit the trail. Five galleries located along the trail will have art on display from many other local artists besides those who are opening their studios to the public in the coming weeks. The Art Loft in Mayville, Patterson Library in Westfield, Portage Hill Art Gallery in Westfield, Sensory Art Gallery in Ripley and Surroundings Art Gallery in Westfield will all be along the way for visitors on the trail.
Article Photos
Artist Trenton Lutes’ home in Westfield is featured on the Chautauqua-Lake Erie Art Trail.
Submitted photo
For those looking to make the Chautauqua-Lake Erie Art Trail an extended excursion, there are also several places that offer lodging along the trail including the Brick House Bed and Breakfast and the Candlelight Lodge Bed and Breakfast, both in Westfield, the Spencer Hotel and Spa in Chautauqua, and the Brookside Manor Bed and Breakfast in Fredonia.
Visitors will be in for special treats at some of the studios on the trail as well. Thomas Annear, a plein air painter located in Fredonia will be offering $50 off the price of all paintings from 10 a.m. to noon during the studio tours. Anyone stopping by the Portage Hill Art Gallery will have the chance to view the acrylic paintings of Tom Malinoski, one of the founding members of the Chautauqua Art Trail who passed away in July 2011. For those interested in something less traditional, Cynthia Norton is an artist from Chautauqua who specializes in wearable fiber, creating custom designs in collaboration with her seamstress. Other forms of media that will be represented in the art trail include photography, stained glass, giclee prints, oil paintings, garden art, hand-turned wooden bowls and sculpture.
The work of an artist is oftentimes personal, but thanks to the efforts of the North Shore Arts Alliance, area residents have the option to experience it for themselves. Traveling across the Chautauqua-Lake Erie Art Trail will take visitors past vineyards, fields, forests and the Lake Erie shoreline, which are just some of the many inspirations that these local artists draw from for their work.
For more information about the Chautauqua Art Trail Open Studio Tour, visit chautauquaarttrail.com where you can find artist information, trail maps and more.
The Open Studio program was made possible by funding from the United Arts Appeal of Chautauqua County and the NYS Council on the Arts Decentralization Regrant Program and is administered by the Cattaraugus County Arts Council.