As the summer heat fades and the first hint of cooler weather arrives, dozens of artists in the Prescott area are sprucing up their studios and planning art demos. Meanwhile, art lovers are checking their calendars and downloading maps. Why all the excitement? Because Prescott Area Artist Studio Tour’s (a 501c3 nonprofit) annual event is just around the corner.
During the weekend of October 3-5 local artists will open their studio doors to the public. Guests will be welcomed and have the chance to explore the breadth of locally available art. With 78 artists exhibiting in 55 private studios and over 30 artists exhibiting in four participating Art Centers, the biggest challenge may be choosing which ones to visit.
“Don’t try to do it all in one day,” advises glass artist and long-time Studio Tour participant Bandhu Dunham. He also suggests leaving pets at home, and bringing your questions and curiosity.
When asked what he likes about the Studio Tour, the artist laughed and said, “It forces me to clean the studio, which is a good thing.” On a more thoughtful note, Bandhu pointed out his Salusa Glassworks is a working studio, not normally open to the public.
The artist enjoys welcoming Studio Tour guests to his studio and several of his apprentices are on hand and making glass items during the event. The artist has even found new apprentices through Studio Tour visitors over the years.
Well known for his elegant and sometimes whimsical decorative and sculptural glass pieces, Bandhu’s studio is more focused on wholesale than retail. Perhaps his most impressive are his intricate kinetic sculptures, or “marble machines.”
Bandhu confidently proclaimed, “We have the best snacks!” but fully understands glass blowing is a spectacle for most people. “For the public, it’s a ‘whoa!’” which he said “helps me appreciate what I’ve got.”
The 2025 Studio Tour also features four art centers: Mountain Artists Guild, Phippen Museum,‘Tis Annex Art Education Building, and Yavapai College Visual Arts. The Phippen is joining the tour for the first time this year.
Dedicated to Western art and educating the public about the American West, the museum’s participation in the 2025 tour “reflects the vision of George and Louise Phippen, who believed in supporting artists and creating opportunities for them to share their talents with the community.”
The Phippen Museum will host six artists in the lower-level gallery. Guests can enter through the main entrance or lower level to meet the artists, watch them work, and engage with their creative process.
There are several new artists on the tour this year, including painter Carrie Weldon. The artist creates gorgeous large-scale abstract paintings using nontraditional painting tools like plastic gift cards. She is deeply inspired by color, and likes to say her process is “I think of a color and then I get a vision” of what to paint.
Carrie has been painting since 2020 and is looking forward to her first Studio Tour. She will be exhibiting with fellow first-time tour artist Jenny Rose Harlow at Harlow’s studio in Chino Valley. “I’m so excited for everyone to see what we’re doing,” she said.
The tour is a free, self-guided event. Supported in part by the City of Prescott, the Prescott Area Arts and Humanities Council and the Arizona Commission on the Arts, the tour fosters an appreciation of the arts and promotes art education.
From 10am till 4pm each day guests are invited to visit the artists, ask questions, and view artwork. Throughout the weekend artists will give in-studio demonstrations covering a range of art techniques, skills, and tools. Most artists will raffle a piece of their work to help fund children’s art programs in the region and next year’s tour. Guests will also be able to purchase art directly from the artists.
With 59 locations scattered across the area, including Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley and Paulden, planning ahead is the smart way to get the most out of your experience. Whether you plan your route around your favorite artists, by location, by art medium or something else entirely is up to you.
Start planning your Studio Tour art adventure now by visiting www.prescottstudiotour. com. There you can view the entire roster of participating artists, choose which studios to visit and download maps.
