By Julie Lindsay, Contributing Writer
Murphy – Get ready to roll: the first Smoky Mountain Studio Tour is coming soon.
You may have spotted colorful posters, flyers, and signs sprouting up alongside major roads and inside local stores and businesses in our beautiful area. They herald the first Smoky Mountain Art Tour showcasing the studios of more than a dozen local artists from the Appalachian Smoky Mountains of Cherokee County, western North Carolina and northern Georgia.
This free tour is expected to draw hundreds of art lovers to the area, cementing it as a unique art destination.
The self-guided tour takes place April 21-22 and 27-28. You’ll get a sneak peek at the working studios of painters, photographers, fiber artists, glass artists, furniture makers, wood carvers and clay sculptors as they work to create their masterpieces.
One of the artists opening up their studios is the talented Tracy Land, a stunning woodworker from Brasstown, who creates everything from gorgeous carved wood animal wall decor to exquisite decorative boxes. Her most famous work is an incredible miniature log cabin on show right now at the Murphy Art Center. That valuable piece, worth thousands of dollars, could be yours for the small price of a raffle ticket.
Parking and refreshments will be available on the tour. All you need is a vehicle to get yourself around.
Check in at the Murphy Art Center at any time on those weekends and grab a tour map. By the way, there will also be working artists demonstrating their craft in the spanking new gallery space at the back of the MAC.
If you’re an artist yourself, there are still of a few spots available for purchase at the MAC to show off your work – first come, first served. Studios will be open, rain or shine, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Saturdays and Sundays on the last two weekends in April.
So, what are you waiting for? Mark your calendars and invite your friends for what will be a spectacular couple of weekends in the mountains. Meet the artists, watch them at work, purchase arts and crafts directly, and enjoy the Smokies in the beautiful springtime.
Check in at the MAC – Murphy Art Center, 12 Peachtree St. downtown – anytime during Studio Tour weekends to pick up a Studio Tour brochure and enjoy the demonstrating artists before embarking on a fun couple of weekends of visiting individual artist studios.
