A whopping 150 local artists will open the doors to their working studios this weekend, allowing the community to take a peek at their art in action.

For well over a decade β€” maybe even two β€” the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona has worked with artists to bring the community into their creative spaces.

The free Open Studio Tours run over the course of two weekends, starting Nov. 2-3 with artists who have studios north of Grant Road.

Participating artists south of Grant Road will open their doors on Nov. 9-10.

Studios will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on all four days.

β€œIt’s an opportunity for artists of all kind throughout Pima County to open their studios and share how they do their work and what their work is, for anyone in the public who wants to see it,” Carol Varney, the foundation’s executive director, says.

From large metalwork to watercolor paintings, artists of all mediums are participating in this year’s tours. Some artists might give formal tours and answer questions, while others may give community members a demonstration on how their art is created.

β€œI think that Tucson, and Pima County, considers itself a creative and cultural community,” Varney says. β€œThe arts really hold a sense of place here. I hear from people all the time that Open Studios is one of their favorite times of the year.”

Visitors don’t have to sign up in advance and can drop by at any time during open hours. Participating studios are located all over the Tucson area.

Maps of the participating studios are available online at ost.artsfoundtucson.org and include details on each individual artist, in addition to information about the closest public transit and parking options.


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Contact reporter Gloria Knott at gknott@tucson.com or 573-4235. On Twitter: @gloriaeknott