Fine art and craft lovers to enjoy the work of 32 local and visiting artists in the beautiful mountain setting of Leicester, North Carolina
Aug 20-21
For the 18th year in a row, artists in this small community will open their studios to the public for the annual Come to Leicester Studio Tour. This free, self-guided event is held every third weekend in August, with this year’s tour dates being August 19th and 20th, 10 AM to 5 PM each day. Visitors choose their own tour stops using a printed full-color map of the area, along with pictures of each artist’s work. Detailed brochures with maps will be available at various locations in Leicester and the surrounding communities before the Tour, as well as at each stop on the Tour days. Bold signs along the route direct visitors to the individual stops. Visit the Tour website at http://cometoleicester.org to view all the artists and print out a map to guide your tour.
The Come to Leicester Artist Studio Tour route takes visitors through some of the most scenic rural countryside in Western North Carolina. Along the way, one can view beautiful, hand-crafted work and meet the artists who create it. Visitors will find many types of fine art and crafts, including brooms, pottery, paintings, iron work, wood, jewelry, fiber, mosaic, enamel, and mixed media. Tour stops include artist personal studios as well as 3 hub locations where several artists gather: Leicester Community Center, Sandy Mush Community Center, and Addison Farms Vineyard. Many artists open the doors to their home studios only on this weekend, and it is a unique opportunity to explore the beauty of our mountain community while getting a glimpse behind the scenes of an artist’s life and work.
If you’re hungry along the way, stop in at one of our food sponsors, all identified on the map: Grateful Roots, Gossett Grocery, Sovereign Remedies Exchange, and a cookout at the Big Sandy United Methodist Church (Saturday only) . You might also want to enjoy a wine-tasting at Addison Farms Vineyard, a favorite tour stop and host to several artist displays. Enjoy mountain hospitality at its finest!
Artists returning to the Tour are: Wesley Angel, Sara Bell, Adrienne Blum, Doug Canivet, John Cummings, Joe Desousa, Peggy Eckel, Raquel Egosi, Marlow Gates, Barbara Hebert, Cat Jarosz, Matt Jones, Julie & Tyrone Larson, Kathy Mack, Patrick McDermott, Victoria Miceli, Gail Powell, Suzanne Saunders, Nirado Sloan, Anita Walling, Doc Welty, Brad Worden, and Noel Yovovich. Seven additional artists are new to the Tour this year: Ilana Brody, Kevin Campbell, Jan Helm, Kathrine Jost, Tani Reeves, Kathleen Russell, and Pamela Winn.
The Come to Leicester Artist Studio Tour has for many years proven to be an enduring tradition, enjoyed equally by the artists and the community in which they live, work, and serve. Look for more information and regular updates on the Tour and the artists on our Website, Facebook, and Instagram.