The Carpinteria & Summerland Artists Studio Tour Back for its 16th Anniversary
Studio tour connects a community of artists and gives an inside look into their creative processes
When looking at a work of art, it is normal to ponder what was going on in the artist’s mind when they were crafting it — whether it was a transcendental experience, a fever-dream-like trance, or if they were simply gazing out their window and painted the scene they observed. It is not often that we have an opportunity to pick an artist’s brains and ask them these questions directly, which is what makes the 16th annual Carpinteria & Summerland Artists Studio Tour truly a unique experience.
The free studio tour will return again on May 13th and 14th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., where, in sum, as Kristina Calkins, the Executive Director of the Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center, describes, “People can receive a map, drive around, visit their favorite artist’s studio, see additional art by each artist, and see them creating their masterpieces.”
Benjamin Anderson, “Cannonballer” | Credit: Courtesy 
“South Point” by Cathy Winton | Credit: Courtesy 
Artist Ted Rhodes | Credit: Courtesy 
Painting by Leigh Sparks | Credit: Courtesy 
Artist Tamara Thompson | Credit: Courtesy 
An abstract painting by Ron Anderson | Credit: Courtesy 
Cathy Winton | Photo: Courtesy 
“Carpinteria Colors” by Hal Price | Credit: Courtesy 
Jenny Liu Michael | Photo: Courtesy 
Campopiano McMillan Spread | Credit: Courtesy 
Ceramics by Debra Jorgensen | Photo: Courtesy 
BK Logan, “She Invited the Moon to Dance” | Credit: Courtesy 
“Guardian of Nature,” by Jenny Liu Michael | Credit: Courtesy
Since the COVID pandemic, the tour has grown in size, and now showcases 24 talented artists and their studios from across the Carpinteria and Summerland area. Among them is Ted Rhodes, the activist and artist who shifted away from a career in filmmaking and into photography of the South Coast with a focus on critical community issues; Benjamin Anderson, whose oil paintings have been shown both across the country and internationally; and Hal Price, an author, photographer, and esteemed public speaker.
Perhaps the most inspiring aspect of the tour is its universality and accessibility to all, as well as its ability to invite and connect a community to one another. Calkins notes, “Our Artist Studio Tour is open to any artist in the Carpinteria and Summerland area that would like to be a part of it.” Thus, the chance to both attend and become an integral part of the tour is within the reach of any who desire it.
The tour invites a chance for the public to explore both the beautiful Carpinteria area as well as the artists who inhabit it, and, as Calkins states, is “a chance for the public to have a personal experience with artists by entering the world of the artist. It is a personal experience that offers time to get to know the artists and ask questions about their work.” The Carpinteria & Summerland Artists Studio Tour is a free event on Saturday, May 13 and Sunday, May 14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit carpinteriaartscenter.org/studiotour.
