ARTour to line streets of Tahoe City

Local artists take to the streets of Tahoe City for an art walk for North Tahoe Arts’ 23^rd ARTour.

Twenty artist members will have his or her artistic creations on display and will be offering live demonstrations from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 12 and 13 throughout downtown Tahoe City.

From Market 28 to Sierra Sotheby’s, local creators will be on hand representing different media: jewelry making, woodcarving, ceramics, printmaking, fused glass, oil and acrylic paintings. ARTour aims to offer something for everyone including an opportunity to get outside and enjoy the beautiful Tahoe weather.

“It’s a great mix of different mediums. Some of it is functional and some is traditional. It’s going to be a fun thing to have downtown.” – Kim Snyder

“We will have a welcome booth in front of North Tahoe Arts [Center] with maps and a schedule of live demonstrations,” says NTA interim executive director Kim Snyder. An artist herself, Snyder is looking forward to the glass fusing by Pam Sutton, wood turning by Dale Pappas and pottery making by Sona Knox.

In the past, ARTour hosted open artist studios in North Lake Tahoe and Truckee. However, increased summer tourism has made it more difficult to drive from one studio to another. A walking tour gives the artists a more equitable chance of being seen and gives participants a chance to park.

“This is one of the most popular events with our membership. With the traffic congestion, a lot of our artists from here to Incline Village weren’t getting seen as often, so we wanted to get them all in one place,” says NTA program coordinator Katie O’Hara. “With Tahoe City’s foot traffic, we think the artists will get a lot of attention. This is my first up-and-running event with the NTA and I’m excited to really dive into it. I grew up going to events like this and I love being right there talking to the artists and seeing what they’re all about.”

Snyder agrees: “I’m excited for the artist demonstrations, seeing things I don’t normally get to see.”

A special members’ artist exhibit will also be on display in the North Tahoe Art Center gallery until Sept. 12. While getting maps and info at the welcome center, duck inside for a peek at the gallery.

“We hope this is great for the artists and will help the businesses, too,” says Snyder. “I feel like artists are like magicians in what they create and what the outcome is.”

She suggests that people visit the NTA Web site to check out the member profiles before they take the tour. And she suggests they attend both days to get the full experience with the artist demonstrations.

“A lot of people are finishing construction projects right now and this is a great time to see a bunch of artists in one place and buy for your home,” says Snyder.

The artwork on the tour will be for sale at a variety of price points ranging from $5 cards to paintings worth thousands of dollars.

“It’s a great mix of different mediums. Some of it is functional and some is traditional. It’s going to be a fun thing to have downtown. I know if I was visiting, it’s something I’d be excited about,” she says.

After the tour, NTA will be raffling art items, jewelry and a yearlong membership to the organization. A membership includes 10 percent off products in select artisan shops and businesses around town, plus discounts on NTA workshops and notifications of upcoming events and artist opportunities.

“To be a part of the NTA, you only have to love art,” says Snyder.

For more information, visit northtahoearts.com.

Artist locations and their mediums: