Back in 1995, a local jewelry maker named Monnda Welch, inspired by the successful Chatham County Open Studio Tour just to our south, organized the inaugural Orange County studio tour. It was a pretty small-scale affair at the start, but within a few years some 45 artists were participating, welcoming visitors into their homes and studios to see and discuss their work.

In 2000 the Orange County Arts Commission created the Orange County Artists Guild to organize and run the tour. This year’s Orange County Open Studio Tour is the 18th annual edition, and it features 75 artists working in fields from painting to pottery to furniture to fabric.

The tour opened last weekend and continues this weekend, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. You can visti the participating artists in their natural habitat, where they will show, sell and discuss their work.

Tour brochures and maps are available at the Frank Gallery in Chapel Hill, the NC Crafts Gallery in Carrboro, the Hillsborough Gallery of Arts in Hillsborough, and other shops in the area. You can also find brochures, maps, images and information from all the participating artists at http://www.orangecountyartistsguild.com.