Come to Leicester Studio Tour
August 17 - August 18
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 Artist Studio Tour. This free, self-guided event is held every third weekend in August, with this year’s tour dates being August 17th and 18th, 10 AM to 5PM 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.
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, 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.
The Come to Leicester 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.
Types of art to see:
Participants in the Come to Leicester Tour are in for a treat, as many different types of art are on display and for sale. Potters in various locations feature a variety of styles, both functional and decorative. Painters exhibit in various studios, offering their artistic reflections on nature and life stories. Jewelers offer wearable art, some pieces embellished with precious stones or those with healing properties. Other wearable offerings include fiber pieces and painted silk. Pieces for the home include brooms made in historic style, ironwork, mosaics, enamel, and mixed media. By completing the Tour, participants will see a wide variety of art, as well as have the opportunity to meet and visit with those who created it.
