The next three weekends the entirety of the hi desert will be buzzing with artists studios open to the public. The Annual Hwy 62 Open Studio Art Tours returns for its 22nd year – an amazing opportunity to visit artist homes, studios, and the many unique desert settings that Morongo Valley artists use to create art in a variety of mediums.
There are 176 artists at 125 studios dotted around the desert that are opening their doors to the public, for perusal and purchasing of artwork that’s unique to our area. The Studio Art tours are a great way to get out and see parts of the desert you may not be familiar with – even if you are a longtime local. Starting the next Saturday, October 7th – studios will open up in Morongo Valley, Pioneertown and Rimrock, Flamingo Heights and Landers, throughout Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, 29 Palms, and stretching out into Wonder Valley.
To get a full understanding of the variety of art and artists on display, the HWY 62 Open Studio Art Tours have released this year’s catalog – which is available digitally – but for casual browsing and planning using both the free print version and the online map is the way to go. Every studio is represented by full-color photographs and information on the artist and their work – and a Google Map with all the studios marked will help you and your friends hit as many studios as possible every weekend in October.
There are dozens of businesses carrying the catalog – even some down the hill – and the catalog and the studio tours themselves are free and open to the public. The Hwy 62 Studio Art Tours are put on by the Morongo Basin Cultural Arts Council – a volunteer based non-profit – and they say that this is the largest long-running art studio events on the west coast.
Hwy 62 Open Studio Artist Gallery
