For 18 years, artists in the Leicester community have opened 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 from 10 am to 5 pm 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, handcrafted 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 artists’ personal studios as well as three 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 proven to be an enduring tradition, enjoyed equally by the artists and the community in which they live, work, and serve. 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 the different 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.
Third Saturday in August, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm.
