Studio Tour an annual town tradition
By Chris Simon

Photo by Chris Simon Brenda Wauchope, organizer of the annual Innisfil Studio Tour, poses with some homemade preserves that she'll be selling in a few weeks. The tour takes place Nov. 3 and 4, at over 20 locations across the town. The tour is free and self-guided.

It's an artist's paradise.

The 15th annual Innisfil Studio Tour will take place at sites throughout the town Nov. 3 and 4. Over 35 artists and craft vendors will be selling their merchandise, giving tips to interested residents and offering refreshments at 23 locations.

The event gives local artists a chance to sell their work. Of course, customers also get an opportunity to purchase some early Christmas presents, said tour organizer Brenda Wauchope.

Wauchope will be selling preserves, quilts and gourds, dried and hollowed plants that rattle and are decorated with beads.

"Basically, it's a group of artists and artisans from throughout Innisfil who have got together and are opening up their studios for the weekend," she said. "The public can come through, have a look at where they create their work, meet the artists themselves, check out their homes and what they have for sale."

However, several other types of arts and crafts will also be on display, including pottery, paintings, photography, sculptures, cards, Bottle Santas, kitchen decor and children's furniture among other things.

"We have numerous artists that have been on the tour almost every year, but we do have new studios that come in every year," she said. "There's always something different, even if you've been on the tour. It seems to be growing; this is the most we've ever had in terms of artists."

Most artists showcase work out of their homes, while three will set up studios at the Innisfil Public Library's Lakeshore branch. The tour is free and self guided, so customers get to choose where they want to visit.

"It is a drivable distance from one studio to the other," she said. "We've got some up in the Big Bay Point corner, we've got some artists down in the Cookstown corner. We're all over the map of Innisfil. They can pick their path, as far as which studios they want to go to."

The tour is quite popular, and attracts visitors from throughout the region, said Wauchope.

"A lot of people look forward to it every year, it's kind of now established," she said. "A lot of people just like to check out the homes or talk to the artists. We're trying to show how things are made, not just sell."

Pamphlets and maps for the event are available at several businesses and library branches throughout Innisfil and Barrie. For more information, visit www.innisfilstudiotour. com or call Wauchope at 436-5388.