The Valley regularly plays host to tours of gardens, homes and lofts, and at the end of the month, several local artists are opening their studios to the public as well.
"It's something we've been talking about for years," said Virginia Killian, a member of the Riverside Artists Gallery, which is organizing the event. "So we just decided to see if we get a good response, to see if people are really interested."
During the self-guided tour - slated for noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30 - Killian will be welcoming folks into her Parkersburg home to see where and how she does her work in painting, ceramics and mixed media.
"I've done art for years, and I like sharing," she said. "And I want them to see that it doesn't take a big mansion (to create art). ... It takes a desire. It doesn't take a lot of things."
In addition to her studio area, Killian often works on projects in her backyard and on her porch. She'll share those spaces as well, weather permitting.
Also featured at Killian's home in the north end of Parkersburg will be pottery artist Katie Ferguson, a friend of Killian's who teaches ceramics at the Parkersburg Art Center.
Fact Box
If you go
What: Artist Studio Tour (self-guided).
When: Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30.
Where: Virginia Killian Studio, 3407 Packard St., Parkersburg; The Carriage House Studio, 178 Beckley Drive, Parkersburg; REsolve Studio, 332 Franklin St., Marietta; Riverside Artists Gallery, 219 Second St., Marietta.
Cost: $10 in advance; $12 the day of the tour.
Tickets: Available now at the Riverside Artists Gallery and Parkersburg Art Center and at any of the stops the day of the tour.
The other stops on the tour will be watercolorist Lynda Rhodes' Carriage House Studio near West Virginia University at Parkersburg, woodcarver Todd Morrow and muralist and sculptor Geoff Schenkel's REsolve Studio in Marietta and the Riverside Artists Gallery in downtown Marietta, featuring Cathy Norosky's painting and gourd art and Debbie Dick's watercolors and jewelry.
"It should be a lot of fun," said gallery member Jane Ryals. "You get a chance to see all the tools that the artists use 'cause you get to go right into their studios."
Tickets can be purchased at the gallery and the Parkersburg Art Center in advance for $10. The day of the event, tickets can be bought at any of the locations on the tour for $12. A map with directions to the stops comes with the ticket.
The area is perhaps best known for history and outdoors activities, but the arts can also be an attraction.
"I think it's a great idea to try and get people into Marietta," said Jeri Knowlton, executive director of the Marietta-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau. "The arts are another form of tourism, if you will."
