Free, self-guided Toe River Studio Tour features nearly 100 artists, June 5-7

The Toe River Studio Tour, a twice-per-year celebration of the area’s local artists, takes place on Friday, June 5, from noon to 4 p.m., Saturday, June 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, June 7, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The free, self-guided tour showcases some 94 artists, 11 galleries and 55 studios, with a guide available here.  Opening day also includes a meet-and-greet with refreshments at the Spruce Pine TRAC Gallery, 269 Oak Ave., at 5 p.m.

Here is the full release from event organizers:

Summer is just around the corner, but running ahead of the blistering hot temperatures is the bi-annual Toe River Studio Tour, June 5-7. It’s this coming weekend and a perfect time for a drive around the Toe River Valley, seeing…and buying the country’s best of the best in arts and crafts. From Friday [noon to 4pm] through Sunday [10am to 5pm each day], artists will welcome visitors to their places of working, living, and being in the mountains around Mitchell and Yancey Counties.

With 94 artists, 11 galleries, and 55 studios, it’s going to be a busy weekend, a fun weekend. And it’s the first opportunity in 2015 to visit so many artists in their own environment and experience what art in the mountains is all about. So many choices and only three days to choose. The tour begins on Friday at noon. Visit studios until 4pm but be back at the Spruce Pine TRAC Gallery [269 Oak Avenue] at 5pm for a meet-the-artist reception. Participant work is displayed geographically in the gallery so one can “map” a route. There’s food, drink, and a chance to shake hands with the tour artists before venturing out again on Saturday and Sunday [10am to 5pm each day].

The bi-annual weekend event is free and self-guided. All you need is the 40-page tour guide. Follow the red-arrowed tour signs to your art adventure. The Toe River Studio Tour is the reason to visit Mitchell and Yancey Counties this coming weekend; it’s a destination for arts. For more information about the tour and the reception, call 828-765-0520. You can go online and download the guide or just flip from page to page at www.toeriverarts/the-guide.

TRAC is a non-profit organization founded in 1976 to promote the arts in Mitchell and Yancey Counties For more information about the Arts Council’s programs and events, visit the website, www.toeriverarts.org or call 828-682-7215.