Durango Open Studio Tour

Directions Website

Durango Open Studio Tour This is your opportunity to showcase your creative process, connect with art lovers

The Durango Open Studio Tour is a free, annual, self-guided event that invites the public into the working studios of emerging and professional artists throughout Durango.

10/12/2026

Featured Durango Open Studio Tour Artist | Joe Schafer

Contemporary Abstract Landscapes

How can a painting make you feel the vastness of a desert horizon or the drama of a mountain ridge without simply depicting it?
Joe Schafer explores that question through contemporary abstract paintings inspired by the landscape.

His work begins with places that evoke a strong sense of atmosphere: rugged mountain ridges, expansive desert horizons, and skies at the beginning of a new day. Rather than reproducing those landscapes literally, Joe builds layer upon layer, using color and texture to create paintings that balance abstraction with recognizable elements of place.

Slivers of light and shadow are etched through the surfaces, adding depth and introducing an element of realism into the abstract compositions.

The result is artwork that invites viewers to feel a connection to a particular sense of place and time while leaving plenty of room for their own experience and interpretation.

There is no single way to enter a Joe Schafer painting. You might first notice the color, then the texture, then a suggestion of a horizon or distant ridge. The longer you look, the more the landscape begins to emerge.

Joe’s studio at the ArtRoom Collective is a perfect place to experience that transformation in person.

During the Durango Open Studio Tour, step inside, take your time, and see where abstraction meets the landscapes of the West.

We’re delighted to welcome the Animas Valley Balloon Rally as a 2026 Durango Open Studio Tour sponsor!The AVBR and the D...
10/11/2026

We’re delighted to welcome the Animas Valley Balloon Rally as a 2026 Durango Open Studio Tour sponsor!

The AVBR and the Durango Open Studio Tour are a perfect pairing—both celebrate creativity, beauty, community, and the incredible landscapes of the Four Corners.

Imagine starting your morning watching a mass ascension of hot-air balloons, then spending the day exploring local art studios and meeting the artists behind the work. As the autumn light changes and the fall colors glow, you can finish the day with a spectacular balloon glow.

And the adventure extends beyond Durango! As part of their generous sponsorship, the Animas Valley Balloon Rally is sharing its billboard space with the Durango Open Studio Tour in Albuquerque on Alameda Drive and I-25, helping introduce even more people to our creative community.

It’s hard to imagine a better way to experience fall in the Southwest:

Balloons in the sky.
Art in the studios.
Aspens in the mountains.
Community all around.

Thank you, Animas Valley Balloon Rally, for helping us celebrate the beauty and creativity of the Four Corners!

🎈 October 16–18, 2026 — Animas Valley Balloon Rally
🎨 October 17–18, 2026 — Durango Open Studio Tour

Come for the balloons. Stay for the art. Take in the fall colors. Make a weekend of it!















🎈🎨

10/10/2026

Every artist has a story, and every studio offers a glimpse into a creative world. 🎨

From paintings and pottery to jewelry, sculpture, glass, mixed media, and more, discover the people, processes, and inspiration behind the art made right here in Durango.

✨ 22 artists. 22 studios. One inspiring weekend.

Come curious, meet the artists, and explore the places where creativity comes to life. Make a day of it, find a new favorite artist, and experience Durango’s vibrant creative community!

📅 October 17–18 | 10 AM–4 PM
📍 Self-guided throughout Durango
🎟️ Free admission

Free Artist Maps and Brochures are available at Durango Creative District, 1135 Main Ave, the Smiley Building ArtRoom studio #17, 1309 E 3rd Ave, Durango, and at supporting businesses around Durango.

Watch our new video, meet the artists, and plan your visit at durangoopenstudiotour.com

The 2026 Durango Open Studio Tour is made possible by Alpine Bank, Ballantine Family Fund, Durango Creative District, the City of Durango’s Durango Creates! grant, and the City of Durango Event Grants Committee’s Lodgers Tax Local Event Marketing Grant.

Creative Partner Spotlight: The People Behind the ScenesA community event is built by more than what visitors see.Behind...
10/09/2026

Creative Partner Spotlight: The People Behind the Scenes

A community event is built by more than what visitors see.

Behind every map, postcard, poster, exhibition, and creative experience are the people who help bring the vision to life.

We are grateful for the Creative Partners who support the Durango Open Studio Tour.

Fresh Off the Press helps bring the Tour to the community through thoughtful, high-quality printing while keeping sustainability at the forefront. From FSC-certified and recycled papers to environmentally conscious printing practices, Fresh Off the Press proves that beautiful materials and responsible choices can go hand in hand.

Durango Arts Center has been a cornerstone of creativity in our community for decades, connecting artists, performers, students, and audiences through exhibitions, performances, education, and cultural experiences. Their commitment to supporting local artists and expanding access to the arts reflects the same spirit that makes the Open Studio Tour possible.

Thank you, Fresh Off the Press and Durango Arts Center, for helping creativity reach more people throughout our region.

10/08/2026

Featured Durango Open Studio Tour Artist | Maryellen Morrow

Painting | Experimentation & Plein Air

For Maryellen Morrow, making art is a journey rather than a destination.

She describes an artist’s creative life as a thread—an idea that travels in many directions, gathering experiences and possibilities before finding its place in the finished work. That spirit of experimentation has shaped Maryellen’s path through painting, printmaking, ceramics, abstract work, and plein air painting.

Her artistic studies began when she was young and continued through college in Boston. After an early venture into advertising in Miami, she returned her focus to fine art, studying painting, printmaking, and ceramics. A master oil painting class helped her recognize her potential, while working in a shared studio environment encouraged conversations and new directions.

A residency on Canyon Road in Santa Fe became another turning point. Immersed in a living and working studio environment and surrounded by a vibrant art community, Maryellen painted large works, held a one-woman show, and explored abstraction.

Later, becoming part of a serious plein air painting group expanded her observation and technical skills while encouraging her to question her artistic vision.

That spirit of questioning—and the willingness to keep creating through both the rewards and disappointments—is central to Maryellen’s work.

“It is such an emotional game we play with ourselves,” she says. “The rewards and the disappointments can leave us vulnerable. But still we continue the practice, the discipline of creating.”

For Maryellen, painting is a way of processing the constant stream of information and inspiration that surrounds us. She describes forcing the paint onto the canvas and allowing the work to emerge through that ongoing feedback. It isn’t always pretty, and it isn’t always personal—but it is her best attempt to express what inspired her.

And that is why she continues to open her studio: to share the journey, perhaps inspire someone, or even excite someone enough to carry a small part of that journey home with them.

Visit Maryellen’s studio during the Durango Open Studio Tour and see where her artistic thread has led. You may find yourself wondering where it will go next.

Thank you, Margy Dudley of KDUR's Four Corners Arts Forum, for a lively interview about the Durango Open Studio Tour on ...
10/08/2026

Thank you, Margy Dudley of KDUR's Four Corners Arts Forum, for a lively interview about the Durango Open Studio Tour on Monday! She is a great supporter of the Arts in Durango, and Margy finds remarkable stories of creative and dedicated artists who have long lived at the corners of our minds, and brings them to the center of our conversations.

To listen, select KDUR's Four Corners Arts Forum Podcast site in the comments below.

Community Partner Spotlight: King EnergyA thriving community is built on innovation, sustainability, and people who inve...
10/07/2026

Community Partner Spotlight: King Energy

A thriving community is built on innovation, sustainability, and people who invest in a stronger future.

We are grateful to recognize King Energy as an Artist Advocate sponsor of the 2026 Durango Open Studio Tour.

King Energy is transforming the way commercial properties access solar energy by combining innovative technology, financing, and solar management solutions. Their vision is simple: create a future where more commercial rooftops can become sources of clean energy while benefiting the businesses and communities they serve.

That commitment to building sustainable, connected communities aligns beautifully with the spirit of the Durango Open Studio Tour.

In different ways, both King Energy and the Tour help create a stronger future—one powered by creativity, collaboration, and thoughtful investment in the places we call home.

Thank you, King Energy, for supporting the artists who inspire our community.

10/06/2026

Come meet the people who make the art, hear their stories, see works in progress, and discover the places where ideas become paintings, pottery, jewelry, sculpture, mixed media, glass art, and more.

✨ 22 artists. 22 studios. One great weekend to explore Durango’s creative community.

Whether you’re a longtime art lover, curious about the creative process, or simply looking for something inspiring to do, we’d love for you to join us.

Watch our new video, get to know the artists, and start planning your studio adventure!

📅 October 17–18 | 10 AM–4 PM
📍 Self-guided throughout Durango
🎟️ Free admission

Learn more and meet the artists at durangoopenstudiotour.com

The 2026 Durango Open Studio Tour is made possible through multiple partners – Alpine Bank, Ballantine Family Fund, the Durango Creative District and the City of Durango's "Durango Creates!," grant and the Lodgers Tax Local Event Marketing Grant from the City of Durango Event Grants Committee.

We also extend our heartfelt thanks to our generous supporters and creative partners:

The Community Foundation Serving Southwest Colorado — The Durango Open Studio Tour is a fiscal project of The Community Foundation Serving Southwest Colorado.
King Energy
LPEA Round Up Foundation
Fresh Off the Press
Durango Arts Center
The Strater Hotel
Art Supply House & Custom Framing
Animas Chocolate Company
The Smiley Building
Seed Studio
Blue Wing Coffee
Butterfly Artist Collective
The Art Guild of Create

10/05/2026

Featured Durango Open Studio Tour Artist | John Modestitt

French Impressionism, From Colorado to Europe

John Modesitt’s connection to Impressionism began when he was a child.

His father was an avid collector of Impressionist paintings, and those works filled the family home. By the age of 12, John was studying and imitating the style that would become a lifelong artistic influence.

His formal study continued in college under Robert Frame, whose encouragement helped John pursue outdoor painting. He later traveled to Europe, studying Impressionist art directly in museums and even receiving permission to copy paintings by Pissarro, Monet, and Sisley at the Metropolitan Museum of Art while living in New York City.

In his early twenties, John painted almost exclusively outdoors in the manner of the French Impressionists, absorbing what he learned and gradually developing his own voice.
His career has taken him across the American landscape as well. His Southern California paintings became highly successful, with his work eventually sold through prominent galleries and auctioned by Christie’s and other auction houses.

Over time, John chose to focus more deeply on the subjects that mattered most to him. He painted New Mexico, worked on location in places such as Canyon de Chelly and Taos, and returned repeatedly to France to paint areas less frequently visited by other artists.

Today, surrounded by mountains, rivers, flowers, and changing seasons along Hermosa Creek, John continues that journey from his Colorado home.

Website: museumorimpressionism .com�
Instagram: .modesitt

10/02/2026

Featured Durango Open Studio Tour Artist | Marie McCallum

Classical Realism | Oil & Gold or Silver Leaf

Marie McCallum’s paintings have a way of making familiar things feel newly intriguing.

Working in classical realism, sometimes incorporating gold or silver leaf, Marie is drawn to clothing, shop windows, storefronts, and automobiles—subjects that carry layers of memory, identity, and visual storytelling.

Her work is dynamic and vibrant, with perspective that pulls the viewer into the scene and creates an immediate sense of familiarity. Much of the imagery has a personal connection for Marie, giving her paintings a narrative quality that goes beyond simply depicting what is in front of her.

Clothing plays a particularly important role in her work, influenced by a tailor grandmother who was a creative force in her life. That connection between art and craft continues in Marie’s highly considered approach to painting.

Her technique also draws from an earlier career as a trompe l’oeil painter and sign artist, experiences that helped shape her graphic way of thinking and her command of realistic imagery.

The combination is distinctive: classical realism informed by a graphic eye, personal history, and an appreciation for the visual details of everyday life.

During the Durango Open Studio Tour, visit Marie’s studio north of town and take a closer look at the familiar objects and scenes she transforms through paint.

You may find yourself looking differently at the storefronts, reflections, clothing, and passing moments of everyday life after you leave.

Website: https://mariemccallumart.com/�Instagram: , https://www.instagram.com/mariemccallumart/

Address

Durango, CO
81301

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Durango Open Studio Tour posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category