Durango Open Studio Tour

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.

09/04/2026

Featured Durango Open Studio Tour Artist | J. Milton Beens

Landscape Painting | Oil & Watercolor

For Milt Beens, the landscape has been a lifelong subject—and Durango has been home to his studio practice for nearly five decades.

A professional studio artist in Durango for 47 years, Milt works in both oil and watercolor, translating the landscapes around him into paintings that have found their way into collections throughout Colorado and Utah. His work has also earned numerous awards in local and national juried exhibitions.

Recent recognition includes Best in Show at the Cortez Cultural Center Juried Show, second place in a Durango Arts Center member show, first place at the Snowdown Wine Tasting and Silent Auction, and first place in the 52nd Annual Artist Holiday Juried Show. His work is also part of the permanent collection of the Ouray County Arts Association.
Milt’s artistic background is broad. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Weber State College with concentrations in printmaking and painting, followed by a Master of Arts from the University of Montana with concentrations in ceramics, painting, and printmaking.

His career has included teaching art and ceramics at colleges and arts institutions throughout the West, as well as directing workshops and art programs.

After decades of making and teaching art, Milt brings a depth of experience to his studio that is impossible to replicate quickly.

During the Durango Open Studio Tour, visitors can meet Milt, see his landscape paintings, and experience the work of an artist whose connection to Durango spans nearly half a century.

Website: https://miltbeens.com/�Instagram: , https://www.instagram.com/miltbeens/�Facebook: https://facebook.com/milt.beens

09/02/2026

Featured Durango Open Studio Tour Artist | Cindy Miller Atchison

Graphic Impressionistic Landscapes

Some landscapes ask to be admired. Others invite you to slow down.

Cindy Miller Atchison paints Southwestern landscapes in a distinctive graphic impressionist style inspired by the beauty of the Four Corners region. Through peaceful color, expressive brushwork, and simplified forms, she captures those fleeting moments in nature that stop us in our tracks and remind us to breathe a little deeper.

Step close to one of Cindy's paintings and you'll notice bold, deliberate brushstrokes and crisp, graphic shapes. Step back, and those individual marks dissolve into luminous skies, glowing aspens, and expansive mesas. The transformation mirrors the way we remember our favorite places—not through every detail, but through the feeling they leave with us.

Cindy hopes each painting offers that same quiet invitation to reconnect with the landscape, whether it recalls a place you've loved for years or inspires you to explore somewhere new.

This year marks Cindy's fifth year participating in—and hosting—the Durango Open Studio Tour. Visit her in Studio #17 in the Smiley Building (Map Stop #2) on October 17–18, where you'll see new work, learn about her creative process, and experience the place where these landscapes come to life.

Because sometimes the best way to appreciate a painting is to meet the artist who painted it. her at https://www.cindyatchison.com/ or on Instagram

Community Partner Spotlight: Alpine BankA thriving creative community doesn't happen by accident. It grows through peopl...
09/01/2026

Community Partner Spotlight: Alpine Bank

A thriving creative community doesn't happen by accident. It grows through people and organizations who believe that creativity, connection, and local investment make our communities stronger.

We are grateful to recognize Alpine Bank as a Community Patron sponsor of the 2026 Durango Open Studio Tour.

For more than 50 years, Alpine Bank has been committed to supporting the communities it serves throughout Colorado. Their philosophy is simple: when our communities succeed, we all succeed.

Through their philanthropic support, Alpine Bank has helped thousands of organizations and individuals—from local festivals and arts programs to education, recreation, and community initiatives.

Their investment in the arts helps create opportunities for artists to share their work, connect with neighbors, and inspire future generations of creators.

Thank you, Alpine Bank, for helping creativity thrive in our community.

The 2026 Durango Open Studio Tour is made possible through multiple partners – Alpine Bank, 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.

08/31/2026

Featured Durango Open Studio Tour Artist | Deb Anderson

Fused Glass | Vessels, Wall Art & Jewelry

What happens when color, heat, glass, and a collection of tools come together? For Deb Anderson, the answer is a constantly evolving world of fused-glass art.

Working in warm glass, Deb embraces the process of shaping and finishing colorful vessels, vases, wall art, and jewelry. Her work demonstrates just how versatile glass can be—moving beyond traditional forms into pieces that are sculptural, functional, decorative, and sometimes all three at once.

For Deb, the tools are an essential part of the attraction. Fused glass is a process of transformation, and the studio becomes a place where materials are shaped, combined, and finished into something entirely new. The result is artwork that rewards a closer look, revealing color, form, texture, and the distinctive qualities of glass.

Her studio on Waterfall Lane offers Tour visitors a chance to see that creative process in person and to experience the variety possible within a single medium.

Whether you’re drawn to a colorful vessel, an unexpected wall piece, or a smaller work of wearable art, there’s plenty to discover in Deb’s studio.

The Durango Open Studio Tour is an opportunity to see more than finished artwork. It’s a chance to meet the makers, explore their creative spaces, and get a glimpse of the tools and processes behind the work.

Stop by Deb’s studio and see what she’s been creating in glass.

Website: http://waterfallglassworks.com�Instagram: , https://www.instagram.com/deb_anderson25/ �Instagram: , https://www.instagram.com/waterfall_glassworks/

08/30/2026

Featured Durango Open Studio Tour Artist | Sharon Abshagen
Impressionistic Landscapes | Oil Painting

There’s something magical about the first and last light of the day—and Sharon Abshagen has made capturing that magic on canvas a central part of her artistic practice.

Working primarily in oil, Sharon paints the landscapes around Durango with an impressionistic eye, looking for those fleeting moments when the ordinary landscape becomes extraordinary. Early mornings and late evenings, when the light is warm and shifting, offer endless inspiration.

Her love of painting outdoors is an important part of her process. Sharon travels with her paints and works on location, using plein air studies as a way to observe the landscape directly and experience its changing light, color, and atmosphere. Those paintings then become a foundation for larger studio works, where she translates the immediacy of the outdoor experience onto a broader canvas.

Sharon’s path to oil painting has taken some unexpected turns. After earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, she spent much of her time working in fiber arts and sculpture before returning to her first love: painting.

A signature member of Plein Air Artists of Colorado, the Plein Air Painters of the Four Corners, the Plein Air Painters of New Mexico, and Oil Painters of America, Sharon is also part of the The ArtRoom Collective at the Smiley. Her work has been featured in numerous magazines, including two cover photos.

Visit Sharon during the Durango Open Studio Tour and spend a little time looking for the light she sees in the Four Corners landscape.

Website: https://sharonabshagenart.com/�Instagram: , https://www.instagram.com/sharon_atthestudio/

Meet the artists who make creativity come alive in Durango!The 2026 Durango Open Studio Tour lineup is complete! See the...
08/29/2026

Meet the artists who make creativity come alive in Durango!

The 2026 Durango Open Studio Tour lineup is complete! See them all at the "2026 Artists" link in our bio, https://www.durangoopenstudiotour.com/2026-artists

This October, visitors will have the opportunity to step inside the working studios of 22 emerging and professional artists throughout Durango.

Each studio offers something unique—a different perspective, a different process, a different story.

Over the coming weeks, we will introduce this year's artists, share glimpses into their creative spaces, and celebrate the many ways art enriches our community.

Mark your calendar:

🖼️ Opening Art Exhibition
Friday, October 2 • 5–7 p.m.
Durango Creative District

🎨 Durango Open Studio Tour
October 17–18 • 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Follow along and discover the creativity that lives here.

-------------

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. , ,

Durango Open Studio Tour is a fiscal project of The Community Foundation Serving Southwest Colorado . Thank you!

Our heartfelt thanks also to King Energy, Fresh Off the Press, , , , , , The Smiley Building and Blue Wing Coffee, Butterfly Artist Collective, The Art Guild of Create, and the many generous supporters who help make this celebration of local artists possible.

Most of all, thank you to the artists whose creativity enriches our community every day.

Your creative space has a story worth sharing.Today is the final day to register for the 2026 Durango Open Studio Tour.E...
08/21/2026

Your creative space has a story worth sharing.

Today is the final day to register for the 2026 Durango Open Studio Tour.

Every year, visitors walk through Durango artists' studios and discover something unexpected: the people, stories, and creative processes behind the artwork they love.

Your studio may be a place where decades of work have unfolded, or where new ideas are just beginning to take shape.

Either way, your creative voice matters.

Join fellow emerging and professional artists across Durango for a weekend celebrating creativity, connection, and the power of original art.

Registration closes today, August 21.

We can't wait to share your work with the community.

Why do open studios matter?Because creativity grows through connection.When visitors meet an artist in their creative sp...
08/18/2026

Why do open studios matter?

Because creativity grows through connection.

When visitors meet an artist in their creative space, art becomes more than an object on a wall. It becomes a conversation.

They learn the story behind a painting.

They discover the process behind a sculpture.

They experience the passion, patience, and imagination that bring artwork into the world.

Artists inspire visitors—and visitors remind artists that their work has the power to connect.

That exchange is what makes the Durango Open Studio Tour special.

For one weekend each year, our community comes together to celebrate the people who create, the spaces where creativity happens, and the inspiration that continues long after the Tour ends.

The 2026 Durango Open Studio Tour welcomes emerging and professional artists to participate.

Registration closes August 21.

-------------------------

The 2026 Durango Open Studio Tour is made possible through multiple partners – Alpine Bank, 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. , ,

Durango Open Studio Tour is a fiscal project of The Community Foundation Serving Southwest Colorado . Thank you!

Our heartfelt thanks also to King Energy, Fresh Off the Press, , , , , , The Smiley Building and Blue Wing Coffee, Butterfly Artist Collective, The Art Guild of Create, and the many generous supporters who help make this celebration of local artists possible.

Most of all, thank you to the artists whose creativity enriches our community every day.

A studio is more than a space. It is where ideas become reality.During the Durango Open Studio Tour, visitors don't just...
08/13/2026

A studio is more than a space. It is where ideas become reality.

During the Durango Open Studio Tour, visitors don't just see finished artwork—they step into the creative process.

They see the sketches, tools, materials, experiments, and moments of discovery that happen before a piece is complete.

The most inspiring studios aren't necessarily the largest or most polished. They are authentic spaces where creativity happens.

A kitchen table covered in drawings.

A backyard workspace.

A corner of a room filled with possibilities.

A longtime professional studio filled with years of exploration.

Every creative space tells a story.

When visitors walk through an artist's studio, they often leave inspired—not only to appreciate art, but to create something themselves.

Your studio is where your creative journey happens. We invite you to share it.

Artist registration is open through August 21. https://www.durangoopenstudiotour.com

Your Studio. Your Vision. Your Community.Artist registration is now open for the 2026 Durango Open Studio Tour!Every stu...
08/06/2026

Your Studio. Your Vision. Your Community.

Artist registration is now open for the 2026 Durango Open Studio Tour!

Every studio has a story.

It might be a spacious workspace filled with years of collected tools and materials, or a small corner where ideas take shape between everyday moments. What matters most is not the size of the space—it is the creativity that happens there.

During the Durango Open Studio Tour, visitors experience the places where art is created, meet the people behind the work, and gain a deeper appreciation for the creative process.

Participating artists receive the support of a community-wide event, including coordinated marketing, promotional resources, and the opportunity to connect with art lovers, collectors, and neighbors throughout Durango.

With the support of our sponsors, the Tour invests more than $500 per artist in print and digital advertising, radio promotion, brochures, postcards, banners, social media, email campaigns, and more.

If you are an emerging or professional artist ready to share your creative space with the community, we invite you to join us.

Registration is open August 6–21.

Learn more: https://www.durangoopenstudiotour.com/

The 2026 Durango Open Studio Tour is made possible through multiple partners – Alpine Bank, 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. Durango Open Studio Tour is a fiscal project of The Community Foundation Serving Southwest Colorado. Thank you!

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