Are you ready for some Open Studios?
Those neon green signs crawling up and down our neighborhoods. The rush to purchase last-minute art supplies. The gathering of friends arming themselves with Red Bull and an Open Studios guide. Desperately seeking that perfect object of retail therapy.
YES. THAT OPEN STUDIOS.
Three weeks of arts pub crawl, free and open to the public! It’s worth repeating those magic words: FREE and open to the public. Savor, purchase, or simply admire the work of more than 350 local artists, who will bravely open their studios, homes and/or shared spaces across the entire county. Watch them at work, or in the case of Peter Vizzusi, perform in their native habitats.
Ask questions. Get answers. Such as: Does Marie Gabrielle offer a student discount? Perhaps a senior discount? Ogle the artwork, and have a huge amount of fun doing it. Launching the season of consuming, er, gift-giving, Open Studios is an annual opportunity for amateurs and professionals to gather on an even playing field and show their stuff. Perhaps recover some of the ridiculous amount of money they have spent throughout the year on arts and crafts supplies. In many cases, OS participants can gain as much as 80% of their annual revenue during these three intense weeks.
And what’s in it for us visitors? Those of us following the yellow-green trail of OS signs, and looking forward to that dirty martini at the end of the trail. It’s a chance to seek out a masterpiece, satisfy curiosity (for example, does Charles Prentiss ever sleep?) and/or support the arts. Whichever is your pleasure.
HOW TO IDENTIFY AND LOCATE
AN OPEN STUDIO VIEWING SITE
Of course you could always open the beautiful hard-copy Artist Directory, available everywhere you find your newsprint Good Times Weekly. Or go online and launch the Digital Artist Guide. Or, use the all-new, fully loaded 2026 Santa Cruz Open Studios Mobile App (at your favorite app store). Or, you could treat OS as a treasure hunt and cruise around, randomly following those bright green signs. Hoping for a miracle.
HOW TO KNOW WHAT STUDIOS
YOU WANT TO VISIT
No problem. The smart and savvy will make a dash to the three OS Preview sites to check out work by every single participating artist. One-stop shopping (virtually speaking) for participating artists’ work is the downtown Santa Cruz M.K. Contemporary Gallery on Front Street. From September 25 through October 25, the exhibit showcases artwork from every single one of the participating artists. See it in person and see if it fits your taste before you begin the trek.
Meanwhile at Pajaro Valley Arts in Watsonville, from September 26 to October 18, you can check out the work of South County artists, from Watsonville to south of the Harbor. And yes, there’s another fringe Preview Exhibit, for iconoclasts working in more remote parts of North County: Davenport, Bonny Doon, San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts Valley. This preview runs from October 2 through October 18. See the Preview shows and customize your own OS adventure. Saves time, frustration, and needless meandering.
YES, BUT WHAT IS
OPEN STUDIOS, REALLY?
It’s a chance to see with your own eyes what creatives look like in their natural environment. What they wear while creating. Mascara, latex gloves, designer Crocs? How they describe their work. For those who are not makers of ceramics, jewelry, sculpture, paintings, it can be nothing short of eye-opening.
Seeing the amount of painstaking, arduous work that a printmaker like Stephanie Martin, for example, brings to her exquisite one-of-a-kind nature prints can be, and should be, astonishing. Witness the sort of fabrication that has been part of the human dream since the Paleolithic. Work that came long before the tired, redundant slop of AI. Work in which the human hand has literally made something out of nothing. Be amazed.
And essentially that’s what Open Studios is. It’s amazing. Furthermore, there are 69 new artists this year. And many worthy repeat offenders, those (such as the aforementioned Charles Prentiss) who have participated in every one of Open Studios’ 41 years!
And just for one moment, aesthetics and taste aside, let’s not forget about the bottom line: money.
Open Studios is not only fun, exciting, self-indulgent, interactive, and mind-blowing. It brings in more than $1.7 million in direct sales for participating artists each year, according to Open Studios organizers. Visitors also stop by local neighborhoods and businesses (for that dirty martini, bottled water, Red Bull, pumpkin spice latte, smash burgers, pizza), bringing in yet more revenue.
That’s the Open Studios phenomenon. Meeting artists where they actually work, dream and devise their next great idea. Buying stuff you love.
From Watsonville to Davenport, coast to mountains, Open Studios offers a rare opportunity to experience the people, places and processes behind the art that makes this region so rich with creativity. The Open Studios Art Tour is FREE and open to the public.
The magic words: FREE and open to the public! And by the time you see those bright green signs that are soon to pop up throughout your neighborhood, pointing to sites on the Open Studios tour, you will hopefully have discovered the new Open Studios app.
You heard me. This year planning the tour is easier than ever with the new Open Studios mobile app. Everything you need is on it: artists, locations, and directions.
BREE KARPAVAGE EXPLAINS
THIS YEAR’S STUDIO CRAWL
“We have moved our large preview show to the M.K. Contemporary Gallery. We’ve outgrown the Art League where we had our main preview for so many years. So many artists wanted to participate. The preview helps draw audiences. MK is such a big venue. They’re going to clear out the entire gallery for our preview. Thousands of people come to the preview,” Karpavage explains.
“It helps them make decisions as to where they especially want to go. And besides there’s nothing like seeing a piece of artwork in person. Also we have a new full-service app. It has all of our informational goodies in one spot to share with people. The map is a great resource. It’s fully uploaded so you don’t need to have great cell service to use it. And let’s face it, it’s a very digital world. People rely on their cells for so much now. We love the printed guides, but we wanted to have backup when the printed ones run out. Also we’re trying to draw more out-of-town visitors, so the app helps with that. You don’t have to look around in town to find out where you’re going,” Karpavage admits.
“September is a very busy month. I spend my time orchestrating the previews, and doing interviews for publications and for radio. And I deal with 350 artists. When they deliver their work to the preview gallery, that’s when I get to spend some time meeting them, and after they drop off their artwork they pick up those bright green signs that you’ll see in the neighborhoods. I really love it,” says Karpavage, who also directs First Friday Santa Cruz. “It’s awesome and exhausting.”
FABRIC DESIGNER I.B.BAYO’S
COLLECTION AT THIS YEAR’S OS
Raised and trained in the intricacies of textile creation, Bayo does it all. Beading, dyeing, tailoring. “It’s my joy. It’s my life. I spend most waking hours working on my designs,” says the Nigerian-born artist. “My whole family worked in traditional weaving, and I learned my craft from my family. I started as a child, and I’ve been doing it ever since. I’ve been doing Santa Cruz Open Studios for 22 years,” says the man who designed the suit worn by our very own former county supervisor John Leopold when he won his Grammy.
A Tribute to the King of Zydeco, Clifton Chenier won a Grammy this year, and John Leopold’s name was on it. Leopold, a Santa Cruz County supervisor from 2008–2020, was the executive producer on the all-star tribute compilation honoring Chenier’s 100th birthday. Leopold made a huge hit at the Grammys not only for his work as executive producer, but for the flashy and unforgettable black and red suit he wore. A suit created by I.B. Bayo. How did that happen?
“I’ve known him for a long time,” says Bayo. “I met John over 15 years ago when he was a county supervisor and my wife worked with him. He’s been a great client and friend ever since. John has come to my Open Studios every year and is regularly one of the first to arrive to check out new pieces. In 2024 John bought the red velvet jacket with black and silver embroidery that was a recent creation. At that time, he joked he’d come back to try on the pants when he got a Grammy. When the tribute album he produced was nominated for a Grammy, John asked me to help dress him for the awards ceremony. He came back to try the pants on with the jacket and the whole suit fit him perfectly, as if it was made for him!”
Where does Bayo get the inspiration for his boldly designed, wildly colorful clothing? “Everywhere,” he laughs. “Birds flying, the trees in my backyard. I’m fascinated by the people on the street—Santa Cruz is filled with inspiration.”
Bayo has clients from all over the world. And he is careful, yet very friendly, about guarding the privacy of some of the superstars who have worn his creations in the past two decades. Some find his irresistible designs through word of mouth, or at the two locations in Santana Row that feature his fashions. But if they want a custom outfit they need to come to his studio. “The fit is very important to me,” he insists. “I want the fashions to fit them and so it’s very important that they are hand-tailored.”
He will be showing a new collection for the upcoming Open Studios. And it’s sure to include the nature-inspired trapeze jackets, the wearable dresses, pants, and coats using batik-designed fabrics, and detailed with hand beading or multi-dimensional reverse appliqué quilting. Bayo has created a gorgeous jacket inspired by the monarch butterfly. Long gowns are drenched in color and appliquéd with velvets, braid and ribbon. Unbelievable colors transformed into wearable art.
Break out those On Cloud trainers, the water bottle, a handful of Ricolas, that trusty OS Guide, and a spirit of curiosity. Santa Cruz Open Studios 2026 is about to begin!
THREE WEEKENDS
TO EXPLORE
South County: October 3–4 | 11am–5pm
Begin in Watsonville and explore studios throughout South County in Freedom, La Selva Beach, Aptos, Capitola, and Soquel.
North County: October 10–11 | 11am–5pm
Parts of Santa Cruz, Westside, North Coast, Davenport, and into the Santa Cruz Mountains and Scotts Valley.
All County: October 17–18 | 11am–5pm
The final weekend of the tour and one last chance to discover Open Studios! Over 250 artists across South and North County will participate. Explore, revisit a favorite, or discover something new!
Website: santacruzopenstudios.com
NEW Mobile App: Download the free app; search Santa Cruz Open Studios.
Printed Guide: Pick up the magazine at Good Times newspaper locations, available while supplies last.
Digital Artist Guide: An online version of the print magazine.
Green Signs: Follow the green signs to discover artists across Santa Cruz County.
Social Media: @artscouncilsc on Instagram and Facebook.
