No one can believe it’s been 20 years since the first Hidden in the Hills artist studio tour began, especially eight artists who were there that first year and have participated either as a studio host or a guest artist for the past two decades.
The diverse group includes (left to right): ceramist/mixed media artist Robin Ray (Host Studio #11), potter Judy Darbyshire, (Host Studio #6), batik/mixed media artist Katalin Ehling (Host Studio #20), wood turner Morrie Elmer (guest at Studio #33), glass artist Carole Perry, (Host Studio #16), pencil artist Dick Mueller, (Host Studio #43), and painter Virginia Brooks, (Host Studio #41). Sculptor Gordon “Gordy” Mischke (guest at Studio #46) was a good sport about getting on the table. Special thanks to Sal La Rocca for taking the photo! You can see Sal’s photography during this year’s tour at Studio #22.
Twenty years ago, none of the eight artists had a website, and only Dick Mueller and Morrie Elmer had cell phones. For most artists back then, marketing their original pieces of art before Hidden in the Hills was done through word-of-mouth and occasional postcard mailings that many of them would hand address. In 1997, it took six people less than two hours to address all the names in the League database. Today it would take 30 artists a half day just to place pre-printed address stickers on all of the maps needed to mail to the current database!
And, be sure to mark your calendar to attend this year’s 20th annual Hidden in the Hills Studio Tour & Sale, taking place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the last two weekends of November (Nov. 18-20 and again Nov. 25-27)!
For more details, call 480-575-6624 or visit www.HiddenInTheHills.org.
