WARTOUS, MANITOU BEACH, MEACHAM — The 12th Annual Spirit of Manitou Studio Trail is set to feature 19 artists’ collections in Watrous, Manitou Beach, and Meacham this July.
Given this year’s number of artists, the variety of art and their prices are exceptional, said Sandy Christensen, Secretary of the Studio Trail. Although there’s no glass blowing or blacksmithing, there’s a lot of room for “pretty much everything else.”
This includes paintings, photography, pottery, quilting, fabric art, furniture, sculptures of soapstone, clay and bronze, and carvings of bone, burly and ivory.
“The majority of us are hobbyists. All of us pretty much represent ourselves,” Christensen said. “But that isn’t an indication that the art isn’t good. These people have been doing this for quite a while, and they have perfected an awful lot of their craft.”
Christensen expects some serious collectors interested more expensive items, such as large canvas paintings.
“In my own case I do the clay thing, and I know that my statues sell for $75 to $100,” she said. “But not everybody troops out on a weekend to buy a statue.”
Other works are less expensive but with just as much love and attention put into them. “They're not messy, or whipped up over night or anything like that,” Christensen said. They're really high quality art.”
While she wouldn’t describe Manitou Beach as world class, “it is unique” she said. “The area that we’re in is an interesting one to go to, and I think that’s a part of our attraction.”
There will be 10 displays in Watrous, six displays at nearby Manitou Beach, and three in Meacham, a 40-minute drive north on Highway 2. They will be open from 10 am to 7 pm on Sunday, July 6, and from noon to 6 pm on Sunday, July 7.
