Coastal Art Adventure has Arrived

SOCO’s, (SouthCoast’s), regional summer multi-studio art exhibition and creative discovery-tour, will again exceed visitors and collector’s expectations when studio doors swing open to aficionados and the curious this month.

The well-known and widely anticipated, the Art drive, is an open-studio event—now in its 12th year of operation. This one-of-a-kind tour and viewing of how artists create and find inspiration was organically founded, and continues to be produced, by professional artists and talented markers in the Dartmouth and Westport areas.

Scheduled to span over three continuous days, (August 9, 10 & 11, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.), the summer studio showcase will include artists, jewelers, photographers, wood and metal workers along with other professional creators who allow the public a peek into how and where the coastal region’s most talented artists perform their work.

Member artists of the Art drive contribute well beyond the sale of prestigious works of art, gifts, and collectibles; they also educate consumers in the process of creativity and involve the public in their inspiration and how to take that all-important first step. With demand for this type of art-programming, the group is committed to positively impact their local economy by drawing visitors and tourists to the towns, villages, and backroads that make this experience so appealing and well attended.

The juried studio tour, make the expedition an opportunity and experience for those interested in exploring what goes on behind the scenes. Artists will be creating and designing new pieces, or a whole collection of work that will likely be sold in New England’s finest galleries, if those who have first dibs on them hesitate.

The many locations where creators work is within the peaceful, yet dramatic settings of the picturesque coast. Sprinkled near the water, in meadows of the farms, or placed within the historic villages of Dartmouth and Westport, every stop becomes an enchanted journey.

An annual event for travelers and locals who claim that it is the perfect weekend to escape the usual retail experiences found along crowded main streets; it offers a different type of entertainment for everyone in the family.

Easily navigated, the 15-mile stretch of studios, beaches, boating, and eating, makes this three-day event a remarkable art-related vacation, whether it is for the day or the entire weekend.

This year the Art drive will include 31 artists working in all mediums. The Preview show will be held at the Dartmouth Cultural Center; 404 Elm Street, in South Dartmouth. With the new and improved Village of Padanaram, this event will surely be the best one of all.

For details and locations, contact the-art-drive.com.