The hills and valley of Calaveras County are filled with artists—painters, sculptors, potters, jewelers and more. The Calaveras Arts Council wants you to meet them on the annual Artists Studio Tour. Tour the county and meet artists in their studios and gathering places. “There’s something really special about meeting artists in person, as well as seeing parts of Calaveras County you don’t normally travel to,” said Maggie Sloan, coordinator for the event. “When you buy artwork on this tour, it gives you a real connection with the artists and our beautiful county.”

This popular event is traditionally held on the third weekend of September (September 17-18, 2022). The tour is admission free; you can find printed maps at the Gallery in San Andreas, Quyle Kilns in Murphys, and many public libraries and stores.

Or you can download a map and listing from the Arts Council’s website: www.calaverasarts.org.

While a dedicated art explorer could see the entire tour in a single day, driving the width and breadth of the county to see all 27 artists at all 19 in one day is a heavy lift. It’s more comfortable to break the tour into two days, enjoy the backroads and highways, and spend more time with the artists.

For instance, on one day, you might tour the entire Highway 4 route, starting in Copperopolis at Susie Hoffman’s Town Hall Arts/Gallerie Copper, where Susie Hoffman paints florals, pet portraits, landscapes and still lifes in oil and watercolor. A bonus: Her work is turn-key art, beautifully framed by husband Larry, who runs the framing portion of the shop.

Next stop: Angels Camp, where two artists will open their studios. Ceramic sculptor Larisa Stevenson creates nature-centered ceramic sculptures and functional ware often decorated with bears, birds, bunnies, and other creatures. Just a few streets away, Connie Bowser uses the forms of the gourds to make soft, pleasing work tied to the natural world with the natural elements like feathers and antler horns.

From Angels Camp, take Murphys Grade Road to find Amanda Maule’s pottery studio. Amanda combines wheel-thrown pieces and sculpture to create animals, fountains and garden totems. She’ll be sharing her space with Theresa Vandenberg Donche, whose bold, colorful, and fearless abstract art complements Amanda’s painterly work.

Then head into the “suburbs”  of Murphys to find Judie Cain’s sweet studio, where she will be showing her impressionistic oil paintings of landscapes and florals. In Pennsylvania Gulch, Marlene Bradford, a popular ceramics teacher at Quyle Kilns opens her own ceramics studio for the first time; studio and garden are filled with ceramic sculptures.

Heading out of Murphys, Sheep Ranch Road to Fullen Road will take you to Michael Gustavson’s popular stop. Michael’s monumental ceramic sculptures are unique and are best seen at his gorgeous studio site that overlooks the foothills.

Ann Nancy Macomber is the eastern most artist on Artists Studio Tours. Her little studio set among the trees is a little difficult to find from Highway 4, but well worth the effort. A quilter as well as a painter, she uses both disciplines to create images full of color and interwoven shapes to create unique pieces.

Arnold hosts two artists. Potter Heidi Gaissert embraces unexpected outcomes in her functional pottery, which makes every piece a unique original.

New to the tour this year, Ryan Doran makes paintings that fuse the grittiness of the street with the traditional graffiti stencil style, combining paint and paper, darkness and light, music and street ethos to create a mosaic capturing the beauty and urban decay of the every day.

For the first time, Gene and Phoebe Bryan opens their home studio in Hathaway Pines to show their whimsical ceramic sculptures, as well as Gene’s photography. It’s a beautiful site that you won’t want to miss.

End your Highway 4 tour at Quyle Kilns, where four artists will exhibit together. This site is overseen by potter Pamela Quyle, whose functional pottery is decorated with delicately glazed paintings. You can catch a demonstration from jeweler Sherri Bloomer who works with cut stones and historical impression dies to create jewelry that celebrates nature, the past, and history. Pick up a miniature (or full size painting) by Victoria Fout of fantastical creatures or a surreal landscape. Oil painter George Haskell paints landscapes and florals, but his favorite subjects are his Corgi dogs.

In the northwest part of the county, the driving distances seem greater, but the roads weave through gorgeous country. You’ll visit eight artists on this leg of the tour, from potters to painters.

New to the tour this year, daughter and father team Katelyn and Wayne Rinehart will exhibit together at their studio in Valley Springs. Ceramist Katelyn will show her functional pottery and ceramic sculpture, as well as Lino prints, while father Wayne will display his acrylic resin paintings, and live-edge slab tables and furniture.

Also new this year, John Trickey in San Andreas will show his acrylic and mixed media paintings, handmade art guitars, and found-object sculptures at his shop on Highway 49.

From there, it’s easy to head north to the next stop in Mokelumne Hill. In her shady studio patio just outside of town, Deborah Marlene will show landscapes, florals, and nature-centered still lives in watercolor and alcohol ink.

Just up Highway 26 from Mokelumne Hill, you’ll find Sonya Ziegler’s art studio at Lower Dorray Road. Sonya is well-known throughout the Motherlode art world for her sensitive oil paintings of animals, nature, and landscapes. Jewelry creator Brenda Montelongo will join her. Brenda uses sterling silver, turquoise and other semiprecious gemstones to create bright earrings, necklaces and bracelets that will make you feel connected to the earth.

It’s an easy and gorgeous road from Lower Dorray Road to Sarah Cuthill’s studio outside of Mountain Ranch. You may have seen some of Sarah Cuthill’s murals around the county. She’s also an illustrator and a writer, working in themes of mythology and storytelling.

The easiest way to visit the two artists exhibiting in their studios in Sheep Ranch is via the road from Mountain Ranch. It’s an interesting drive, and you’ll be rewarded by Gayle Lorraine’s abstract intuitive acrylic paintings and Shay Baker’s playful mixed media confections of acrylic and pastels.

Artists Studio Tours is a wonderful way to meet artists and see the county at the same time.  For more information go to www.calaverasarts.org, or email Kathy Mazzaferro at goldrusharts18@gmail.com or call 209/754-1774

The Calaveras County Arts Council invites the community to meet with other art aficionados at their annual membership meeting on Tuesday, August 30th at 5 p.m. at the Calaveras County Arts Council Gallery, 22 N. Main Street, San Andreas. Snacks and drinks will be provided.

Everyone is welcome to attend and encouraged to contribute ideas for the 2022-23 year of arts-related programing in Calaveras County. Executive Director Kathy Mazzaferro will speak on the activities and events the Arts Council sponsored in 2021-2022 and what the future landscape for the arts council looks like.

The Calaveras County Arts Council is seeking artists and non-artists with diverse backgrounds in the community to join the board. Kathy Mazzaferro said, “The Calaveras County Arts Council is committed to representing the arts, artists and art lovers throughout our county. We are constantly seeking ways to find out what our communities want. One of the best ways to do that is to have a diverse board of directors,” she said, adding that there are two spots available on the board, for a maximum of 11.

“Presently we have 9 fun-loving, dedicated board members serving and we are a board who is never bored.” Board members attend meetings, assist at events, and oversee programming. Mazzaferro added, “We meet once a month and promise not to volunteer you when you're not in attendance.”

This is an opportunity to be part of a team that directs and guides the Arts Council as it steps into the next year of arts programming.The Arts Council hosts events like the Ovations Winter Concert Series, Music In the Parks, Arts in Education, Artists Studio Tour and a number of gallery shows throughout the year.

After the conclusion of the Annual Membership Meeting on Aug. 30, those interested in joining the board can join in the monthly meeting.

To learn more, contact Kathy Mazzafero at 209/754-1774 or goldrusharts18@gmail.com.

The Bob Eisenman Jazz Trio will drop some chill tunes in the San Andreas Town Hall. We’re grateful for the use of the hall to keep you cool and breathing easy during Wednesday evenings concert.

Expect a wide range of jazz styles including jazz standards, straight ahead jazz, blues, ballads, and Latin jazz. The trio performs tunes from beautiful ballads to grooving up-tempo swingers including songs from the great American song book, jazz classics and lesser known jazz greats.
 
"The wonderful thing about jazz", says multi-saxophonist and leader Bob Eisenman, "is that its expressive, inventive and emotive music. As a trio plus vocalist, we're making a body of great jazz music intimate and accessible. We hope that our music touches our audience at an emotional level as well as being enjoyable to hear.
 
Music in the parks is an admission-free concert series presented by the Calaveras County Arts Council. To see the entire concert series line-up and to contribute to keep Calaveras County alive with the sound of music, go to the Music in the Park page.

ARTSPIRIT
​A show by and for Calaveras teens
​
Awards reception on April 4 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
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The Calaveras County Arts Council Gallery is open Monday-Thursday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
22 North Main Street, San Andreas
209/754-1774

​ After a two-month hiatus for cleaning and painting, the Calaveras County Arts Council Gallery in San Andreas is once again filled with artwork. The popular show ArtSpirit is on view during the month of March. Executive Director Kathy Mazzaferro couldn’t be happier.
 
“Having artwork back in the gallery is like having the kids come home for the holidays,” she said. That’s a particularly poignant observation, since ArtSpirit is dedicated to the work of Calaveras County teens.

The show spotlights more than 100 artworks from the students of three Calaveras County high schools—Bret Harte, Calaveras, and Sierra Hills Education Center—and includes paintings, drawings, collage and ceramics.
 
While some of the works are serious artistic explorations—for example, Elias Harrison’s single flower gazes longingly at it’s reflection in a darkened window—other works are sheer explosions of joy—Calaveras High School ceramics collection features hilarious pieces like “monster” sculptures, a winsome frog on a box, and a smiling winged “snitch.”

Much of the work is done by students in their classrooms. According to Mazzaferro, “ArtSpirit is back because of the teachers. The show happened because the teachers took the time to bring it all over.” Mark Waelty of Bret Harte, Devon York of Calaveras High, and Lynn Lynn of Sierra Hills Education hung the show.
 
“The kids made the art and the teachers made the show.”
 
Arts in Education is one of the Arts Council’s signature programs. At their behest, March has officially been designated Arts in Education month by the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors.
 
"Calaveras County is so fortunate to have the support of our Board of Supervisors,” Mazzaferro said. “They understand the importance of all of the arts, be it music, dance, art, theater, etc. in the quality of life and the economic advantages the arts provide for Calaveras County. The Board's Resolution acknowledges the importance of arts education as part of the foundation for our future.

ArtSpirit will be on display through April 4, when it ends with a reception from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., and an awards ceremony at 4:30 p.m. You can view select pieces from the show at www.calaverasarts.org.
 
“I love all our art shows, but this is my favorite show of the year,” Mazzaferro said. “It’s alive, vibrant. There’s a fresh energy. There’s a newness. The kids are consumed with the joy of making it, and they’re excited to see their art in a real gallery.”
 
Mazzaferro encouraged everyone to visit the gallery and enjoy the show. "I cannot stress enough how much community support of the arts means to our kids. Please take the time to come to the Gallery and celebrate their accomplishments. Vote for your "People's Choice Award".
 
“These students will be our legacy, the ones who tell our stories in years to come."
 
And oh, what stories they already tell.

It seems like we need winter cheer more this year than ever before. The Calaveras County Arts Council aims to deliver that cheer on the sparkle of harps and bouzoukis and a warm draught of fiddle music with their first winter concert and fundraiser in nearly two years.
 
On Sunday December 5, at the Alhambra Music Room at Ironstone Vineyards in Murphys, the Arts Council will present “Christmas in a Celtic Land,” a concert by the Celtic trio Golden Bough. The concert celebrates all things British Isles, with rare holiday music from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Cornwall, as well as traditional music from other Celtic nations like French Brittany and Spanish Galicia, and compositions by members of Golden Bough.
 
Golden Bough, venerable and respected musicians in Celtic music circles and beyond, has been providing an opportunity for loved ones to join together in song and celebration with their concert program for over 40 years. Margie Butler, Paul Espinoza and Kathy Sierra capture the essence and joy of traditional music on a wide variety acoustic instruments, including; Celtic harp, penny whistle, guitar, accordion, violin, viola, mandolin, and bodhran (a hand held drum, particular to the Celtic culture). The whole family will enjoy lively instrumental pieces, haunting ballads and humorous sing-alongs as the band creates an atmosphere in which the listener is transported to another place and time.
 
The intimacy of the Alhambra Music Room amid the glow and shine of holiday decorations make Ironstone Vineyards the perfect setting for Golden Bough’s rare carols and songs of celebration for the Winter Solstice and the New Year. Due to Covid restrictions, the Bret Harte Theater was not available for concerts this year, but as board member Ruth Morrow said, “it’s good to shake things up. And Ironstone at the holidays is really something special.”
 
Executive Director Kathy Mazzaferro agreed. “We’re grateful that Ironstone is welcoming us. As much as we will miss the high school theater, Ironstone is such a beautiful facility. What better place to welcome the holidays?”
 
The concert is also a fundraiser to support the Arts Council’s music programs Music in the Parks and Ovations. In a pre-concert gathering, you can increase your merriment with  champagne and hors d’oeuvres served by Ironstone. “We hope that you will join us for this fundraising event in support of our music programs,” Mazzaferro said.
 
After such a long hiatus, Mazzaferro is overjoyed to once again be bringing music to Calaveras County. “I want joy and sparkle to return to Calaveras County,” she said. “A chance for us to be together.”
 
“It reminds me of the song, When the Lights Go On Again (All over the World). There’s no better time for the lights to go on in Calaveras County.”
 
Tickets: $50 adults. Available online at www.calaverasarts.org, or call 209/754-1774 Monday through Thursday. Proof of Covid vaccination required for entry. “We take the health and safety of the citizens of Calaveras County seriously,” affirmed Mazzaferro. “We stand with other performing arts centers across the country in our joint efforts to crush this scourge. We will be following all current health department rules to keep everyone at the concert safe. Please respect the health of others.”

After a year of online gallery shows, the Calaveras County Arts Council is pleased to present Artists In-Person Studio Tours.
 
This popular event is traditionally held on the third weekend of September (September 18-19, 2021). Artists Studio Tour is an opportunity to tour Calaveras County and meet artists who create artwork that ranges from paintings and sculpture to handcrafted soap and hand-stamped jewelry.
 
Visitors create their own self-guided tour using a printed or downloadable brochure with maps of each artist location. This year 28 artists will be exhibiting at 19 sites. “Seeing artists’ studios in person, getting a glimpse of their processes and work, is an experience that just can’t be duplicated online,” said Kathy Mazzaferro, executive director.

>>Browse the artists

​Calaveras Poetry Out Loud 2021 Winners
 
Poetry transcended pandemic when Calaveras high school students competed online in the annual Poetry Out Loud recitation competition. CHS student Sydney Button won first place with his stunning version of All This & More by Mary Karr and Israfel by Edgar Allen Poe. Coming in second was Rayne Cutchall. Ana Hernandez took third place. 
 
Poetry Out Loud, presented by the Calaveras County Arts Council in partnership with the California Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Poetry Foundation, is part of a national program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance at a series of events leading up to a national competition. 
 
“This was our third year sponsoring the Calaveras Poetry Out Loud competition,” said Kathy Mazzaferro, executive director of the Arts Council. It was a difficult year. “Because of Covid and its impact on school site time, coaching was at a minimum. We couldn't hold our on-site pizza lunches. Ultimately, we held the competition on Zoom.” 
 
Students and judges participated from home, a chancey proposition “because of WiFi drop spots throughout the county with internet connections that can fade in and out,” said Mazzaferro. But despite faulty internet , the students  performed beautifully. “I am always impressed with the work the students take on in memorizing a minimum of two poems each,” she said. “This was our champion's second attempt to win the title.”
 
Ingrid Hjelmervik took the lead for the third year serving as Poetry Out Loud coordinator. “She does an outstanding job,” said Mazzaferro, who wants to also thank judges Noel Helmbrecht, Lisa McInturf, Catherine Sargeant, and Linda Toren for their careful attention to each student. 
 
Mazzaferro is proud of the students and the hard work they do for this competition. “We congratulate all the participants on a job well done.”
 
Students interested in competing in Poetry Out Loud next year can contact Kathy at (209) 754-1774 or goldrusharts18@gmail.com.

SUPPORT THE ARTS IN CALAVERAS COUNTY
How do your contributions to the Calaveras County Arts Council keepthe arts blooming in Calaveras County?

• You support signature events like Music in the Parks and the Ovationswinter concert series.
• You beautify our towns with public art
• You give local artists a place to exhibit their work
• You support an arts economy that benefits the community
• You strengthen arts education for Calaveras public school students.

 Without you, the Arts Council could not do all that it does.
​We appreciate your generosity.

Calaveras County Arts Council's mission is to build a unitedcommunity by awakening, supporting, and nourishing the arts.

We rely on people like you, who believe that the arts make this world a better place.

Give us a shout to find out how you can help. We need volunteers, helpers, members, and artists!
​
Call us at 209/754-1774 (message) or email at goldrusharts18 @ gmail.com