“In the Spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”
~ Margaret Atwood
We are so excited! It’s almost time for the 2nd Annual Artz & Gardens Tour. Wickwood Inn would love to be your host for a spring weekend of inspiration touring Saugatuck artist studios and gardens. We can’t think of a better way to celebrate the beauty of spring and the vibrancy of this art community. Please join us this year for the weekend of May 12-13 (Mother’s Day). We’ll make sure you’re well rested (and have enjoyed an amazing farm-to-table brunch!) before heading out for the tour. Last year’s tour, drawing hundreds of enthusiastic people, was heartwarming, inspiring, and a whole lot of fun. This year’s arts lineup looks to be even better! 6 studios and 2 gardens, featuring a total of 17 artists, invite you to “enjoy the warm hospitality and contagious creativity of local artists, growers and gardeners.”
“The purpose of art is washing the daily dust off our souls.”
~ Pablo Picasso
What makes this event so special?
- Touring six private studios: see behind the scenes and learn how each artist works. Each private studio features guest artists, creating an impressive array of styles and mediums.
- Strolling through private gardens & outdoor spaces: find out where artists get their inspiration!
- Celebrating spring with professional gardeners: an acre of lavender, pollinator friendly plants, containerized foodie plants, and garden conifers and evergreens to inspire your green thumb.
Allow us to introduce you to just some of the amazing people who are part of this year’s tour. Consider this your sneak peek and exclusive preview!
Guest Artist | Judy Bowman Anthrop
Featured at Stop #1 | Mike Taylor | Pottworks Studio and West Michigan Clay Supply
“I participated last year for the first Artz and Gardens tour. I was on the organizing team for what turned out to be a wonderfully happy two days for hundreds of guests and for the artists. The brilliant part was adding two or three guest artists at each studio. This added variety and participants were able to enjoy about 20 artists.”
“Artz and Gardenz is proof of the friendships built among a nurturing environment for free expression and creative spirit.”
~ Judy Bowman Anthrop
Teresa Wooden
Stop #2 | Stone Forest Pottery
“I really love having the chance to step away from the 2-D work and indulge my love of making wildlife sculptures. I am working on a few new ones right now that will be fired in Mike Taylor’s wood kiln in April … I never know if the sculptures are going to survive the stresses of the wood fire, but when they do, they are AMAZING! You just can’t get surfaces like that with any other approach. They look ancient, and sometimes glimmer with golden luster.
Outside the studio, I am eager to show visitors my straw bale garden on the roof of our underground home. I started gardening with straw bales two years ago and I am an absolute convert!
When we came to visit the Saugatuck/Douglas area three years ago, we fell in love with the beautiful countryside, the fabulous shoreline, and the incredibly quaint town brimming with arts in all forms. There is natural beauty here in abundance to stir the soul and speak to the heart, and an amazing community of talented artists and craftspeople who support and inspire one another. It is truly an artist’s haven.
You have only to start walking down a sidewalk in Saugatuck, Douglas or Holland to know that Art is valued, appreciated, and nurtured here. From the public art installations, to the local art fairs, to the galleries full of one-of-a-kind-work, I felt instantly drawn and at home here.”
~ Teresa Wooden
Dawn Stafford
Stop #6 | Peachbelt Studio
“The most fun for me happens in my daughter’s little playhouse where she grows and sells her Magic Beans. She already has orders from people who bought them last year who wont be able to make it on Mother’s Day, so I hope she has a healthy crop of happy seedlings this year.
Every season in West Michigan has its own gift for the creative mind. Spring pulls us outward, and helps us re-think our workspaces and dust off our creative minds. Projects are finished that have been sitting around for way too long. Soon Mother Nature says: Summer’s here, its time to play! Energy is high. Then Autumn’s bonfires recline inward toward Winter’s long silences. Balance is restored, and we begin again!
People who live and visit the Art Coast of West Michigan seem to have an open heart and open eyes toward art. This makes all the difference. Its not about being the best, its about having the courage to try. Affirmation, approval, and support. We have that here.”
~ Dawn Stafford