The Haliburton Highlands Studio Tour offers a unique, complimentary experience, inviting visitors to traverse the Highlands, immerse themselves in the vibrant autumn palette, and connect with an array of gifted artists. Guests are welcomed into the creative spaces where inspiration is born, and artistic visions take shape.
“It is important to bring business into the County, and give back to the community,” said Joyce PruysersEmmink, co-director of the tour and participating artist. “And this, the 38th year, is the largest tour since it started, with 36 studios, 46 artists and 26 locations.”
Peter Emmink, himself a participating artist and co-director of the tour, explains that there are two pathways for artists wishing to be part of the tour: “You have to live up here, or apply as a guest artist.”
Jen Hodges, an abstract artist and guest participant, fondly remembers attending the tour as a child with her mother and grandmother. “…memories of coming to the family cottage, driving through the Highlands, seeing the beautiful colours and checking out the different studios and artists.” Years later, when she saw the call for artists, she reached out to Peter for more information. Encouraged to apply, and honoured to be invited to showcase her work, Hodges described her acceptance as a dream come true.
Pruysers-Emmink notes that a dedicated committee curates the tour, striving for a diverse range of skills and craftsmanship. “The process also includes the impact the work has, the ‘wow’ factor.” Artists initially apply, and those who stand out are invited to present their pieces in person to the committee. Success at this stage results in an official invitation to join the tour.
Hodges recalls that the entire selection process took only a few months. “I didn’t know how long it would take for them to make a decision, but they called me back at the time of the showing and congratulated me on my acceptance.” It was at the jurying of her pieces she met Shelley van Nood, a quilter, who offered to share her space for the tour with Hodges.
Another guest artist, Tracey Lee Green—a Métis nature artist—has participated in the tour for a number of years, first as a blacksmith and more recently as a painter and mixed media creator. “It never ceases to amaze me the work that goes into the tour,” she said. “The people who bring it to the public work exceptionally hard 365 days of the year, which is why it is so successful.”
Green emphasizes the enduring importance of studio tours, even in an era dominated by technology and social media. She likens the tradition to the “early days of social media,” when artists opened their studios to share their process, environment, and creative inspirations. The heart of a studio tour, she believes, lies in personal interaction— connecting with fellow artists, meeting prospective collectors, and building relationships face-to-face. This connection, for Green, led to the offer to share studio space with photographer Corin Ford Forrester, for the tour.
“I attended the tours for many years, and it was so inspiring for me as a creative person,” reflects Green, “that I wanted to be that person who inspired others.”
The studio tour unfolds over the first two weekends of October, welcoming visitors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. It’s an opportunity to encounter some of the region’s most distinctive and passionate artists, and to witness firsthand the inspiration and artistry behind their work. And, for a second consecutive year, Boshkung Brewing will produce a limited-edition beer for the tour, available at selected studios. Official brochures are available at businesses across the Highlands and online at https://www. thestudiotour.ca/.
