Event:

Modern art and mountain views are the perfect mix for the weekend.

Open Studios Tour weekend, that is: Saturday and Sunday, November 8th and 9th, noon to 5pm. The public is invited to get out of the city space and take in the desert-scape at this 10-acre, northwest foothills live-work site of artists Aureleo Rosano and Angela Rose. In their fifth year as fixtures on TPAC Open Studios Tour, these artists have not only constructed a new sculpture garden, studio, and gallery to delight visitors; but they have also invited artist Rebecca Bushner to join forces to give the viewers a contemporary art stop that is well worth the drive.

Rosano's handmade adobe structures provide a funky backdrop to his award winning sculptures of steel and glass. Forty-plus years of experience fused with his singular personality ignite to make his modern sculptures both quirky and elegant. Rose continues to put oil paint to metal in an abstract painting style rich in color and texture. This carries over to her tubular metal sculptures that are laced into the landscape of the new sculpture garden. Rebecca Bushner adds her vibrant mixed media paintings, prints, and cyanotypes to round out this modern display. Bring your family and friends and immerse yourself in an out of body experience of sand, steel, earth and sky. It's free, and you'll be more than glad you ventured out to the desert for this year's Open Studios Tour.

For more information, please visit www.AngelaRose.org , www.Rosano.org , or www.RebeccaBushner.com . For additional information on the Open Studio Tours program, visit www.tucsonpimaartscouncil.org

Throughout metropolitan Tucson - from north of Tangerine Rd. south to Valencia, from the Tucson Mountains to the far eastside - a record-setting 153 local artists will participate in Open Studio Tour events this fall.

Presented by the Tucson Pima Arts Council (TPAC), the 2008 Open Studio Tour includes an exhibition from Oct. 23 through Nov. 6, a meet-the-artist reception on Nov. 6 and the Open Studio Tour on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 8 and 9 from 12 to 5 p.m. All events are free.

This is a chance for the public to discover Tucson's extensive art community and meet the artists in the spaces where they create - in their homes, converted garages, backyard gardens, the historic downtown warehouse district, desert sanctuaries or shared studio spaces.

The Open Studio Exhibit will feature a sample of work by many of the participating artists. This show provides an eclectic overview of the breadth and depth of Tucson's visual arts community, including both emerging and established artists. The exhibit and reception will be at the Galeria Mistica, 2318 S. 4th Ave. One participating artist will be selected by a juror to receive the TPAC Board of Directors cash prize for innovation and excellence

For a preview of the participating artists, samples of their work and a guide to locations, visit www.tucsonpimaartscouncil.org. Veterans of prior tours recommend using this tool to plan your route in advance and choose what you want to see - since there are153 participating artists and just five hours each day to visit them all across the metro area. The printed program - available free at each studio - is actually 14-month calendar featuring color images of all the artists' work.

This year nearly 30 artists in the northwest corridor are participating - from Picture Rocks and Marana to Oro Valley, Casas Adobes and the Catalina Foothills. They create sculpture, glass, paintings, botanical solar photograms, photography, clay ceramics, archival prints, photographic digital paintings, weavings and jewelry and mixed media. One of the northwest artists - Nancy Denzler - just won the $5,000 Superintendent's Purchase Award at Zion National Park.

The Open Studio Tour features the spectrum of art styles. Expect the unexpected - bright and bold, subtle and ethereal, provocative or poignant. Discover giant alien flowers, tin collages, whimsical carvings, free-form sculpture, pop art and painted books. These artists can be political, mythical, surreal or downright funny. Their source materials are alabaster, fiber, glass, wood, gold, bronze, found objects, clay, acrylics, oils, gouache, paper, ink, even the sun itself.

Meet a few of the artists who will participate in the 2008 Open Studio Tour:

Mat Bevel, nationally acclaimed performance artist is also a master of visual or "visionary arts," as Bevel prefers. A wide range of sculpture, painting and collage are created at the Bevel Institute using primarily recycled and found objects. There will be live performances throughout the weekend.

Working in Tucson and Oracle, Joan Pavernik's ceramic work is luscious. From ethereal porcelain to dramatic Raku, visitors regularly discover the perfect piece for their collection.

Laurel Hansen's paintings draw the viewer in with her accomplished skills and dreamy narratives. A longtime member of the warehouse district studios, Laurel's work is sought by collectors from all over the globe.

Susan Meyer at Hacienda Ensueno Studio on Tucson's east side creates watercolor and acrylic paintings that reflect the rich culture and unique nature of Southwest.

Eugene Contreras continues the family tradition of artists and silversmiths, since 1949. The Contreras Gallery features monthly exhibitions of local contemporary artists.

North side Aureleo Rosano combines the strength of steel with the fragility of glass mosaics to create 3-D wall hangings and sculpture reminiscent of oversized jewelry.

Versatile glass artist Paul Stout teaches at the Sonoran Glass Arts Academy in the south region of the city and has studied with some of the world's greatest glass blowers.

West side area artist Ellen Sidor nourishes her creative spirit by living in Arizona, New Hampshire and Cap Cod, depending on the season. She's known for both realistic and abstract images in stone and now explores ceramics.

For desert-dwelling Tucsonans, autumn color can mean the vivid, vibrant hues of new art, not the changing leaves on trees. All over Pima County, people are welding, sanding, drawing, assembling, thinking, painting, molding or pondering their art. Some work alone in intimate indoors spaces, on rooftops or outdoors. Others draw inspiration and energy by creating together in large shared spaces. Engaging with artists "at home" can be far more casual, intriguing and revealing than meeting them at a gallery exhibit.

The Tucson Pima Arts Council organizes this annual art event and publishes the detailed program with maps to make finding the studios easy. The full-color printed program also is a 14-month calendar featuring an image from every participating artist. It is available at locations throughout the metropolitan area and is posted the Arts Council website at www.TucsonPimaArtsCouncil.org

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