Santa Cruz County is home to a vibrant community of artists, creators, and makers who open up their private studio spaces to the public once a year to share the beauty of their artistic endeavors. Open Studios is a free annual event that spans the first three weeks of October and allows visitors and locals alike the unique opportunity to see artists at work in their own spaces and buy directly from the source. If you have never experienced this phenomenal event, here’s everything you need to know about this year’s Open Studios.
The Arts Council of Santa Cruz County hosts the Open Studios Art Tour every year to connect art lovers with artists from every corner of the county. The event, which features over 340+ talented artists and their spaces, is entirely free and self-guided, through a printed guide, a website and an app. The Open Studios Art Tour divides the participating artists by their counties so that each weekend (with the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor as the dividing point between counties), the public can visit artists in a given area during the beginning of October. The third and final weekend is encore time, where select artists reopen their studios all across the county at the same time.
Save the Dates for Open Studios 2026:
October 3 & 4 • 11am-5pm: South County artists – from the Yacht Harbor and South
October 10 & 11 • 11am-5pm: North County artists – from the Yacht Harbor and North
October 17 & 18 • 11am-5pm: All County
Planning your Open Studios Time
With over 340 talented participating artists and studios to visit, it can feel hard to pick or plan out which ones to see! For those who crave an in-hand resource, grab a free artists guide from numerous locations across Santa Cruz County (available after mid-September). You can pick yours up at any Good Times drop-off locations or head over to the Arts Council offices at 1070 River Street in Santa Cruz during open hours. Within the guide, you will find information about all the artists, where to find them, the mediums they use, and a sneak-peek picture of their works. There are some great featured symbols in the guide including Habla Español and New Artist.
Another great way to plan your time is by viewing the Art Council’s Open Studios Artist Directory. Browse Open Studios artists by location, medium, or name and get a taste for their artistry. There is also a free app available soon on iTunes & Google Play (search for “Open Studios Art Tour”). You can mark your favorite artists in the app, map their location, and then build a tour around that. Follow @artscouncilsc on Instagram and Facebook for updates on the app and the events.
Preview Exhibits
The Santa Cruz Art League Preview Exhibit is another fantastic way to discover artists and plan your tour from there. Starting September 26 through October 19, there will be special preview exhibits where you can view select pieces from the participating artists to help you decide which you want to visit. Come stop by the gallery to find artwork that intrigues you, and make a note of which studios you want to visit from there. Finally, you can also attend the Reception on September 28, from 1-4pm.
Main Exhibit at Santa Cruz Art League
September 26 – October 19 | Wed–Sun, 12–5pm
Opening Reception: Sunday, September 28, 1–4pm | First Friday: Oct 3, 6–8pm
526 Broadway, Santa Cruz | @santacruzartleague | scal.org
In Watsonville, get a sneak peek at Open Studios at the Pajaro Valley Arts! From September 26 – October 18, 2026, the PVA Porter Building, 280 Main Street, Watsonville, will be featuring art exclusively for artists in La Selva Beach, Watsonville, Davenport, Bonny Doon, San Lorenzo Valley, and Scotts Valley. Exhibit Dates: September 26 – October 18; Preview Exhibit Public Reception: Thursday, October 1, from 5pm-7pm; Regular Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 11am-4pm; Open Studio Weekend Hours: 11am-5pm. See website for more information on exhibit dates and times.
Pajaro Valley Arts – Porter Building
Exhibit Dates: September 26 – October 18
Gallery Hours: Tues – Sat, 11am-4pm
Reception: October 1, 5PM-7PM
280 Main Street, Watsonville | @pajarovalleyarts | pvarts.org
Brand new to the 2026 Open Studios year, M.K. Contemporary Art Gallery, located in the heart of Downtown Santa Cruz, is hosting a main preview exhibit featuring ALL Santa Cruz County Open Studios artists. For an entire month, September 25 – October 25, M.K. will feature the exhibit, Thursdays through Sundays from 11am to 5pm. Their Opening Reception will be held on Saturday, September 26 from 3-6pm. Expect this lively gallery to be your new favorite hub for all things Open Studios!
M.K. Contemporary Art Gallery
Exhibit Open: September 25 – October 25
Hours: Thursday – Sunday | 11am-5pm
Opening Reception: Saturday, September 26 | 3-6pm
First Friday: October 2 | 5-8pm
703 Front Street, Santa Cruz | 408-250-2224 | mkcontemporary.art
What to Expect
Once you’ve planned out which artists to visit, you might wonder what awaits you during the Open Studios Art Tour. On Open Studios weekends, bright green signs will be posted all over the county featuring the artists’ names, guide numbers, and arrows pointing to help you locate the studios. These lime green signs will guide the way to artists nearby and act as a personal invitation for you to come to explore their studios!
Every artist has a unique studio or pop-up space to share with visitors, but generally, at each open studio you can expect to enter the home, studio, or pop-up space of the artist where you can often find snacks or refreshments as well as a wide array of their artwork on display. The displayed artwork is for viewing and purchase. Some artists will even have live demonstrations of their artistic process or display the drafts of work-in-progress projects.
Open Studios is more than a chance to look at beautiful artwork in all of its mediums. This event highlights the wealth of creative talent in Santa Cruz County by connecting our community through creative pursuits. Whether you are a friend, family, neighbor, art-connoisseur, collector, or artist, Open Studios Art Tour is the best way to join and support the thriving community of artists here in Santa Cruz County.