Two wonderful weekends of art await you as the North Coast Artists' Guild presents its annual Studio Discovery Tour - two weekends in a row, September 3-4 & 10-11.

This year, 48 local artists will open their private, working studios to the public, answer questions, provide demonstrations, and offer their original creative artwork for sale. Every studio is different, each stop unique.

This is your chance to meet the artists and view a wide array of original paintings, ceramics, sculptures, jewelry, fountains, iron works, weavings, glass art, textiles, photography, and paper works. Studios will be open from Kruse Ranch through Sea Ranch, Gualala, Anchor Bay, Point Arena, Manchester, Albion, and Little River.

This fun-filled adventure is a free selfguided tour along Highway 1, to be enjoyed at your own leisurely pace. Directional signs will help along the way and the free brochure with a description of each artist and a detailed map make it a cinch to find the studios you will most want to see. (The map is a must to visit Sea Ranch artists since signage is limited.)

Gualala Arts Center will kick off this event with a reception on Friday, September 1, from 5-7 p.m. in the foyer with a special display of each artist's work and will have the brochures and maps on hand. This is a great way to preview the artists before the tour! Wine and refreshments will add to the fun. Sponsored by the North Coast Artists' Guild.

A free map inside a 32-page, full-color brochure describing each artist is available by e-mail at the Gualala Arts Center and at CityArts. To preview artists on the web, go to northcoastartistsguild.com.