This article by Heather Wicke originally appeared on Rappahannock News. The videos featured were made by Roger Piantadosi of Synergist Media. Featured image was photographed by Katherine Lippert Gibson. 

Rappahannock’s fall colors, enhanced by the annual Artists Tour

The first weekend in November will once again bring visitors from near and far to Rappahannock County to enjoy the works of our diverse and accomplished artists and the beautiful Blue Ridge countryside.

This year’s 13th annual Artists of Rappahannock Studio & Gallery Tour on November 4–5 promises to be the largest yet, with more artists in open studios, interactive opportunities and a greater variety of fine art than ever before. More than 100 local artists will be displaying their works in 30 studios and eight galleries.

The large and growing numbers of exceptional artists choosing to make their home here and join the annual tour are not by chance. They are drawn to and inspired by the natural beauty and the strong sense of community nurtured by the nonprofit Rappahannock Association for Arts and Community (RAAC), sponsors of the annual event (and many other year-long programs). In 2004, RAAC members wanting to support the local arts community came up with the idea of a studio and gallery tour to draw a larger audience from the regional and D.C. metro areas.

Each year, the event has added new local artists wanting to open their studios and participate along with returning artists. Information about these exceptional artists and photos of their artwork may be viewed on RAAC’s website, where there are links to tour information and individual artists’ sites. In addition, the tour’s Facebook page.

This event would not be possible without the generous contributions of sponsors, members, and volunteers throughout the county. This community support enables RAAC to create and promote an event worthy of Rappahannock’s fine artists. All tour profits return to the community in the form of annual Claudia Mitchell Arts Fund grants supporting artistic endeavors throughout the year.

The self-guided tour begins at Washington School, 567 Mt. Salem Ave., with an impressive central gallery displaying representative artworks. For a $10 admission fee, visitors receive a tour guide and map with detailed directions. Guests also receive information on artists’ demonstrations, food and drink options, and other local services. If the crowd of visitors approaches last year’s count of more than 1,400, there will be lots of enthusiastic tour-goers here to enjoy some of the most remarkable offerings of the county.

For more on the November 4-5 event, visit the 2017 Tour’s page here.

In an ongoing video series, Artists of Rappahannock, writer-musician Roger Piantadosi of Synergist Media seeks to explore the symbiotic relationship between art and nature in rural Rappahannock County. This video project was made possible through a grant from the Claudia Mitchell Arts Fund of the Rappahannock Association for Arts and Community (RAAC).