Clark County Open Studios 2026: Free Tour November 7 & 8
The free, self-guided Clark County Open Studios Tour returns the first weekend of November, with artists from Ridgefield to Camas inviting you into the places where the work actually gets made. Here is how to do it, and the one studio I am telling everyone about.
Some of the best tips in this town do not come from press releases. They come from a wooden picnic table at an end-of-season party. Last Friday I was invited to the local dragon boat club's year-end celebration, and somewhere between being introduced to half the paddling community and learning far more about helms and callers than I expected, I met a paddler who is also a painter. Ten minutes later I was holding a printed tour guide and a firm assignment: tell people about Clark County Open Studios. So here we are.
The dragon boat crew gets their own full story in January. Wonderful people, and there is a lot to tell. But this one has a deadline, and it is coming up fast.
Clark County Open Studios 2026
What is Clark County Open Studios?
Think of it as a museum where the museum is somebody's garage, barn, spare bedroom or backyard workshop, and the artist is standing right there ready to explain why the glaze went that particular shade of blue. Open Studios is an annual juried event, which means artists apply and get selected, so the quality bar is real. Then for one weekend they open their actual workspaces to anyone who wants to wander in.
You see the process, not just the finished piece on a gallery wall. Kilns, wax warmers, printing presses, half-finished canvases, the whole beautiful mess. Many artists do live demonstrations, and plenty of them will happily talk your ear off about technique if you ask one good question.
The 2026 lineup covers ceramics, drawing, encaustic, fiber art, glass, jewelry, metal, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture and woodworking. Translation: there is something here for the person in your life who says they "aren't really into art."
How to plan your Open Studios tour
Don't get overwhelmed - you are not supposed to hit all 55 studios. You could try. People have. But the move is to pick a handful, cluster them by geography, and actually spend time at each one.
For the Ridgefield crowd
You do not have to drive to downtown Vancouver to get started. The Ridgefield Art Gallery is an official guidebook pickup spot, and the Ridgefield Art Association is one of the tour's community sponsors. The north end of the county is very much part of this. Start local, then work your way south. Studio 36 is an easy first or last stop, about 15 minutes from downtown Ridgefield.
Studio 36: Linda Robertson, encaustic painter
This is the artist I met at the dragon boat party, and she is the reason this post exists. Linda paddles, Linda paints, and after meeting Linda I looked up and learned a new word "Encaustic," because Linda leans into the encaustic.
Encaustic is one of the oldest painting methods there is: pigment suspended in beeswax and resin, melted and fused layer by layer. Robertson often applies that heated wax over her own photographs mounted on rigid panels, so the finished piece is part photograph and part painting, with a glowing, textured surface that does not translate on a screen. Her subjects pull from her childhood in Hawai'i and the moody, misty Pacific Northwest, with a focus on wild places that are changing fast. Go see it in person. That is the whole point of this weekend.
Clark County Open Studios FAQ
When is Clark County Open Studios 2026?
Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. It is always the first full weekend of November.
Is Clark County Open Studios free?
Yes. The tour is free and there are no tickets or registration. Artists sell work at their studios, but buying is never required.
How many artists are on the 2026 tour?
Fifty-five juried artists at studios across Clark County, Washington, numbered on the official map and in the printed guide.
Where do I get the Open Studios tour guide and map?
The digital guide and Google tour map are online. Printed guides are available at the Ridgefield Art Gallery, Art at the Cave, Aurora Gallery, RedDoor Gallery, and at any participating studio during the tour.
Are the studios wheelchair accessible? Can I bring kids?
Accessibility varies by studio, so use the wheelchair-accessible filter in the artists directory. Kids are welcome, and watching a live demo is a great way to hook a young artist. Keep little hands close in working studios with kilns, torches and hot wax.
Who organizes Clark County Open Studios?
Artstra, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports music, theater, dance, literary, visual and media arts in southwest Washington. 2026 marks the 13th annual tour.
More from Meanwhile in Ridgefield
Pick three studios, grab a coffee, and spend a November weekend watching people make things with their hands. Then tell me who you found. If you stop by Studio 36, tell Linda the dragon boat party sent you. And if you are an Open Studios artist in the Ridgefield area, my inbox is open.
