Applications open March 1st, 2026

Read this first…

• Please read the Requirements for Acceptance before applying

• You will need 4 photos of your work and 1 photo of your studio (if applicable) to apply. These should be high quality professional images, as they will be used in the brochure, on the website, and for tour promotion. Prepping these photos ahead of time will speed up your application process.

• Payment will be due by April 10th and can be paid online or mailed. Further details will be emailed along with your acceptance by April 10th.

About the Tour

2026 Tour dates are August 7, 8, 9, 2026

The Orcas Artist Studio Tour exists to share the creative processes and studio spaces of working artists with visitors and locals and provide an opportunity to purchase original art directly from the artists.

In 2025, the tour featured over 40 local artists, showing their work in studios from Deer Harbor to Doe Bay.

​We make every effort to create a premier art experience for visitors, and a successful exhibiting and sales venue for artists living on Orcas.

Advertising and Promotion

Tour participants share the benefits of group advertising including their own page on the Tour website (www.orcasartiststudiotour.com).  The page is left up during the entire year for visitors to use to view your artwork and contact you for additional sales.

• Group Exhibit at the Orcas Center opens two weeks prior to the Tour

• Directional signs to help visitors find your studio

• Social Media posts and boosted ads on Facebook and Instagram

• A beautifully designed brochure, including tour maps and art photos as well as information about each artist. Posters are placed in local establishments, street banners, and signage throughout the community.

• The Studio Tour Passport encourages visitors to explore the whole island. Artists will be asked to contribute to the prize raffle, optionally.

Studio Tour Jury and Participation Fees

Applications open March 1 and close April 3, 2026. Participation fees for 2026 are $200. These fees are per artist not per studio. Fees are due no later than April 10th, 2026 and can be paid online or mailed (mailing address provided with application acceptance).

Scholarship Program

Our goal is for the Studio Tour to support our creative community. We currently have 3 full scholarships available with the aim of giving these scholarships to artists who have not participated in the tour before and need the assistance to help build their body of work.

Studio Sharing

All art making spaces are welcome, you do not need to have a big fancy studio to participate. However, if you don’t wish to open your doors to the public, that’s ok too. We have several artists on the tour who have room to host a guest artist in their space. In addition to bringing your work to the shared space, we ask that guest artists provide some sort of demonstration of their process. You can bring your supplies and create work during the tour, or bring examples of your process. Our goal is for the visitors to still feel like they have a glimpse into your process.

We are always looking for folks with extra space to host our guest artists. There is a box on the application to check if you’re able to host (or looking to share).

We will help match up hosts with guests, with both parties having plenty of space for input to ensure a harmonious pairing.

Requirements for Acceptance

• All work sold during OAST must be original works designed, executed, and handcrafted by the applicant.

• All artists are responsible for collecting and paying taxes to the appropriate city, county, and/or state tax agencies.

• The Orcas Artist Studio Tour does not provide any insurance. It is the responsibility of the artist to carry the appropriate insurance.

• Artists’ studios must be open all days and hours of the tour. Artists must be present in their respective studios during the Tour barring extraordinary circumstances. Tour hours are Friday - Sunday from 11am to 5pm.

• Artists must live on Orcas Island. Studio must be located on Orcas Island.

• The studio space must be suitable to show work. Acceptance of visitors into the artist’s studio will be at the artist’s discretion.

• The studio and display space must be large enough to accommodate tour visitors safely, and have space to park a few cars.

• OAST strongly encourages each artist to provide demonstrations and/or visual representations of their artistic processes to the public.

• During the tour days and hours, the studio must sell only work by participating tour artists who have juried, been accepted and paid the OAST application and studio fee.