The Ouachita Art Trails Studio Tour is sponsored by Southwest Artists, Inc./Mena Art Gallery (SWA/MAG). Southwest Artists began 66 years ago by as a group of local artists meeting in homes, donated space and finally in a building of its own in historic downtown Mena, Arkansas. The organization received 501-C3 non-profit status in 1982.

Following its mission of promoting local art and artists, a group of members attended several meetings related to a statewide Creative Economy Study that was done over a three year period beginning in 2005. At one meeting we met Becki Dahlstedt who organizes the Off The Beaten Path Studio Tour. Becki shared their success in promoting tourism, gaining local artist recognition and the fun of demonstrating their creativity in the artist’s own environment. 

We later made contact with Farrell Ford of the Round About Studio Tour and began to discuss their unique tour and how it was set up. Armed with a grant from the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation through the Creative Economy Study and excellent advice from both existing tours the Ouachita Art Trails Studio Tour was born in 2008 with 23 artists.

Following two successful tours, late in 2009 a collaboration of the three tours was formed to develop a more comprehensive regional promotional effort, provide a greater contribution to state tourism and share ideas to encourage others that might be interested in forming their own tours. The collaboration, called the Arkansas Artist Studio Tours, got a helpful start with a grant from the Arkansas Arts Council.

Ouachita Art Trails will hold its 5th annual tour in 2012 and is gaining recognition along with all the studio tours in the state. Located in a unique and remote part of West Central Arkansas the Ouachita Art Trails offers a beautiful mountain setting for visiting local artists creating a surprising variety and high quality art and crafts. Come enjoy the rewards of spending a weekend on the self guided tour using artist biographies and maps to plan an adventure unlike most.

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