Following a driving Art Trail is a unique and engaging way to experience a diverse range of artworks while enjoying a scenic drive. There are 13 hub locations on this year’s Trail, with new stops in Jamestown, Portland, Fredonia and on Route 394.

This year’s Trail features 29 North Shore Arts Alliance artist members showcasing art that ranges from paintings to textiles, pottery to sculptures, and photography to jewelry. “We as artists do work that is personal,” said Marcia Merrins, NSAA President. “The annual Chautauqua Lake Erie Art Trail Open Studio and Gallery Tour is an opportunity to visit places where we live and create. We find inspiration in one of the most beautiful, picturesque regions of New York State. As you travel to visit us, see what we see every day — verdant vineyards and fields, lush forests, rolling hills, and spectacular shorelines along Lake Erie and Chautauqua Lake.”

Starting at the north end of the map, we suggest beginning in Fredonia as you work your way through beautiful countryside, quaint villages and historic towns as far west as Sherman, east to Kennedy and south to Jamestown where you will find four locations this year.

Showing their art this Labor Day weekend in Fredonia is Tom Annear with Tom Janik in the Annear Studio located at 43 Central Ave. in Fredonia. Annear is featuring his oil paintings, while Janik will showcase his beautiful photography.

Art by Marcia Merrins.

Not too far away in his studio at 165 Cushing St. will be Wally Latimer, a longtime area wood artist with stunning handmade designs specializing in Shaker wood boxes. Also in Fredonia is Marcia Merrins studio, Kniti Griti Works, at 42 Rosalyn Court who will be hosting Nancy Nixon Ensign and Susan Forrester-Mackay. The guests are painters with unique styles, while the host shows off her clever pottery from jewelry to animals to fairy houses and so much more.

Down the road on Route 20 in Portland, you will find the location of 21 Brix Winery at 6654 West Main Road hosting (inside the building) Patrick Stokes with his photography, Tony and June Burns with their ever popular wooden art puzzles, and Karen Taverna with uniquely gorgeous jewelry.

Continue west on Route 20, turn south onto Route 394 in Westfield and you will come to Portage Hill Art Gallery, 6439 Portage Road, Westfield. It features the art of Audrey Kay Dowling, Karen Glosser, and Tim Sivertsen. Glosser and Sivertsen will be under tents on the property, while Dowling will feature her work inside in the gallery. Glosser’s photography explores the wonder of nature, and Sivertsen’s art is in charcoal, pastel and acrylics. Audrey will feature her ceramics and paintings.

Stop 7 is at Reno Pottery, 6007 Centralia-Hartfield Road, Dewittville. It features the functional porcelain pottery of Jim and Pat Reno in their studio. They have been making pottery for over 40 years and are a staple at many local art and craft festivals on the East Coast.

Stop 8 is outside of Truffle Honey Eatery, 3943 Route 394 in Mayville. This new location features the art of Seri Beeson, Ellen Paquette, Sarah Brown Millspaw, and Cynthia Norton under tents out front.

Joseph Grice,

Beeson is a fabric artist and also crochets beaded jewelry. Paquette will feature her Renaissance style portraits of endangered species. Millspaw is a watercolor illustration artist and will have many of her paintings, notecards and her book featured this year. Norton creates hand-painted textiles clothing for sophisticated, artistically inclined women (and sometimes men).

The LMNOP Gallery at 108 W. Main Street in Sherman, features the works of Peter Hamilton. He is a skilled wood craftsman, whose unique designs include wall hanging wooden art and stylized creative furniture with form and function.

In Jamestown, there are four locations to delight the senses all featuring highly skilled artists with works of various medias.

Stop 10 is Chautauqua Art Gallery, located at 318 N. Main St. in Jamestown, showing the works of owner Leslie Calimeri and local artist Katherine Kepner.

Both artists will feature their paintings that are as unique and creative as the artists themselves.

Art by Marcia Merrins.

Stop 11 is Joe Grice Art Studio at 515 Pine St., Jamestown. Grice is a wildlife illustrator, a very detail oriented artist with a deep love of nature and birds. His paintings are featured all around the area, and visitors to the Trail will see many more pictures featuring his mastery with oils and be able to talk with him in person.

Stop 12 at Pearl City Clay House 220 E. Second Street, Jamestown will have their gallery space showing four artists: Jackie Damore, Susan Simmons, Hans Videll, and Terry Lair. These artists’ works range from oil and acrylic paintings to mixed media to drawings and some exceptional modern art.

Stop 13 is at Roger Tory Peterson Institute at 311 Curtis St. in Jamestown, and will have Susan Gutierrez, Debbie Penley, and Carrie Tredo Sheffield under tents on the grounds in front of the building. Penley is a fiber artist with bold creative creatures and pictures, while Gutierrez works in acrylics creating works of nature and features area buildings in her unique style. Sheffield is a mixed media artist who also creates eco dyed clothing.

Stop 14 is in Kennedy, at the Studio of Janet Mandel located at 747 Abbey Road. Mandel’s unique style features songbirds and wildlife paintings.

The North Shore Arts Alliance Art Trail is a distinctive occasion to get an amazing look into the creative processes of highly talented and skilled artists, all located in Chautauqua County.

A fierce dragon created by Tony Burns.

All artists on the Art Trail are members of the North Shore Arts Alliance. Returning this year is a chance to win one of eight gift certificates, redeemable with any of the artists on this year’s trail. Certificates vary in value from $25 to $100.

To be eligible to win, pick up a passport card at your first stop on the Art Trail. At each stop on the trail, receive a unique stamp on your passport. When finished visiting the hubs, simply drop the card at the last stop. A completed passport will enter you into a drawing for a $100 gift certificate. If you complete 5 stops, you can enter to win a $25 gift certificate. More details are on the passport card. Need a detailed map of the Art Trail?

Funding for this is made possible in part through Arts Services Inc’s Creative Impact Fund thanks to a New York State Senate Initiative supported by the NYS Legislature and the Office of the Governor, and administered by the New York State Council on the Arts. Mark your calendar for this free event on Labor Day weekend August 31 & September 1. It takes place free of charge, rain or shine. Come support our local art community and take a day to just enjoy. Hope to see you there!

Artwork by Katherine Kepner.