SPRING VALLEY, Minnesota (STPNS) -- rt enthusiasts will converge on the Bluff Country area this weekend to travel through the hills and valleys discovering art treasures that can be found within galleries and studios throughout southern Minnesota and northern Iowa.

According to Sharyl Bergen, one of the organizers of the event and who also owns one of the galleries featured in the tour, it's a weekend she looks forward to every year.

"The tour is a great way to showcase what we have to offer here in southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa," she said. "It also offers art lovers an opportunity to get an inside look at where their favorite artists work and create these magnificent works of art."



This is the eighth tour held in Bluff Country and the tour has gained so much popularity that the organizers chose to add an extra day to allow individuals to visit all 21 locations on the tour at a more leisurely pace.

"Our traffic was up last year," explained Bergen, "and we decided that we'd add Friday to also allow those who are busy on weekends to have a chance to explore these wonderful studios and galleries."

When the tour began eight years ago, Bergen said there were 14 stops on the studio tour. This year, there are 21 locations and more than 30 artists showcasing their work. Several galleries will host artists who will demonstrate their art during the weekend. Others have gathered in a central location, sharing space to display their work.

In Lanesboro, seven artists will be gathered at the community center to show their work. They include Mariella TerBeest-Schladweiler, Barbara Benson Keith, Anna Becker, Andrew Westreich, Roger Meyer, Joel and Maria Sampson and Karen Haas Misseldine.

The art tour's most unique aspect, however, is the opportunity for art buyers to visit artist studios and Bergen noted that there are many amazing galleries that will be featured this weekend. Ranging from small spaces to specifically-built structures, tour participants will be treated to a diverse selection of workspaces.

"Jean Murray, who used to show in Lanesboro is actually staying home this year to open her studio for the tour," Bergen explained. "It's a great space. They built a whole studio outside their home and it's simply beautiful."

Bergen added that Tim Langholz's studio in Burr Oak is also a must stop. "He's got a really pretty location and a neat studio, with kilns that he's built and a great showroom."

Featuring an outdoor wood-fire kiln, Nate and Hallie Evans of New Albin, Iowa, will open up their studio and will actually fire up the kiln on Saturday.

Farther down the road, in Winona, Bernadette Mahfood and Walken Ratajczyk's Hotflash Design Studio is also "quite cool," Bergen added. "They have a studio in downtown Winona where they create their glass. It's very interesting to see how it's done."

Bergen's favorite part of the tour is being able to see inside the artists workspace. "Artists usually pack up and go to other locations, they don't usually open their studios, so this is a great opportunity for art lovers."

The galleries on the tour, however, are also a place one must stop to be able to see the diversity of talent Bluff Country has to offer in one place. Several will also have artists on hand with demonstrations or to converse with about their artwork.

For example, Bergen's gallery, Clover, in Harmony, will host Suzanne Merkl, a stained glass artist, and Peggy Koop, a fiber artist.

In addition to the Clover Gallery in Harmony, one can find treasures at the Cornucopia Art Center in Lanesboro, the Blue Heron Gallery and Studio, Magnolias in Winona and Bluff Country Artists Gallery in Spring Grove. One may also pick up a map and complete information about the art tour at these five locations.

The tour has five new additions to the tour this year, including a wood turner, a glass mosaic artist, a potter and two new galleries.

The mediums artists use to share their visions include glass, wood, fabric, ceramic, clay, oils, acrylics, found objects and so much more. One will be treated to an array of visual stimulation as tour participants travel through Bluff Country this weekend.

Bergen also mentioned that she will be hosting a wine tasting on Saturday evening featuring wines from Garvin Heights Vineyards in Winona. "They are wonderful supporters of the art tour," Bergen said, "And I thought it would be fun to offer an opportunity for the art enthusiasts to gather, share some wine and stories about the treasures they've found along the tour." The wine tasting will be held in her gallery in Harmony, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Bergen concluded by saying she hopes people will take a drive through the countryside and discover some of these treasures located within the hills and valleys of the Bluff Country area.

"There is so much to be discovered here," she said. "It's the perfect weekend to find one-of-a kind items and to celebrate the creativity and talent that is abundant in our area."