22nd Annual Highway 62 Open Studio Art Tour Features Over 150 Local Artists

This weekend marks the second weekend of the Highway 62 Open Studio Art Tours. The event features over 150 different artists throughout the high desert, giving visitors a one-of-a-kind experience. "It’s a great opportunity because it takes a lot of confidence to be this vulnerable." Tori Moore, a student artist at Copper Mountain College says. This experience helps visitors enjoy the beauty of the high desert, while immersing themselves in the creative community of different local artists. "Art is something that people do to deal with death and success, and life changing and world events and to share that with somebody is nerve racking and to be able to do it in a group setting in such a supportive loving environment, it’s just such a life changing thing." Moore says. This is the first year that Copper Mountain College has been a sponsor for the art tours, giving their students an opportunity to display their artwork, and potentially receive profit from visitors. "To see people sell their first piece of artwork to see locals not even know the college existed and to happen upon it. It’s just a really special little pocket of the art tours." Moore adds. Aside from the community college, 176 other artists open their studio-doors for visitors, including the Simi Dabah Sculpture Foundation. "This is Simi’s place. It’s almost nine acres, I believe, and he has done over 2000 documented pieces in his career. He’s 96 now, so he’s no longer producing pieces. We’re down to about 450 pieces now." Billy Savage, a volunteer and nephew to Dabah says. Simi allows viewers to perceive whatever they want to, through his artwork. "Brutalist found objects, steel monoliths, you know… he didn’t, he never named any of the pieces. He wanted people to discover them for themselves and people could see in them whatever they wanted to put into it." Savage adds. Never taking any profit from his art, Simi donated all of the money made from his pieces to charities and organizations. "All he ever wanted to do with his art is have people experience it and make them happy. He just loves to get eyeballs on them, for people that enjoy them and nothing makes him happier than when people just see his stuff." Savage says. There is still one more weekend to explore the Highway 62 Open Studio Art Tour, and potentially purchase a new beautiful piece of art, directly from artists in the high desert.