In case you missed a chance to visit some of the studios and galleries of the 150 local artists participating in the 26th annual North Coast Open Studios event last weekend, no worries. There’s still time to visit many of their studios and galleries located between Eureka and Trinidad and east to Willow Creek this coming Saturday and Sunday, June 13 and 14, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
My plan last weekend was to visit studios of familiar artists and then to search the Open Studio guidebook for some I had never heard of before. My first stop during the NCOS soft opening, overlapping with Eureka’s Friday Night Market, was at the 40° North Gallery to see the 15 new “Aftermath” drawings on black paper by Laura Corsiglia. She was one of the four artists (including Carol Andersen, Peggy Rivers and Van Shields) who watched their 10th Street studio and most of their art destroyed in the Jan. 2 fire in Arcata (“Coming to Arcata’s Aid,” Jan. 8, 2026). Corsiglia’s artist statement reads, “Drawing can be chasing clues into the unknown with a line looking around. Sometimes we can bring back bad news. Aftermath is the name of these recent drawings on black, piercing-peeking through the ash of a real fire. There may be birds hiding behind them or flying above them. I’m watching for these.”
My wide-ranging Friday night explorations included Open Studios sites in Eureka and Bracut, and on Saturday I headed up to Kneeland, out along West End Road and around Arcata. The C Street Studios in Eureka included the packed-space display of vibrant acrylics (and recently, some with glitter!) by painter Augustus Clark for his 24th year of Open Studios and the experimental and playful work of painter Rachel Schlueter. At the end of that block, I stopped for Humboldt Community Access and Resource’s Canvas & Clay Studio gallery, described as a place for “artists of varying abilities, fostering an authentic art practice and professional growth within an inviting art community.” It’s not open next weekend so stop by through June 12 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to see the ceramics, paintings, drawings, textiles and video by Elizabeth Kordes, Birdman, Allen Cassidy and others.
After several more stops to see artwork at several studios (see more photos at northcoastjournal.com), I had to agree with Open Studios coordinator and participating artist Monica Topping-Adams, who said, “One of my many favorite aspects of this event is the creative disaster. Splattered clay, cups of well-loved paint brushes, storage shelves of glass — it inspires me to no end to see how artists store their supplies and really enjoy their creative spaces.”
To plan your visits next weekend, pick up a free guidebook for this DreamMaker project at the Ink People’s office at 627 Third St. in Old Town Eureka, at local galleries and artist-supporting businesses, or at northcoastopenstudios.com. A few of the artists listed are open only by appointment. All the artists I met said if you want to visit the rest of the year, reach out to schedule a visit.
Mark Larson (he/him) is a retired Cal Poly Humboldt journalism professor and active freelance photographer who likes to walk.
This article appears in Duane Flatmo Wants to Wow.