The creativity of Vashon Island’s artists is in full bloom during the Vashon Island Spring Studio Tour, Saturdays and Sundays, May 3-4 and 10-11, 2025, from 10 am to 5 pm. The tour, which is organized by Vashon Island Visual Artists, features 43 studios and galleries, representing more than 140 artists and craftspeople. The organization’s website offers an interactive online map with details about each studio and gallery. Tour locations are spread throughout the island community, from the town center to outlying farms and shores, providing an escape for urban visitors.

A new addition is the VIVA Tour Info Center & Gallery, located in the heart of town at 17816 Vashon Hwy SW, which is designed to enhance each visitor’s experience. The Center’s knowledgeable tour docents include noted island artists Brian Fisher, Lynn McClain, Ilse Reimnitz, Michael Darr, Chris Beck, Janice McElroy, Barbara Benedetti Newton, and Marla Smith. The center offers a large interactive map, tour brochures, public restrooms, a mobile phone charging station, and a display of four Island artists’ works, including oil paintings, sculptures, and knitted silk hats. Brochures will also be mailed to each home on Vashon and can be picked up at many Island businesses. For the first time, VIVA will hold a First Friday kick-off party for the tour at the Tour Center, May 2, from 5-8 pm.

In addition to exploring a variety of media and styles, visitors will have the chance to meet the artists and discover the genesis of each piece of art.

The VIVA Studio Tour gives attendees the chance to purchase one-of-a-kind works that range from beautifully functional to decidedly decorative pieces, including oil paintings, ceramics, pastels, blown glass, linocuts, monoprints, acrylics, watercolors, photography, wearable fiber arts, jewelry, basketry, woodwork, stained glass, stonework, mosaics, garden art, sculpture, art cards, etched glass, artisan soap, and more.

Vashon Island offers a green getaway that combines rural charm with sophisticated tastes. Island restaurants serve an array of cuisines from Thai and vegetarian to southern comfort. For more information on Vashon Island, including where to stay and eat, visit https://VashonEvents.org.

You can find more information on the spring tour, including an interactive map, on our website, https://vivartists.com.