The splendid Tour des Arts was a highlight of my recent road trip to Quebec Canada. This annual artist studio tour is based in the Cantons-de l’Est (the Eastern Townships) ― a beautiful rural area with rolling hills and shining lakes southeast of Montréal.
It was obvious from the well-rounded artist lineup and the perfectly orchestrated logistics that this was not the first Tour des Arts. In fact, 2026 was the Tour’s 37th edition.
Organizing an event of this magnitude ― with 38 artists and artisans hosting visitors in their own studios and offering daily demonstrations for nine straight days ― is no small feat. Add to that the challenges of showcasing work from each participant in a collective art gallery and the organizational effort seems overwhelming. But the region’s artists were up to the task!
The Tour is a non-profit cooperative with all the participating artists playing an active role in its organization. “The artists fund the tour themselves, together with community businesses and organizations, then the artists keep the proceeds of their sales” explains David Rollert in his article Experience Art Creation at Tour des Arts.
I’ve been fortunate to participate in a few art tours over the years (see An Art-Inspired Sunday Drive, An Art Road Trip in the Georgia Mountains and Peeking Behind the Studio Curtain). But the thrill of chatting with an artist ― hearing their story in their own workspace ― never grows old. In my opinion, it’s that rare personal connection that makes an art tour special.
With their incredibly generous schedule ― seven hours a day for nine days ― the Tour des Arts offers art enthusiasts ample opportunity to meet and chat with the artists. We were lucky to spread our visit over two days ― on Sunday and Monday ― rather than trying to squeeze it all into one day or visiting on a predictably busy Saturday.
The collective art exhibition was a unique feature of this Tour. With one or two pieces by each artist, the Expo Collective hosted at the Arts Sutton Art Center provided a terrific overview of the amazing work featured on the Tour. It also provided the perfect opportunity to consider which artist studios to visit ― especially since the exhibition was open for nine days prior to the Tour. We used the Tour’s website to select our stops and pre-plan our route but the Expo Collective allowed us to finetune our choices. It also allowed us to view the work of the artists we couldn’t squeeze into our itinerary. Frankly, I wish every art tour would include a collective art exhibition.
Shown below are a few artworks from the Expo Collective Tour des Arts. First up are a couple of artists whose studios we didn’t have a chance to visit.
Anne-Sylvie Dunand
This intriguing piece by Anne-Sylvie Dunand is titled La légèreté et la force (Lightness and Force). Dunand works in textile art, paper embroidery, beading, and reclaimed materials including rusted elements. As a long-time fan of paper embroidery (see Hello Marvelous Photo Embroidery – DIY Tutorial), I was thrilled to see her work. The novel balance between delicate paper and heavy metal caught my eye, while the intricate embroidery drew me in. 
Anne-Françoise Wauthy
The two dynamic artworks shown below are by Anne-Françoise Wauthy. Her work has been described as “vibrant, luminous works [which] explore abstraction through mixed media”. The piece on the left, titled Crowned Vessel, is created with copper, acrylic and aluminum wire. The piece on the right, Fired Earth and Reeds, is created with copper wire, acrylic wire, stainless steel rod coated with recycled aluminum and acrylic paint.
Potton Valley Quilters
The final Expo Collective piece I’d like to feature is this outstanding art quilt wall hanging. It is a collective work, titled Chant du Cygne (Swan Song), created by the Potton Valley Quilters. The elaborate details — from the fabric piecing and applique to the hand-stitching, embroidery, buttons, and beading — are masterful. 
We also have a chance to visit the Potton Valley Quilters at their own exhibit in the St-Cajetan Church in Mansonville. For 40 years, the women of the Potton Valley Quilters “have gathered to create, learn, and share the art of quilting. Their work spans traditional and contemporary techniques through a wide range of colorful textile pieces”.
Unlike the others, this tour stop was hosted by a group of artists showcasing a variety of textile art. But what really stood out was the admiration and support the artists showed each other ― everyone spoke in glowing terms about all the artwork regardless of who actually created it. A pleasant hum filled the hall as members eagerly shared their stories and technical know-how with visitors and peers alike.
Here are a few examples from the Potton Valley Quilters exhibit. 
We visited 12 artist studios throughout the Eastern Townships. Several stand out for the engaging conversations we shared with the artists and the originality and mastery of their artwork.
Ross Parkinson
Ross Parkinson sculpts stone. His “stone of choice … is a Canadian Steatite or Soapstone [which] is quarried in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, approximately 200 miles” from his West Brome studio. Ross took the time to explain that soapstone is a metamorphic rock composed predominantly of talc resulting in a relatively soft carving material. He starts by roughing out a piece, then goes through a series of steps including shaping, refining and detailing before the final polishing.
John Murphy
John Murphy’s workshop is packed with the local and exotic hardwoods he uses to create his fine furniture and woodenware.
We swapped stories about Nova Scotia while admiring his extensive inventory of beautifully crafted tables, benches, cutting boards, boxes and other wooden items.
Sweet Mama Grass
Speaking of Nova Scotia, we were delighted to discover mutual connections with Laurence Tiffault of Sweet Mama Grass. Laurence often collaborates with the folks at Willow’s Bend Collective, where I’ve been learning to weave willow (see Ta-da ― It’s a Tatza!). While it’s not entirely surprising that willow artists share a global community, it was still a delightful “small-world” encounter that reminds us of how interconnected we truly are.
Les ateliers Saule & Garance ― where Laurence creates and sells her Sweet Mama Grass creations ― was a shutterbug’s dream. The space was filled with her beautiful woven willow and sweetgrass baskets and artwork as shown below.
Pina Macku
Pina Macku’s artist profile invites visitors to “Indulge in rich colours, inviting textures and soothing aesthetics. Marvel at work which reinvents the ordinary and makes it special”. Pina creates whimsical art with recycled textiles, wood and found objects in her studio tucked away in the Sutton countryside. We were charmed by her sculptures long before we entered the studio door.
Pina’s studio was filled with intriguing characters ― birds with pliers for beaks and tool handles for feet, a woman with a wooden spoon for a hat, a buckle for a mouth and sieves for breasts, and cows with scissors for horns and chains for tails. Her ability to reinvent the ordinary is indeed marvelous!
Stanley Lake and Almut Ellinghaus
We’d already planned to visit the Stanley Lake and Almut Ellinghaus studio in Mansonville but, when Pina said they were not to be missed, we locked in the plan. Stanley Lake is a potter who creates garden art, functional pottery and one-of-a-kind handmade works of art. His partner, Almut Ellinghaus, is a sculptor who works in stoneware clay to create sculptures which, as her artist profile explains, are “reflections on a woman’s life: ponderings embodied in gesture, intent caught in movement”. Their work is beautifully displayed in the woodlands and flower gardens around their studio.
All in all, Quebec’s Tour des Arts provided the perfect mix of inspiring creative energy, a generous art community and miles of scenic country roads.
More Info
Previous blog posts mentioned in this blog post include:
. An Art-Inspired Sunday Drive
. An Art Road Trip in the Georgia Mountains
. Peeking Behind the Studio Curtain
. Hello Marvelous Photo Embroidery – DIY Tutorial
. Ta-da ― It’s a Tatza!
Quebec’s Tour des Arts is held every summer. The Tour “invites the public to travel the roads of the Eastern Townships and meet artists where art is created” explains this year’s press release. “By opening their studios, creators share their techniques, materials, and processes, offering privileged access to the behind-the-scenes world of creation and the discovery of unique, locally made pieces.” See the Tour’s website or Instagram for more information.
“Arts Sutton is an art centre dedicated to the presentation and promotion of contemporary visual arts. It fosters a space for encounter and reflection where professional artists from the regional, national, and international scenes come together.” See their website for more information.
The following resources were consulted in writing this blog post:
. Experience Art Creation at Tour des Arts article by David Rollert; published in Tempo Lac Brome July 2026
. Tour des Arts Celebrates 35 Remarkable Years article published in WestmountMag in June 2024.
The following talented artists are mentioned in this blog post:
. Anne-Sylvie Dunand – see more on their website
. Anne-Françoise Wauthy – see more on their website
. Potton Valley Quilters – see more on Instagram
. Ross Parkinson
. John Murphy – see more on Facebook
. Sweet Mama Grass – see more on their website
. Pina Macku – see more on Facebook
. Stanley Lake – see more on their website
. Almut Ellinghaus – see more on their website.
Today’s Takeaways
1. Plan ahead to discover and fully experience local art while travelling.
2. When studio-hopping, pace yourself and take time to meet the artists and appreciate their art.
3. Be mindful of fellow guests ― share the space and the artist’s time so everyone can enjoy the experience.
