(Radio Iowa) – Artists from communities across southwest Iowa will be featured in a multi-city showcase this weekend, starting this (Friday) afternoon. The Southwest Iowa Art Tour is in its 11th year with displays in Page, Fremont, Montgomery, Mills, Pottawattamie, and Shelby counties. Tour coordinator Rebecca Castle Laughlin says there’s a wide range of art, including: painting, sculpture, photography, pottery, wood carving, jewelry and more. “It seems like every year there’s at least one art form that I didn’t know about,” Laughlin says. “For example, we’ve got up in Council Bluffs, there’s an artist who combines fiber art with her painting. So, she does quilting but she paints on the fabric also.”

Laughlin says the event allows artists to spotlight their work while also providing an economic development opportunity for the participating communities. “It was very grassroots-oriented and we tried to get some excitement around the local arts venues and artists that are in our area,” she says. “We want to get them some more sales, obviously, but also bring awareness to the fact that you can make a viable living off the arts in southwest Iowa.” Laughlin says they’ve been handing out brochures with maps at various locations, and they’re also available online for the self-guided tour.

“You can really just plan out your route,” Laughlin explained. “You might say, ‘I’ve got a youth football game tomorrow in Oakland, so I can hit Avoca, Neola, and Macedonia real quick.’ So, really just building it around your schedule. And hit as many spots as you can, because there are some really great artists.” A sneak peak of the tour runs from 4 to 7 p.m. today (Friday), while the main tour is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

The art will be on display at 20 locations in 13 communities on this year’s tour, including: Harlan, Avoca, Neola, Council Bluffs, Macedonia, Glenwood, Malvern, Red Oak, Essex, Clarinda, Shenandoah, Sidney, and Thurman.

(More on the web at swiarttour.com)