The Ojai Studio Artists Tour (Oct. 12-14) kicks off this year with a reception on Friday, Oct. 11th from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Ojai Valley Museum. Then on Saturday, Sunday and Monday (Columbus Day holiday) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 63 local artists open their homes to the public. Tickets are only $20 and go to fund scholarships for aspiring young artists.

Painter Christopher Noxon and ceramicist Suze Glazebrook talk about how the organization has evolved during its 40 years of history, how it honors its founders, Bert Collins and Gayel Childress (the third founder Marta Nelson passed away recently) and their own journeys to Ojai's arts scene. Glazebrook, who also creates jewelry, grew up in New Zealand, and has lived in Ojai since 1990, while Noxon moved here in 2020 during the pandemic. Glazebrook grew up in an artistic household while Noxon, a journalist and illustrator, launched his painting career fulltime when he moved to Ojai. Both have attracted dedicated collectors.

We talked about Ojai artists and OSA manage to reconcile the solitary creation process of art with the very human need for fellowship, why the arts have been key to Ojai's identity and allure for more than a century, how many major arts movements have had an Ojai influence, and much more.

We did not talk about the "Battle of Candlestick" on Aug. 22, 1965 between the Dodgers and Giants, when Giants pitcher Juan Marichal bashed Dodgers catcher Johnny Roseboro over the head, creating a 14-minute melee, or the myriad eccentricities of Argentinean president Javier Milei, nor the recent resurgence of salmon runs in the Klamath River.

The 2022 book about Beatrice Wood and her influential relationship with Henri-Pierre Roché and Marcel Duchamp is called "Spellbound by Marcel" by Ruth Brandon.

For more information, check out OjaiStudioArtists.org.