The picturesque landscapes of the Driftless Area in southwest Wisconsin have long served as a wellspring of inspiration for artists across various mediums. From offering captivating scenery for photography and plein-air painting to providing abundant opportunities for artistic expression, this region is truly a haven for creativity. Here, artists create works using native woods, they shear sheep to produce wool for their looms, and even personally harvest wood for pottery kilns, with many establishing homesteads equipped with dedicated art studios.

In the early 2000s, a collective of artists from the Driftless Area came together to form the “Winding Roads Art Tour,” a loosely-organized marketing plan to bring visitors to their rural studios on weekends during the summer season. They raised support to create a printed map and brochure designed to encourage visitors to take a self-guided journey around the scenic back roads of our region, exploring art studios along the way. It was a captivating opportunity for art enthusiasts to uncover the diverse talents residing in the Driftless Area. Eventually, as the summer-long schedule proved challenging for artists to sustain, the tour came to a halt. In the autumn of 2015, a fresh wave of artists, led by local potter Maureen Karlstad, sought to reignite the concept, securing permission from the original group to utilize the same name. Opting to streamline the tour to a single weekend each year—now scheduled annually on the second weekend in June—the revitalized event took shape. The inaugural tour in 2016 proved to be a resounding success, and since then has annually featured as many as 20 studio stops showcasing the works of more than 30 artists.  Local sponsorship has steadily grown  as visitors also seek lodging, dining, shopping, concurrent events and attractions. 

Over the years, many participating artists have been affiliated with VIVA Gallery, a cooperative art space in downtown Viroqua, that still graciously serves as the tour’s information hub. The tour has since become a cherished tradition, eagerly anticipated by both artists and art enthusiasts as a delightful way to herald the arrival of summer. Over the past nine years, a dedicated core-group of artists and community advocates have generously volunteered their time and expertise to shape the tour into what it is today. We eagerly anticipate this year’s tour and the opportunity to celebrate the rich artistic tapestry of our community once again!

A big thank you to our 2026 tour organizers: Denise Benoit, Karen Innis, Gabriela Marvan, Katherine Lewiston,  Havvah Holl, Vicki Koppa and Zoe Craig.