All roads lead to local artists and their wares during the 11th annual Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Arts Tour and Sale in Berks County on June 4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This free, self-guided driving tour features more than two dozen artists who will display, sell, and demonstrate a diverse range of fine arts and crafts, the majority from award-winning, juried artists.

“I'm always impressed with the talent we have in our backyard," says Mary Linkevich, who helps organize the event. "The route is beautiful, the art is amazing, and I love the chance to take a peek inside some of the artists' homes and studios," she adds.

This year's tour features a diverse mix of work including pottery, wood and metal sculpture, jewelry, fine and wildlife art painting, basketry and fabric art, stained glass, traditional hex sign art, and more, and all stops are found within a 25-mile radius between the Hawk Mountain Visitor Center and Wanamaker's General Store.

The event is open to the public and interested individuals can download a printable map of stops or an artist list online.

Linkevich recommends that visitors review the artist list and prioritize who they want to visit first.

"The map shows a numbered route, but make up your own tour," she explains. "People always spend more time than they expect at each stop, so prioritize and only do as much as you can.”

In addition to seeing a variety of art, visitors also will be able to purchase pieces and products at the stops and enjoy other entertainment.

Stony Run Inn, for example, will host live music all day, Eight Oaks Distillery will offer samples at Jon Bond's art studio, and multiple host locations will be open for business. For more information about participating artists, driving directions, or the event, visit the Arts Tour webpage..

The 2,500-acre Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Berks County is the world’s first refuge for birds of prey and is open to the public year-round by trail-fee or membership, which in turn supports the nonprofit organization’s raptor conservation mission and local-to-global research, training, and education programs.

To learn more about Hawk Mountain or other programs, please call 610-756-6961 or visit the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary website.

5/2/2016