Open, open, open.

It's that time again, time to dust off the cobwebs, clean up the paint spills and open up the studios. Visual artists and crafty folks throughout the county are tidying up their work spaces as best as they can, preparing to throw open their doors and give the general public a glimpse of the creative process — and an opportunity to see (and purchase) art that might not be seen in galleries. The 10th Annual North Coast Open Studios takes place over the next two Weekends: May 31-June 1 and June 7-8.

Two local artists, Sasha Pepper and Susan Fox, founded the local open studios movement in 1998. They basically just got a few dozen artist friends in Eureka and Arcata to agree to allow visitors on a specific weekend and designed a map to help get art lovers from place to place. Things snowballed from there and in recent years it's grown and grown, with more than 100 artists all over the county participating on one or two weekends. An executive director was enlisted; grant money helped pay for a glossy magazine to replace the simple map. In truth, it got a bit unwieldy.

The current organizers note, "In celebration of the 10th anniversary of North Coast Open Studios, we are returning to our roots. The event this year was once again coordinated by a volunteer steering committee made up of working artists and art supporters. The event is funded entirely by artist fees, event supporters and community members who give their time, energy and money to provide an opportunity for the public to meet local artists in their studios and learn about their diverse creative processes and techniques."

A newsprint edition of the map/guide is available at local art venues; a digital version can be found at www.northcoastopenstudios.com. Study it and you'll find that the event's North/South division has fallen by the wayside. Many artists are open both weekends, some just one, but with no geographic theme. You're left open to craft your own route and visit whatever area or artist you want. So, go ahead, get out there and explore. Bring an open mind and don't forget your checkbook.

North Coast Open Studios runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, May 31-June 1 and June 7-8. Check www.northcoastopenstudios.com for further details and complete artist listings.

• Bob Doran