OPEN STUDIO TOUR of TOPANGA: The Art that has Bloomed from the Ashes

Topanga has always been a home to creatives: musicians, writers, performers, and fine artists of all kinds. This year, on October 3rd and 4th, 50+ local artists will invite the public into their home studios for the beloved annual tour of art by local creatives and their unique workspaces.

Open Studios of Topanga (OST) was originally started over 20 years ago by the Topanga Canyon Gallery as a fundraising event, but when the Gallery unfortunately lost their space in early 2023, Trudy Perry and Danielle Hutchens decided to take over and keep the tours alive. There are too many brilliant artists and art lovers in the Canyon to lose the opportunity to spotlight beautiful work and inspire creativity in others.

Danielle and Trudy organized OST for two years, 2023 and 2024, but after the devastation of the Palisades Fire early last year, there was no artist tour held in 2025. This year is OST’s first year back after the trauma of the fires, and a new team of artists are in charge of organizing: Sarah Diana Lejeune, Clyde Corley, and Tina Ivanov Gage.

I spoke with Sarah Diana Lejeune who has participated in past tours as a featured artist (and will again this October) and is organizing the event this year for the first time. Sarah explained to me how difficult the fires were for artists in the Canyon, that many felt they couldn’t even make art. “…It was like ‘Yah, our house didn’t burn down…’ and ‘Why do I feel so terrible?’” The fear and pain were getting in the way of Topanga’s creativity.

Now, after some time has passed, Sarah recognizes that a lot of beautiful, moving artwork has risen from the ashes. “Adversity fuels our creative energy in a way…” Sarah told me. “…and now people [have] made such beautiful work. Once they got back to work, they made such beautiful work. For me, who’s been part of [OST] three different years, to see the same artists now and the incredible strides they made in that quiet space, that space of mourning, is just really cool…” She continues, “The feeling of mourning, and the way artists work through their mourning is actually sometimes a place of beauty.”

Sarah noticed how the businesses in the Canyon were suffering due to the road closures last year, so the OST organizing team this year is doing what they can to bring people to the center of town by arranging some of the artists at more central locations. Sarah explains, “We tried to cluster people near the town. There’s gonna be artists at Froggys, a show at Artemis [Studio LA], and [SPACE art + supply] is open with another show. There’s stuff happening that will draw people into the town, we hope. We have fewer sites and more artists at each site. We tried to geographically condense it.”

Open Studios of Topanga 2026 will have artists who specialize in a variety of different mediums, including ceramicists, painters, photographers, jewelry makers, sculptors, and even a poet, and a tie-dye artist. There will also be a group of local plein-air painters set up outside Froggy’s, live-painting the view of our mountains from the restaurant.

Clyde Corley, one of the other organizers of OST 2026, is a sculptor and painter who will be participating in the event as both an artist and organizer for the first time. Clyde told me that he and Sarah first met in a group art show, where they connected on their mutual love for each other’s work.

“I was incredibly taken by [Sarah’s] talent. A few weeks later, she told me about her decision to take over Open Studios,” Clyde said. “I had no idea what it was at first, then I learned. She asked me if I had any interest coming on board to steer the branding and visual communication for [OST]. With my history as a creative director—working in music, fashion, entertainment, academia, and the art[s]—it was something I could manage.” Clyde added, “for me, it was a way to get more involved in the community. We are very lucky to have all these artists in the canyon, and this event brings people out of the woodwork. It’s an honor to work on this.”

Open Studios of Topanga 2026 will serve as a much-needed healing reunion for artists and art-lovers in the Canyon. Supporting local artists and engaging with physical art in the digital age is an act of resistance and community building which we all benefit from.