2026 HWY 62 Open Studio Art Tours - Participation Conditions

1) COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT

Participation in the Art Tours is contingent upon compliance with all policies and conditions outlined below. Failure to adhere to these requirements may result in disqualification from the current year’s Art Tours and/or ineligibility to participate in future Art Tours, at the discretion of the MBCAC.

2) RESIDENCY

All participating artists must be full or part-time residents of the Morongo Basin communities and registered to participate. Studios may only display work by artists registered at that studio.

3) YEAR-ROUND BUSINESSES

Year-round shops and galleries will not be eligible as studio sites for the 2026 Art Tours. If you are unsure about the eligibility of your studio space, please contact us at arttours@mbcac.org before registering.

4) STUDIO HOURS

  • Studios are required to remain open to visitors open from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm each day you are registered to participate.

  • Our visitors expect to see the artists as well as their work. Please plan to be present at your studio during open hours.

  • On weekends you did NOT sign up for, please leave out a sign to wayward visitors. Many guests do not pay enough attention to when artists are showing.

  • Please remove your directional signage no later than the day after your final weekend of showing.

5) STUDIO ACCESSIBILITY

The MBCAC does not own, operate, or control individual Art Tour studios and does not assume responsibility for their conditions. You are expected to maintain a safe and professional studio environment and to make reasonable, good-faith efforts to accommodate visitors within the limitations of your property. You are encouraged to use clear, unobtrusive on-site signage to identify any potential access issues.

6) SALES COMMISSIONS

  • There is no commission required for art sales at your studio - it’s all yours. However, please keep track of your sales to report in the anonymous post-event artist survey. (This information is critical to the ongoing support and continuation of the Art Tours.)

  • There will be 15% commission for art sales at the Collective Show at the Hi-Desert Artists Gallery to help cover show costs. There is no additional fee to participate.

7) CANCELLATIONS/REFUNDS

  • All refunds must be requested in writing. No refunds after May 15, 2026.

  • For cancellations between March 31 and May 15, refunds will be the artist’s

  • registration fee minus a $50 processing fee.

8) PROMOTION OF ART TOURS

You are strongly encouraged to promote yourself and the Art Tours through all appropriate marketing channels, both online and offline. Please remember that you serve as an ambassador for the Tours when posting online or promoting the event. We will provide you with the official Art Tours and 25th Anniversary logos that you can use in your promotion.

9) SELLING REPRODUCTIONS

A “reproduction” is defined as a copy of original art. Reproductions for sale may be included in your Open Studio display, with the following restrictions:

  • No more than 50% of an artist’s studio display may consist of reproductions.

  • Original work should be prominent and should be seen first as visitors enter the studio area.

  • Reproductions must be separated from the main body of the original work and clearly labeled as reproductions. This explanation should serve to educate the public about the distinction between original art and reproductions. (e.g. “These are giclee prints (copies) of my oil paintings, printed using archival inks and paper on an inkjet printer.”)

  • Photography and digital art are considered original art, not reproductions, and are therefore excluded from this restriction.

  • If your work consists of pieces/parts used in its assembly that you did make/print/design yourself, you must indicate this clearly somewhere. (This does not apply to framing of any type.)

10) USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

We recognize that AI and related digital tools may be used by artists for research, reference, planning, or technical assistance during their creative process. However, artwork that is primarily generated by artificial intelligence is not permitted to be exhibited or sold at Tour studios.

All work presented must be created primarily by the participating artist through direct human authorship, reflecting the artist’s own hands-on creative process and intentional decision-making in the final form of the work. The Art Tours reserve the right to determine whether work presented meets this standard.

11) ORIGINAL WORKS OF ART

Works of art created from kits; greenware, mold cast ceramics not originally created by the artist are not acceptable for Art Tours. Only original artist-made works of art are appropriate for this event.

12) USAGE RIGHTS

By submitting images of your artwork with your application, you are granting permission to the MBCAC and their legal representatives and assignees, the right to use and publish photographs and any information submitted for the purposes of promotion and education in print and/or online.

13) PROOF REVIEW

You will have an opportunity to review your information before the catalog goes to print. Please watch for the review email. If you do not respond by the stated deadline, the MBCAC cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions.

14) CATALOG ACCURACY AND ERRORS (aka, nobody’s perfect)

While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, inadvertent errors in the printed catalog may occur and cannot be corrected once printed. It is not the custom of the MBCAC to offer compensation for inadvertent errors in the printed catalog. Errors in digital materials will be addressed and corrected as promptly as reasonably possible. Any accommodation or for errors in artist listings, if offered, is discretionary and determined by the MBCAC.

15) LIABILITY

MBCAC provides no liability insurance coverage to participants or visitors of the HWY 62 Open Studio Art Tours. As a participant in the Art Tours, it is your responsibility to insure yourself, your premises and your work against a lawsuit, theft, damage and other potential circumstances. The MBCAC recommends that you check with your insurance agent as to coverage for this event. MBCAC is also not responsible for ensuring the safety of visitors on your property.

16) FORCE MAJURE/EVENT CANCELLATION

In the event that the Art Tours are cancelled, postponed, or materially altered due to circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the Morongo Basin Cultural Arts Council (MBCAC), including but not limited to severe weather, wildfire, public safety concerns, government orders, civic unrest, acts of God, or other force majeure events, MBCAC shall not be liable for refunds of artist registration fees. Registration fees are applied to advance expenses including advertising, printing, and production costs, and therefore cannot be refunded in the event of such a cancellation.

For further information please email us: arttours@mbcac.org.