OCEAN CITY — On Sept. 24 and 25, the doors of 11 private residences in the Ocean City area will open for the Sandcastle Home Tour, an annual event chaired this year by the First Lady of Maryland, Yumi Hogan.
Ten homes in Bishopville, Ocean Pines and Ocean City will be open, plus a bonus oceanfront designer condo at the Gateway Grand. The tour benefits the non-profit Art League of Ocean City that operates the Ocean City Center for the Arts and its many community programs.
First Lady Hogan believes the tour is an opportunity for people to come together to support the local arts community and the two-year-old Arts Center on 94th Street, which was constructed in part with funds raised by the home tour and continues to be funded by ticket sales to the event.
“Truly, art has a way of bringing people of all areas together under one roof,” Hogan said. “In this case, the many roofs of those who kindly volunteered to open their homes for a great cause.
Hogan added, “For many years, the Art League of Ocean City strived very hard to create a special communal place for its residents to pursue arts, inspire themselves, and find resources in their hometown. The newly-built Ocean City Center for the Arts has made those wishes come true for many artists and will inspire the growth of new talent in the art scene.”
The self-guided home tour is held over two days on Thursday-Friday Sept. 24-25 so guests can tour at their own pace. Tickets are $30 per person and include a guidebook, driving directions and special offers. Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets early to avoid being disappointed, as a limited number are available.
Volunteer docents staff each home, guide visitors through the rooms and outdoor spaces, and answer questions about the house and its unique features.
Tickets are available at www.artleagueofoceancity.org or by calling 410-524-9433.
The Ocean City Center for the Arts at 502 94th Street is the home of the Art League of Ocean City, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the visual arts to the community through education, exhibits, scholarship, programs and community art projects.