DIY: A Creative Tourism Journey Offers Special Workshops, Classes and Lodging in Santa Fe, March 2013

Santa Fe is helping everyone help find their inner artist this spring by experiencing, first hand, what makes Santa Fe, New Mexico a nationally recognized center of creativity. Abundant visual arts fill the city with galleries, outdoor art and museums while Santa Fe's adobe architecture, unique multi-cultural traditions and stunning scenery can't help but inspire. DIY: A Creative Tourism Journey gives visitors the chance to spend all or part of a vacation taking workshops from experienced artists and artisans during the month of March. The workshops are offered at great prices with partner hotels providing discounted rates to participants.

It's time to fulfill a dream, refine a skill, or do something completely different. No previous training is involved making this March the ideal time to set that untapped artistic talent free. There are plenty of experiences to choose from. For example, Sharon Candelario will teach a day of traditional tinwork at her family's café, shop, and gallery in the charming village of Chimayo. Or, the truly adventurous can opt for a day in the heat, making glass beads at Donna Nova Designs. Photographer Craig Varjabedian will take shutterbugs on a four -day photographic exploration of the northern New Mexico people, landscape, and architecture he has been photographing for thirty years. Artist Julie Claire believes that painting on a bold, large scale connects students to their innermost joy and freedom, even if they haven't held a paintbrush since second grade.

There's much more-Japanese paper making, intricate egg decorating in Southwestern motifs, spinning wool, bead making, silk painting, abstract painting, and print making are among the possibilities. DIY Santa Fe is perfect for groups of friends, multi-generational families and couples. The workshops are fun and the planning is completely flexible. Visitors book the hotel, inn or bed and breakfast of their choice for as long as they want, and book one or more workshops directly with the artists.

It's easy to book a DIY vacation in March.Just go to the web site,http://www.diysantafe.org. All the workshops and accommodations are listed with links. There are several types of accommodations including private vacation rentals. Some of Santa Fe's finest hotels and inns will participate includingTwo Casitas Vacation Rentals, The Inn and Spa at Loretto, Casa Cuma Bed & Breakfast, Hotel Chimayo de Santa Fe, Hotel Saint Francis, and The Lodge at Santa Fe.

DIY: A Creative Tourism Journey is a project of Santa Fe Creative Tourism, which offers over 250 creative experiences throughout the year. In 2005, Santa Fe was named to the Creative Cities Network by UNESCO. It was the first American city to be honored. Santa Fe and its sister cities around the world strive to give visitors an experience from the heart of their artistic and cultural communities.

Santa Fe was recently awarded Best Food Town during the Rand McNally/USA Today Best of the Road competition. The Santa Fe Convention & Visitors Bureau is a department of the City of Santa Fe and is responsible for marketing the city to leisure and business travelers. In addition, the bureau books and operates the LEED Gold Certified Santa Fe Convention Center. For information on Santa Fe attractions, accommodations, and meeting facilities please visit http://www.santafe.org or phone 800-777-2489.