It's been one of Wanganui's most successful arts events ever ... but there are fears for the future of Artists Open Studios.
Elysabeth Wolter, chair of the trust which runs the event, said it was getting too big to carry on in its present format.
A victim of its own success, Open Studios needed more resources if it was to continue to grow, she said.
During the event over two weekends last month, there were 70 per cent more visitors than in 2013. Sales jumped nearly 50 per cent, to around $170,000.
Now in its 14th year, Open Studios is run by a trust, which is losing two members. Ms Wolter is moving to Tauranga, while member Esther Topfer has gone to England.
Ms Wolter was delighted by the success but said this week it was getting too big for volunteers to run. Apart from two short-term contracts, it is organised and managed by volunteers.
"For the past couple of months, several of us have been working full-time for nothing."
An artist herself, Ms Wolter said her art had suffered because she spent so much time on organising Open Studios.
She said it had grown beyond involving just the region's arts community.
"It is now a Wanganui event - it's about promoting the region to the rest of the country."
She intends to talk to the Wanganui District Council about its involvement with Open Studios, and possibly even running it. But Mayor Annette Main said she did not believe it was the council's role to run such events.
"The most successful events work best when there is a team of people with the appropriate experience, expertise and passion. The Artists Open Studios Whanganui is one of this community's successful events and has grown over the years with new enthusiasm coming from new trust members," Ms Main said.
"Council does work as part of that and other events teams in a partnership role where that is desirable by organisers."
The event runs on a budget of around $46,000 and council contributed $10,000 from its impact fund, and $10,000 from its community development initiatives contracts.
This year visitor numbers hit 5200 as Wanganui artists opened their studios up to the public. Some studios had up to 800 visitors per day and out-of-town visitors increased from 33 per cent last year to 40 per cent, with people coming from as far away as Dunedin and Northland.