By Sarah Gianelli EBS Associate Editor
BIG SKY – On Saturday, Oct. 21, and Sunday, Oct. 22, Bozeman artists will open their studios to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The second annual Bozeman Open Studios Tour will feature 22 artists working in a diverse array of mediums including textile arts, jewelry-making, metalsmithing, ceramics, glass, paint, and more obscure techniques such as beeswax-based encaustic.
Artists will be demonstrating their process, offering refreshments, and in some cases, an opportunity for passersby to try their own hand in the creative process. Artwork, decorative and functional, will also be for sale.
Not only does Bozeman Open Studios offer a behind the scenes peek into the working processes of a broad spectrum of artists, but also provides a chance for the public to experience a gamut of artist spaces, from home studios to urban collectives.
This serves to subtly raise awareness about the challenges of finding affordable working spaces for area creatives.
Spread across Bozeman, Belgrade and the Four Corners area, the studio tour will require a vehicle and a map, which will be available at all participating artists’ studios and on the Bozeman Open Studios website.
The tour is self-guided and there is no set route, but organizers suggest starting with the outlying studios first, followed by those concentrated in downtown Bozeman.
The Bozeman Open Studios Tour was created by artist-friends Cristina Marian and Darla Myers. Any artist with a dedicated studio in Gallatin County was welcome to participate. Eventually, they hope to grow the event into a nonprofit, but currently it’s an entirely grassroots effort.
“We are passionate about our art and want to share it and help educate more people about our art forms,” Myers said. “For many of us, our studios are a really special place where we spend lots of solitary time working; it is both exciting and scary to invite the public to our spaces. I personally love attending Studio Tours and find it fascinating to see where and how other artists work, so I am really happy to make the tour happen for our community.”
Bozeman Open Studios is also about creating connections between artists and potential patrons and strengthening community among the artists themselves.
“We are finding that by participating in the tour, the artists are meeting each other and it is building a larger artist community for us,” Myers said. “Some of the artists show their work outside of the local area, so this is a unique opportunity for the public to connect with them and see their art and processes.”
For a list of participating artists and a tour map visit bozemanopenstudios.weebly.com
