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.
Artist Sarah Anderson will open her Thirsty Lake Tileworks studio to the public during Bozeman Open Studios on Oct. 21 and 22. Anderson designs, creates and installs architectural mosaic art for both private homes and public spaces. PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSE MOORE PHOTOGRAPHY
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.”
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
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We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.