North Adams Artists to Open Studios to Public for One Weekend Oct 15-16

Brill Gallery at the Eclipse Mill

Brill Gallery at the Eclipse Mill

(NORTH ADAMS, Mass.) – Working artists will open their studios and let the public glimpse how they live and work, as well as offer insights into their creative processes, when the 7th annual North Adams Open Studios will take place on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011, from 10 to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 16, from 10 to 4 p.m.

North Adams Open Studios gives the public the opportunity to see where artists live and create their work, both the usual and the unusual. Artists will be showing their work and their creative process throughout North Adams; in private homes and studios, in galleries and other locations throughout the city.

Brandon Graving at Beaver Mill

Brandon Graving at Beaver Mill

For the first time, artist Jarvis Rockwell will open his home to visitors, offering a chance to see his private collection of toys and wall drawings done throughout the residential dwelling. In addition, Wendy James and William Oberst will open their homes on Holden Street, and Sue Beauchamp will open her home on State Road. Wendy James’ studio will also be showing the work of ceramic artist Barbara May.

Live/work spaces in both the historic Beaver Mill and the Eclipse Mill will be open.

At the Beaver Mill, Rudd Sculpture Space; Ven Voisey; studio21south; Marafanyi Drum, Dance and Song; Rick Morgenthal; Gravity Press Experimental Print Shop; and Leibman Studios will open their doors.

Martha Flood Design

Martha Flood Design

At the Eclipse Mill, visitors may tour the studios of River Hill Pottery, Dawn Nelson, David Lane, Erin Ko, Sarah Sutro, G.J. Askins Bookseller, Cathy Wysocki and Wayne Hopkins, and see the work of Scott Coffrin, Debi Pendell and Richard Harrington as well as other art displayed at the Eclipse Mill Gallery and Brill Gallery. Rich Remsberg will host an “Art Jam” in one of the empty studio lofts.  Diane Sullivan, Lisa Nilsson and Kirsten Warming will participate in this art-making event.

In addition, Martha Flood Design and Michael Martin Eagan will greet visitors in their spaces on Eagle Street. Shima on Main Street will be hosting artist Valerie Carrigan and James Fissell will be showing work at the North Adams Public Library.

Art galleries in the downtown will all be open for the weekend, and many will have artists present to discuss their work and their process of art making. Attendees will see a working printing press at PRESS Gallery; talk with Ann Scott at Grass Gallery about the Asaro Collective of Oaxaca, Mexico, and their wood cut prints. Claire Fox’s wooden creatures are also on displayed at Grass Gallery; visit the North Adams Artist Co-Operative Gallery (NAACO); and talk with artist Gregory Scheckler at MCLA Gallery 51.

River Hill Pottery

River Hill Pottery

The Artery will feature “Pattern as a Language,” curated by Leslie Ferrin, a conversation with artists Sean Capone, Molly Hatch and Giselle Hicks, using the language of pattern and decoration. Free passes to MASS MoCA will be available at Open Studios sites.

Offered to the public one weekend each October since 2004, North Adams Open Studios offers a unique opportunity to see the places in which artists create and gain a behind-the-scenes look into the artistic community of North Adams.

There will be free transportation by historic trolley and shuttle vans running throughout the city, stopping at all locations found on the North Adams Open Studios Map.  A limited number of free gallery passes for MASS MoCA will be available at studios and galleries.

This year’s Open Studios brings back focus on artist’s workspace and the creative process. Artists will be in their studios to answer questions and give demonstrations throughout the Open Studios Weekend.

Open Studios Weekend also will be the last weekend of DownStreet Art for this season. In 2011, this city-wide celebration of the arts brought more than 10 pop-up galleries to downtown North Adams. These galleries will close after Oct. 16. New galleries will open in their place in June 2012.

North Adams Open Studios is an initiative of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts’ (MCLA) Berkshire Cultural Resource Center (BCRC), working with the City of North Adams and the local arts community.

For more information about North Adams Open Studios and MCLA’s Berkshire Cultural Resource Center, call 413.664.8718 or visit North Adams Open Studios.

 

 

 

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