https://www.allianceforthevisualarts.org/tri-valley-artist-studio-tour

I am giving away this piece for the grand prize drawing for the third annual TriValley Artist Studio Tour. 

I totally believe in Open Studios as a format for building an arts career and for helping supplement the income and following for artists in any career stage.  Having a vibrant open studios to participate in is golden.  It’s also good for the communities we live and make art in.  I believe in it enough to donate a piece I love to entice at least some people to make the full tour. 

Open Studios gave me wings early on in my career. I met so many people, made sales, and was buoyed by the interaction of the attendees so much I fell in love with the concept. I started ArtWalk Livermore in 2002 because our local Open Studios was cancelled, and I was crestfallen.

For artists, Open Studios work in many ways.  Like I said, sales, of course.  But sometimes when you are just painting, alone in your studio, there’s no interaction from others with your art.  And artmaking starts a visual conversation, whether you intend that or not.  And sometimes for various reasons a painting sits in a closet or in storage or on a wall where no one but you sees it. It’s silent.

There is something inherently gratifying about getting the chance for a number of people to engage with your work – especially when people really “get” it.  It is a completion of that conversation you started, alone with yourself and your art tools.  And people that really “get” your work tend to start following you – on Facebook or at other exhibitions, and in the next open studio.  And eventually one piece might actually follow them home.

What Lynda Briggs said in her IG post a while back about how you will find your people and your people will find you at open studios rings true.

It’s also super amazingly good for the community. Not only can they discover the creativity going on in their neighborhoods, but by watching demos and new techniques they can be inspired to create themselves. Super good for young people, too – not only seeing a multitude of art and artmaking, but to realize that people out there actually do art after high school. Some professionally, some at their kitchen table. You don’t have to silence your art voice. And – people can be changed, when a work of art really hits their heart and their being. The effect is transformative. I’ve seen it and had it happen to me.

So all of that is to say, I’m donating because I think it’s important. I’m called Director of the event but honestly I’m only doing less than half of the copious amount of work this takes -and I’m doing that, too, because I think it’s important.

Nice, after the events of the last four years, to find importance and focus and meaning.

So that’s why. And by the way, first weekend in May! Gonna be a good one!