The Artists Collective | Spartanburg, the Chapman Cultural Center, the Spartanburg Art Museum and the Artists Guild of Spartanburg will host the second annual two-day Open Doors Studio Tour April 20 and 21 to showcase 57 artists’ working studio spaces and their works.
Every participating artist will be included in a two-month-long Open Doors preview exhibition in the Soloman Gallery at the Artists Collective.
“This is an exciting opportunity for artists to open their doors to the public and invite visitors and collectors to come view their artwork, learn about the creative process and purchase works for sale,” says Beth Regula, chair of the management board of the Artists Collective and co-chair with local artist Glenda Guion for the Open Doors event.
More than 1,000 pieces of artwork will be part of the tour. The tour includes painters, sculptors, potters, photographers, jewelers, printmakers, fiber artists and more. Participation in the event was opened to all local artists, whether they were members of any of the sponsoring organizations or not.
“A part of each of these organizations’ mission statements is to help the artists in the area and help the cultural growth of the community” Regula continues. “We all have been doing this, but I felt that since we had similar missions the event would be successful if we collaborated to help make it happen. We pleased to be hosting this annual event that artists and non-artists look forward to each year.”
“Art studio tours are a unique, fun attraction for all ages – from the seasoned art collector – to the youngest art student,” Guion says. “The focus of the Open Doors tour is to provide both support for local visual artists and to heighten artistic and cultural awareness within our community. Collectors, supporters and the art-interested public will have the opportunity to see how art is created by visiting the artists in their studios all across the county.”
The studios are required to include a “working” artist space. All artists will show their creative process inside their studios, some doing demonstrations, some allowing the visitors to touch a ball of clay or watch a print being pulled from a press or see artworks in various stages of completion. “Educating the general public about where and how artists create is an element not available in any other event in the county,” Guion adds.
“It has been proven that arts drive tourism,” Guion says. “Arts travelers are ideal tourists, staying longer and spending more to seek out authentic cultural experiences. Art studio tours are known to attract people from both inside and outside of the community. Visitors will drive across Spartanburg County to visit studios, enjoying the beauty of both our city and rural areas along the way.”
The Open Doors Studio Tour is a self-guided two-day event that is free to the public. Participating artists will open their studios to show and sell their work from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 20, and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 21. Visitors will be directed by an interactive map on the Open Doors website at opendoorstudios.art.
“We hope to build an event that will be anticipated year after year, and we hope to encourage people to look for art beyond main street,” Guion says. “We also would like to see more and more artists open their doors in the years to come.”