Please join us on September 25 & 26, 2010 for the second Gunnison Valley Studio Tour.

Inspired by the well-established studio tours of Northern New Mexico, two local Gunnison artists noticed a need for greater connection between the artists of our community and the general public. A studio tour provides a more intimate setting for this connection than either a gallery or craft fair can offer. For one day in 2009, 22 Gunnison Valley artists opened their studios to share their workspaces with area residents and visitors. Following the success of last year’s tour, the 2010 Gunnison Valley Studio Tour has been expanded to a two-day event.

The Gunnison Valley Studio Tour is a free event and all are welcome to participate. A studio tour allows the public to catch a glimpse of the artists in their personal workspaces… to see where they work, how they work, and the works they create. It is an opportunity to sneak a peek at the creative process of working artists and craftsmen.

Studio artists will use the event to showcase and expose their art and craft to a wider audience. The studio tour also serves as a galvanizing event for a community of artists who spend much of the year working in solitude. Communities that support strong artistic diversity have been shown to develop stronger economies, based on events that build and promote social capital. As the artistic community in the Gunnison Valley grows, so does its positive economic impact. The arts are an economic driver that neither adversely impact our stunning environment nor burden our existing infrastructure.

The Gunnison Valley Studio Tour artists encourage you to take a few hours, come out and meet the artists of this community. The diversity of art and craft featured on the tour offers something for everyone.

Join us Saturday, September 25th and Sunday, September 26th for an exciting weekend of art, culture, fall leaves, beautiful scenery and community fun!

Some further reading about studio tours, from the editor of Southwest Art Magazine:

Open Studios: A chance to connect with artists
by Kristin Hoerth

“Fall is finally on its way, bringing with it all sorts of wonderful things, at least as far as I’m concerned: cooler weather, crisp air, aspen leaves turning golden—and, in the art world, an abundance of opportunities to tour artists’ studios. There are numerous weekend events across the West during which dozens of artists invite visitors to the places where they create. It’s the perfect chance to make a personal connection with an artist in your hometown, or to get to know a new city on a whole new level.

Ask an artist a few questions about a piece that you’re drawn to, and you’ll learn fascinating things. You may find out that a landscape painting with a tinge of familiarity was, in fact, painted on location in a spot you’ve visited yourself. You may be able to reminisce with the artist about the beautiful scenic drive you’ve both taken that led to the great spot in the first place. Or you may discover that an especially compelling portrait depicts the artist’s son, which leads to both an understanding of the challenges of painting a model and a little shared insight into family life. In conversations like these, you’ll be surprised how much you can learn about an artist’s background, and how much that will deepen your appreciation of their artwork.

You can also learn how art is created. In an artist’s studio, you’ll see the tools of the trade—paintbrushes, tubes of oil paint, blank canvases, chunks of clay, sculpting tools of all shapes and kinds. You may even get to watch a sculpture or ceramic piece begin to come to life. Gaining a glimpse into the creative processes, I’ve found, is inspiring and instructive all at once. You’ll acquire an immense appreciation for what it takes to be an artist when you see the myriad steps and skills involved in getting to the finished product.

An open door to a studio is an invitation to enter someone else’s life, to peek into their world. I’ve visited a number of artists’ studios over the years, and I count them among the most memorable aspects of my time in the art world. The size and shape of the individual spaces is unimportant; I’ve been to a cavernous converted warehouse, an unassuming suburban home, and a log cabin way out in the country. Regardless of the environment, it’s the chance to connect on a personal level that makes all the difference.”

view this article in its original context at Southwest Art Magazine, including a list of representative regional studio tours, by clicking here