Tis the Season for Studio Tours
Hello everyone! It’s been a crazy long while since I wrote any new posts…
COVID-19 certainly threw a wrench into things for everyone. I’ve been fully transitioned to a “work from home” environment since the end of March and am eternally grateful that I work for a company that takes the health of its employees seriously. To add to the insanity that was this spring, April 1st was when I moved into a new apartment, in a new town, in the middle of a pandemic, with my partner! There was quite a bit of transitioning to get through...but this brings me to what I wanted to highlight with this post: Studio Tour Season!
For those who may not be aware, Studio Tours (some may be known as “Pottery Trails”) are amazing opportunities to see how and where an artist works while also being able to purchase work from them. These are usually self-guided tours spread out over a drivable area (usually studios are under an hour from each other) over one weekend with the artists hosting guests to join them at their studios.
You may be wondering how it’s possible for studio tours to still be happening during this time of COVID-19. It’s pretty lucky that artists are creative problem solvers well-versed in reacting to adversity. Across the country it’s been a mix of studio tours and pottery trails either going virtual or shifting to entirely outdoor events (as opposed to being able to enter and experience the actual workspace of host artists). Extra precautions have to be implemented as well, such as masks being required and making sure hand sanitizer is flowing in abundance!
Before the pandemic was in full swing here in the US, I was invited to join my first ever studio tour as the guest of Jane Herold in West Cornwall, CT. Jane has been a part of the Clay Way Studio Tour for a few years now and was seeking to bring something a little different to the tour this fall...me! The tour is chock full of amazing potters utilizing atmospheric firing (such as wood or soda) so having an illustrative mid-range potter like myself is certainly a different look! The tour is being hosted this weekend, October 17th & 18th, from 10am – 5pm both days. I’ve been preparing like crazy with making work and planning my first-ever tent set up. Yesterday I did a test-run to make sure I knew how I wanted to present my wares and now I’m ready for the real deal!
In addition to the Clay Way tour this weekend, I have also been co-organizing an entirely new event here in Westchester County, NY! Along with Leigh Taylor Mikkelson and Loren Maron, we have organized the first annual Westchester Craft Crawl. The Crawl is spread out on a much smaller scale than Clay Way, comprising just 3 towns along the Hudson River. From Tarrytown to Ossining to Cortlandt Manor we’ve managed to have 8 studios, 30 artists and 3 local businesses for refreshments. In just under 2 months we organized this truly festive, outdoor event celebrating the local professional artists Westchester County has to offer. The Crawl is happening the weekend after Clay Way, October 24th & 25th, from 11am – 5pm both days. I’ll be playing host this time around with 3 other artists as my guests: Sherri Tiesi (plush), Aaren Connolly (stained glass, jewelry) and Kelly O’Sullivan (clay, macrame). It’s been absolutely amazing to create this event with Leigh and Loren, but I certainly feel a little crazy with all the work we’ve been doing both in the studio and creating the event! Please come on through with masks on and hand sanitizer ready.
After these events are all set I’m planning to do a write up on my experiences with both a pottery-centered studio tour and a craft-centered studio tour (Westchester Craft Crawl will have artists across many mediums showing and selling their work). I truly hope that I am able to see some of you lovely people at one of these upcoming outdoor, socially distanced tours. We have all been struggling through what I call The COVID Times but our spirits are still ready to be uplifted through art, craft and socially distanced community. If I have inventory left post-tours I may be hosting a small sale on my website or my Instagram...of course newsletter subscribers will know first so be sure to sign up if you haven’t already.
Stay well, friends!
Alex in the new studio. Ossining, NY