Hope you can join us for Open Studio Tours. This year we have several artists that are new to the tour as guests. Their work is outstanding!
On another note, Mary Jane Burtch, one of the co-founders of the tour
passed away suddenly last week. We are all still stunned by this loss.
She was an extended member of my family, fellow artist, and (throughout my life) she was among one of my teachers and mentors.
It is my hope that one day there will be a retrospective of her work. She gave so much to the art community and to young budding artists. *(see my final note at the end)
Rest in Peace, dear Mary Jane. There is an empty place in our hearts.
Open Studios Tour 2016
Saturday, April 30 , 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, May 1, noon to 5 p.m.
Roanoke Artists Open Homes and Studios for 16th Annual Spring Tour
Come see art where it begins! Once again, Roanoke artists will provide a unique opportunity to see art as it is created. In our annual tour, we will display works of art in our home and studios, inviting the public not only to see what we create, but how and where we create it. Feel free to ask questions or simply stroll through any or all of the studios on the Tour.
Our tour starts on Saturday morning, April 30 and runs through Sunday, May 1. The tour offers unique insights into how artists live and work. Focused within 4 distinct city neighborhoods, the public will glean a sense of the community of artists that live in Valley and in the region. The four neighborhoods include Downtown and Old Southwest; Raleigh Court; and South Roanoke, and Southeast, with the last two studios located in the Roanoke Industrial Park in old Viscose plant.
Media include sculpture, painting, drawing, collage, assemblage, photography, and ceramics. Participants can meet the artists, see a body of their recent work, and talk with them about it in a casual atmosphere about their work and their creative process. In many instances, they will also get a chance to peek into working studios. Art will be offered for sale at each of the exhibition sites.
The FREE self-guided tour can be started at any site. For a tour map and a list of participating artists plus samples of their work go to www.openstudiosofroanoke.com or call (540.685-4616). Families are welcome!
Brochures with maps will be available in April at local galleries, Valley Bank offices, and Southern Graphics.
*Final Note:
Actually, it is my hope that one day, all the the local Roanoke artists who have given birth to the Roanoke arts community will one-at-a-time be remembered in retrospectives, or even a book.
