VANCOUVER, WA – The Clark County Open Studios Tour is back on the calendar for this fall, Saturday and Sunday, November 2-3. Now in its eleventh year, the free self-guided tour continues to build connections as local artists open their studio doors to inquisitive visitors. A program of Artstra, Open Studios is an annual juried art event designed to enhance community awareness of talented local artists while enriching the cultural life of Clark County neighborhoods.
“It’s more than just admiring art. It’s about the experience. Visitors engage directly with the creative process, seeing where and how the art is made, asking questions, and learning from the artists themselves,” says Jennifer Williams, Open Studios Director. “You’ll learn first-hand about painting techniques, printmaking, sculpture, glass, ceramic, jewelry, fiber arts, photography, and more. While visitors gain deeper insights into the art-making process, the artists receive invaluable feedback, each inspiring one another.”
The art and the studios where the creative process happens are as diverse as the artists themselves, and each year, there is always something new. This year, thirteen new artists are participating for the first time. Among those are three emerging artists: photographer Nicholas Dill, potter Molly Gustafson, and painter Nyssa Medel, awarded the Christine Rice Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship provides support to young artists through $1000 funding and mentorship.
Two unique mixed media artists, Deborah Nagano and Sandy Moore, are on the east edge of the county in Washougal.Nagano‘s process begins by collecting and creating paper for collaging, forming initial shapes with torn paper, and adding layers of paint, oil pastels, chalk pastels, inks, and charcoal. Sandy Moore uses commercial and hand-dyed fabrics, acrylic inks, ink pencils and crayons, pens, digital editing, raw edge applique, fabric printing and stamping, and free motion stitching to create her colorful, layered fabric collages.
With 53 artists, it’s almost impossible to see them all, but the nice thing about the tour is that it is self-guided so that the visitor can customize their route. Visitors can start in a neighborhood or look through the artists’ directory to see what type of art interests them. They can customize their tour by planning which studios they’d like to visit using the category filters to find mediums, wheelchair-accessible studios, available classes, and more.
Preview Exhibit and Reception
Another great way to plan before the tour is by attending the Preview Exhibit at Art at the Cave Gallery at 108 East Evergreen Blvd. in downtown Vancouver. The exhibit opens on First Friday, November 1, from 5 to 8 p.m., the night before the tour. The show offers a taste of what to expect on the tour and will remain at the gallery through November. Visitors can view all fifty artists’ work, pick up a printed tour guidebook, and mark the studios they want to visit, customizing their route for the weekend tour.
During the two-day tour, visitors are encouraged to use their mobile devices to access a user-friendly Google map showing all studio locations. For those who prefer a printed guide, the tour guides can be picked up early from one of the following local gallery sponsors: Art at the Cave Gallery and Aurora Gallery in downtown Vancouver, and in Camas at The Red Door Gallery and Gallery 408, or any studio location during the tour.
Learn more about the 53 participating artists and all the details to take the tour at artstra.org/openstudios.
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