Studio Tour 2013 Set up -Cindy Grisdela
It’s almost time! The Great Falls Studios Tenth Annual Studio Tour is this weekend, Saturday October 19 and Sunday, October 20.
This year the Tour is extra special because it’s our tenth anniversary! We have the largest number of artists participating ever, and we have a new book out that will be available for purchase – Creative Spaces: Inside Great Falls Studios.
The Tour runs from 10 AM – 5 PM each day. It’s a free, self-guided driving tour to see 60 artists in their native habitats–some in rustic outbuildings, converted barns, contemporary homes, and some, like me, in a light, airy loft space that I share with 15 other artists. Located at 1144 Walker Road in Great Falls, VA just behind Dante’s Restaurant, it’s a great place to start the tour. The photo at left is a shot of my space at the Artists’ Atelier where I’ll be for the tour. Normally I share the space with my friend and fellow artist Jennifer Duncan, who’s a mixed-media contemporary painter–you can see some of her work interspersed with mine. For the tour, she’ll be just down the road in Piney Run Studio at her home on Walker Mill Road–you’ll want to stop there too!
The tour is a wonderful way to spend a Saturday or Sunday driving around Great Falls, seeing great art, and meeting interesting artists in their own studios. The artists participating this year include painters, sculptors, potters, jewelers, photographers, quilters, a weaver, two printmakers, and others. Most are in their home studios, many of which are not usually open to the public. It’s a great time to celebrate art and creativity and watch artists at work demonstrating their unique styles. It’s a family friendly activity, and a fun way to introduce children to professional artists.
I have my new series of small wall pieces mounted on painted black canvas up on my walls, plus I’m busy this week finishing a couple more–it’s like eating potato chips, you can’t stop at one! I keep getting great new ideas that I want to share. Come see how I add unique texture to my work using my sewing machine to stitch free-hand motifs. The stitching isn’t computerized, and I don’t mark it out ahead of time–I just draw the designs with my needle and thread as though I had a pen or brush in my hand. I’ll also have a portable design board and some fabric shapes, so you can try your hand at creating an improvisational composition in fabric.
Visit the Great Falls Studios website to see images and get more information about each artist on the tour to help plan your visit–just click on the “Tour Participants” link. Brochures with a map and thumbnails about each artist will be available at each stop along the tour.
While you’re on the website, today–Wednesday October 16–is the last day to sign up to win one of 40 $50 gift certificates we’re giving away that are good toward the purchase of art on the tour or for five days afterward. Just click on the “ArtBucks” link. Winners will be called on Thursday, October 17.
“Creative Spaces: Inside Great Falls Studios”
The book is an inside look at the studios of 16 Great Falls Studios artists, including mine, plus text from each artist describing his or her inspiration and process. Copies will be available for sale at the Great Falls Community library conference room, where photographer Dean Souleles will be on hand with a stunning display of photos from the book up on the walls. In addition, I’ll have some for sale at my stop on the tour.
I hope you’ll be able to join me and my fellow artists for this once a year opportunity to see art in the making all over Great Falls–I’d love to see you there!