SNOHOMISH — Thirteen local art studios will open their doors to the public Saturday, Sept. 30 and Sunday, Oct. 1, for the first annual Snohomish Studio Tour.
Visitors can watch artists at work each day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., ask questions, and buy artwork. There is no admission charge, and the Snohomish Shuttle Service will provide free transport between studios.
The self-guided tour offers a unique experience, said co-organizer Jennifer Oak.
There’s so many studios to visit you could make a weekend of it, Oak said.
“The studios boast pastoral views, and interesting and historic buildings. Some will have music, coffee stations, and of course a lot of fine art in a variety of mediums,” she said.
Mediums include watercolor painting, photography, pottery, sculpture, glass art, welded furniture and more. Some artists will be actively doing plein air painting and other activities, co-organizers from the Snohomish Art Community said.
Twenty-two featured artists have work in the 13 studios.
Karen Guzak, a painter and textile artist, will have her handmade tote bags prominently displayed at her Angel Arms Studio inside the former St. Michael’s Church at 3rd Street and Avenue B.
“I love to invite people into my studio,” she said. “I’ve been a visual artist for 50 years. Artists are always looking for someone to share their work with.”
Guzak, 84, has had her artwork featured in shows in Houston, Chicago and Seattle.
She’s added making tote bags now. “Now I’m the bag lady,” she laughed. “The world needs more tote bags.”
Oak and fellow artist Nikki Gardner organized the studio tour as a shared “passion project” after meeting each other last year.
The bulk of the funding for marketing and promotion came through a grant from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation to the Snohomish Art Community, a group founded by Oak, Gardner and David Flynn.
They meet every third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at Looking Glass Coffee on First Street, and aspire to formalize as a nonprofit organization.
“We’re here to support artists, anywhere we can partner and collaborate,” Flynn said.
The group also hopes to bring in tourists from across the region into Snohomish for the tour as part of casting the town as an arts destination. They’ve advertised the tour in arts magazines across the region, Gardner said.
The Snohomish Art Community is partnering with the Historic Downtown Snohomish Association to promote the inaugural tour.
Organizers are unsure how many guests to expect for the kick-off tour.
Flynn said success will be based on the amount of community participation.
“We will be counting heads,” he said, “trying to quantify the impact on the city.”
For a tour schedule and more information, visit www.snohoart.com.
