Open Studios

Description

Open Studios, now in its 14th year, is the premier visual arts event in Boulder County. For four years, we were voted the "Best Art Event" by readers of the Daily Camera (until the Camera retired the category). We are supported by many local companies who wish to support the arts in their community. We are an educational, creative, and exciting family event, open to adults and children from all income levels.

• During the first two weekends in October, over 140 artists in the Boulder community (painters, sculptors, weavers, woodworkers, jewelers and more), open their private studios to the general public for a behind-the-scenes view of their world. This self-guided tour is free and open to the public. The artists are required to have an educational component in their studio. The public is able to meet the artist, watch them at work, interact with them, view art that is not exhibited elsewhere, and learn about the artists' medium, inspiration and techniques. It is a wonderful family event and local art teachers in Boulder and Denver assign Open Studios as a project for their students. This year, we expect attendees will make over 78,000 studio visits during two weekends with over 30% from outside Boulder County.

• For the past twelve years, Open Studios has partnered with the Boulder Valley School District to provide artists to teach in the schools. Through our organization's outreach program, artists currently provide instruction in 11 BVSD schools.

• In February, 2008 we purchased Clementine Studios, where we provide children of all ages an opportunity to explore ART freely in a comfortable and relaxed studio setting. We provide children with a variety of high-quality and exciting materials, tools and techniques, we guide children through the PROCESS of creating multi-media art, in an effort to elicit and support each child's individual style of visual expression. In addition, we provide scholarships to underserved Hispanic youth from the Family Learning Center.

• The Open Studios First Annual Arts Fair is a two-day outdoor event with 50 regional juried artists, music, food, and hands-on art projects for children provided by the staff of Clementine Studio. The Art Fair attendees learn about art by engaging in conversation with artists about their work, their lives, and their artistic process. This event provides a stimulating education opportunity for children, exposing them to artistic media they might otherwise not see, and it strengthen the financial stability of the arts industry, while providing valuable exposure for Boulder's business.