Open Studios!

I may be from NYC, but I really enjoy MA because everyone here seems to be an artist. One of my neighbors has a huge loom in her condo and weaves for a living. A member of my Bible Study is a professional painter. Most people are not aware of their neighbors' talents, but you can discover it by checking out the open studios in your neighborhood.

It is currently winter so now is the season to start planning your weekends during the early spring/early fall. Artists throughout MA organize open studio weekend events according to their neighborhood. Open studio weekends allow anyone to see artists' work by visiting studios, which can be held at an artist's living room, an office or a professional studio space in a building solely devoted to artists. Also open studios can occur in one building or can span many blocks and may require advance transportation planning.

I am on an ambitious mission to visit every open studio accessible by public transportation. One word of caution: it may not be possible to visit every artist featured in one day so it may be a good idea to visit on Saturday so if you want to see more artists and are unable to, you will have another day to do so. Do not carry too many items because a lot of walking will be required, at least within the studio space, and you do not want to tire easily or accidentally destroy a work of art. If you are a shopaholic, the artists will welcome you with open arms. Some artists even have credit card machines, but cash and checks are usually accepted.

Another word of caution: artists may be brilliant at representing and interpreting reality, but that does not necessarily correspond with accurate cartography skills. Compare the map provided by the event coordinator with a map of the neighborhood provided for free by a local real estate agency.

If you are interested, please look at the following links for some open studio options:

http://www.somervilleopenstudios.org/
http://www.noca-arts.org/
http://www.bostonopenstudios.org/