Glassblower Nick Kekic of Tsuga StudiosBy Louise Jones
Photography by Hubert Schriebl
Once a year Vermont artists open their studios to the public
Vermont has always been a mecca for artists and craftspeople. Their studios dot the countryside, many on main streets or in galleries, but the majority of the work spaces are tucked away off of the usual thoroughfares far from the prying eyes of admiring patrons. However, in 1992 the Vermont Crafts Council created the Open Studio Weekend, which brings browsers and shoppers into workshops over the Memorial Day Weekend. Its purpose is to showcase the wide variety of artists that live and work in Vermont and emphasize the important role they play in our communities. Fifteen years later, it is one of the most popular summer events in the state among both tourists and locals. This year exhibitors will open their studios to the public Saturday, May 26 and Sunday, May 27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The weekend is also a kick off for the state-sponsored Vermont Cultural Heritage Days, from Memorial Day through July Fourth.
Officially, there are 287 exhibitors registered at 264 sites according to Martha Fitch, Executive Director of the Vermont Crafts Council. However, the number of actual participants can run much higher. For instance, she says that there are several communities, such as the Jericho Underhill area and Fletcher Farm that hold a demonstration day where up to twenty-five artists and craftspeople are present. In these cases, “Some do and some don’t register for the event, which means that many more people are on hand under our umbrella. Outside the umbrella are people who decide to stick out a sign and be ‘open and participating’ for the weekend. I don’t have a good count about these people but, by now, there are many,” she explains. She says the drawback with the “unofficial” sites is that there is no quality control on the kind of work they present. “We do not jury the event but we do require that participants sign a statement of agreement that includes certain standards that we have for Open Studio,” she says. “We don’t require participants to be members of the Crafts Council. The fee for members is lower, though.”
Each year the Arts Council publishes a very detailed and informative map; You can find these maps at local information centers such as Chaffee Art Center in Rutland, Vermont Artisan Designs in Brattleboro, Artists Guild of Manchester in Manchester Center and Frog Hollow Vermont State Crafts Center in Manchester. The map also acts a year-round guide to those who welcome visitors at other times of the year.
