After a challenging, emotionally charged 2020, the painters, sculptors, collagists, ceramists,
videographers and multimedia hosts of the Saugerties Artists Studio Tour are eager to embrace the opportunity to once again open their studios for art lovers who want to experience the place where art is made. During this past pandemic year many of the artists took full advantage of having more time to create new work, tinker with new techniques and mediums, and review past endeavors, finding new meaning in earlier explorations.
This year’s tour features more than 30 studios that are bracing (in a good way) for visitors, who will see completed work and works in progress in a wide array of mediums and styles. Whatever your interest, the tour has something for you—painters working in oils, acrylics, and inks, as well as with digital tools; collage makers and printmakers; photographers and video artists; sculptors working in polished steel or industrial debris, or making earth art, such as a bluestone creation to be enjoyed in the open air; and ceramic artists whose work ranges from figurative to functional. Any and all materials can be transformed into artfully created pieces, such as handcrafted furniture and novelty items made of vintage barn wood. And fabric design, a new category this year, features one-of-a-kind designs on silk, skillfully made to order, as well as tapestry.
On the tour’s website short videos introduce visitors to most of the artists in an up-close, personal way, telling their stories in their own words and offering demonstrations of how they do what they do best.
This is the tour’s 19th year of shining a light on local talent. It all kicks off with an opening reception on Friday, July 23, at the Dutch Barn Gallery, 119 Main Street, Saugerties, from 5 to 7 p.m., where you can pick up a map for this free self-guided tour. Maps are also available at many Saugerties businesses including the Saugerties Visitors Center located at 138 Partition Street and you can request that one be sent to you by surface mail.
Open studio days are Saturday and Sunday, August 14-15, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. We welcome you to Take the Tour!