Open Studios Offers Collectors and Art Fans Unique Opportunity to Connect with Artists

More than 50 artists’ studios will be open to the public this weekend, May 5 and 6 in Benicia as visitors are afforded a rare opportunity to talk personally with artists whose work they admire and to see their favorite – or soon-to-be favorite – artists at work.

“Arts Benicia’s Artists’ Open Studios is the best time of the year to invite friends to come to Benicia,” said Arts Benicia Executive Director Larnie Fox.  “Folks are always surprised at how large our community of artists is and how good their work is. You see it around town, but seeing how it is made and meeting the people who make it is very rewarding. It makes for a perfect day of looking at art, enjoying refreshments in artists’ studios then ending up at a restaurant or barbeque.”

In concert with the Open Studios event, the Arts Benicia Gallery will present an art exhibit by the artists who have opened their studios to the public during open studios weekend. The group show will be on view through Sunday May 6.  This exhibit is an excellent representation of all the artists’ work, and an ideal way to plan which studios to visit. Open Studio Maps are free and available at Arts Benicia.

“As a new artist who is only beginning to sell their work, Open Studios is one of the best ways to do that,” said jewelry artist Peg Jackson whose studio is located at 940 Tyler Street, #22.  “The event gives me an opportunity to connect with clients and gain a better understanding of what they’re looking for.”

Benicia is home to painters, sculptors, photographers, wood-turners, illustrators, metal-smiths, ceramicists, and jewelry designers, with studios scattered through the city, but primarily concentrated in Benicia’s Lower Arsenal arts district.
“The Benicia Artists Open Studios provides a truly unique open studios experience,” said Laura Buchan, the Open Studios Coordinator at Arts Benicia. “Because of the close-knit nature of the artist community, visitors can park in the arsenal or in downtown Benicia and spend the day walking from studio to studio, enjoying a diverse array of art on all scales.”

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If there’s something in this article you think should be corrected, or if something else is amiss, call editor JB Davis at 707-628-0051 or email him at benicia@patch.com.