Arlington Open Studios, Artisan Festival Gets New Digs This Year

ARLINGTON, MA — It's a whole new Open Studios event this weekend in Arlington. Each year for nearly two decades artists from all over have come to Gibbs to share their work with Arlington residents. This year, with Arlington's Center for the Arts between locations, the event goes on to the relief of lovers of art and early Christmas shoppers alike.

"I think it will be a really fun day and it really will show people that Arlington is a kickin' place," said Pam Shanley of the Arlington Center for the Arts.

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And there will be a number of firsts. Not least of which: This is the first year the event won't be held at Gibbs, which Shanley admits feels strange.

Some 18 years ago the Arlington Center for the Arts started an Arlington Open Studios event at Gibbs, home of the Center for the Arts to showcase the work of area artists in all sorts of mediums: From poetry to paint to woodwork. Since then the Open Studio's festival has grown from 20 artists to 80.

Saturday Oct. 14 you'll find artists of all feather at the Central School and at Town Hall. The center will provide a guide so you don't get lost.

"It's a really great way to immerse yourself in a variety of arts. From jewelers to people working in wood, fiber, people who draw, paint, small things big things — photography. It's like a smorgasbord of art. You don't have to buy anything you can just look, look, look," said Shanley, director of the Arlington Arts Center and Open Studios.

Shanley is particularly excited about the raffle this year. About half of the artists donated artwork to the raffle. Tickets are 3 for $5 10 for $10 or 25 for $20.

She recommends you start at the Central School tour there and then follow the signs along the 3 minute walk to Town Hall to tour there.

Shanley, who has been coordinating the town's open studios since it began said her favorite part is working with the artists who come from all over the area to feature their work. Some are just starting out and are fearful about their efforts and just trying to put themselves out there, nervous. While others have been around the block.

"There's a lot of build up and then the day arrives and there's a magical coming together," she said.

The set up is different this year, but it's a harbinger of things to come, said Shanley.

In addition to food options and musical options there will be dance. "We've never had ballet," she said. But this year look for a number of dance groups.

"We have dance, music, visual artists," said Shanley. Visual artists are the main focus, but this year in a throwback to the early days - mostly because they have the space for it — there will be poetry readings.

The Arlington Center for the Arts was booted from the Gibbs School last year when the School Committee voted to turn that building back into a school. The Center for the Arts will be leasing the top to floors of the Central School building and renovation work will take place on the third and fourth floor of the Central School building some time soon. The new space will include five classrooms, a community space and a large gallery with performing space. "Finding a new home for all of us was challenging," said Shanley.

With the new digs come a new approach to the arts.

"We'll be starting new things and new outreaches and really starting to look at things in a whole new way in our whole new place," she said. "The open studios is a taste of what's coming."

Arlington's Open Studios

WHEN: Saturday, October 14, 2017, from 12 - 5 p.m.

WHERE: This year's event will take place in two locations: Arlington Town Hall (730 Mass Ave) & the Central School Building (20 Academy St), site of ACA's new home.

COST: Free

For more info:

https://www.acarts.org/arlington-open-studios

Also this weekend in Arlington? Octoberfest.

YourArlington has the details here.

(For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Arlington Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)