Pierro Exhibit Previews Art of the Studio Tour

Local artists will open their studios to share their work on the first Sunday of June, but first they’ll host an opening reception Thursday night of Preview / Post View 2012, an exhibit by 30 artists who annually show during SOMA Artists Studio Tour. The reception begins at 6 p.m. at The Pierro Gallery at the Baird Center.

South Orange and Maplewood will host the 9^th Annual SOMA Artists Studio Tour on Sunday, June 3. The tour is a self-guided event featuring nearly 60 painters, photographers, sculptors, ceramicists, jewelers, craftspeople, and multimedia artists, and a tribute to the diversity of art and culture that continues to flourish in the two towns.  Art will also be on view at many local businesses. This year’s Tour is FREE to the public.

For a full day, artists will open their studios and homes to the public -- offering a rare opportunity to experience the creative process within this unique community. Artists will be in attendance to discuss their work and answer questions, and selected works will be available for sale. 

The newly launched SOMA Studio Tour website (studiotoursoma.org) offers artist profiles and galleries, and personalized tour maps searchable by genre, medium, and location -- as well as family, biking, and walking tours through specific neighborhoods.  Whether it’s a love of landscape, sculpture, or crafts, everyone will be able to design a tour that suits their interests.

 As part of the Tour, The Pierro Gallery at the Baird Center in South Orange will host the second annual Preview / Post View 2012 (studiotoursoma.org/preview-postview), an exhibition that runs from Thursday, May 24 to Saturday, June 16, and offers over 30 local artists who open their homes and studios to the public each June. 

The Pierro Gallery will host an artists’ roundtable on Thursday, June 7 at 7 p.m., with a selection of artists from the show.  Opening reception will be held on Thursday, May 24, from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Gallery hours are Wednesday and Thursday, 2 p.m.-7pm; Friday, 2 p.m.-4 p.m.; Saturdays 1 p.m.-4 p.m.; and by appointment.

Founded in 2003, the SOMA Artists Studio Tour is a joint project of Pierro Gallery of South Orange (pierrogallery.org) and 1978 Maplewood Arts Center (1978artscenter.org).  Pierro Gallery and 1978 wish to thank Whole Foods Union/Millburn for again being the major sponsor and the following contributors for their generous support of the Tour: Gas Gallery, SOPAC, Geralyn’s Art Studio, Victoria Carter (Realtor), Mona Lisa Framing, also The Framing Mill, Tenth Muse Gallery, Investors Bank, Caroline Gosselin / The Gosselin Group, Above Restaurant & Bar, with South Orange Frame Shop, and The Walsh Gallery at Seton Hall University.