Art Studio Views

Melissa Dvozenja-Thomas, Executive Director, Arts Mid-Hudson

Labor Day weekend typically marks the unofficial end of summer before jumping into fall school schedules and activities. What better way to send off the summer than taking a tour of local artists’ studios? This year’s Art Studio Views features 30 artists who open their studios to the public to share their creativity and give visitors a behind-the-scenes look of their craft. This year’s event runs Saturday, September 2 through Sunday, September 3 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and is the perfect way to engage yourself in the enormous talent in our local communities.

Art Studio Views is a free, self-guided, family-friendly event designed to promote the artwork and talents of local artists in Northern Dutchess and Southern Columbia counties (Germantown, Hyde Park, Red Hook, Rhinebeck, and Tivoli). A variety of artwork can be seen all in one weekend, including painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, and textiles, among many more. The bright yellow signs along the route signal that an open studio is nearby or the online map will guide visitors to exact locations.

Local artists to visit include Grace Gunning who moved to the Hudson Valley in the 1980s as a single mother of twins and didn’t want to work outside the home. This led to Gunning making glass boxes and selling them wholesale. She now makes Reliquary Boxes on old hand-run machines from the late 1800s and early 1900s.

“Through my artwork, I try to capture a fleeting moment of time,” says ceramic artist and printmaker, Melissa Katzman Braggins. “I am struck by a variety of images that compel me to create.” Braggins’ work portrays the intensity of relational moments held not only in nature but also between people.

Photographer, Dan Goldman, shares that connection with nature. “The Earth speaks to me and it’s been like this for as long as I can remember,” says Goldman who has been a professional photographer for more than thirty years as well as an educator.

Conversely, Sean Bowen uses his experiences in the city to inform his paintings. With formal training from the Silvermine Guild of Artists, Paier School of Art, the University of Oregon, and the Streets and Sidewalks of NYC, Bowen pulls from the city streets to create a mood through the use of texture, color, and subject matter.

Vera Kaplan likes to experiment with a variety of materials, color, and shape juxtapositions. She adjusts the stylistic elements of her work to fit whichever materials are interesting to experiment with at the current moment. Kaplan invites visitors to share their ideas and to inspire the creation of new work.

Collectors have the opportunity to discover local artists, add to their collections, and support our local economy. Buying local ensures our regional artists can continue to create. With so many mediums and artists to visit, go to artstudioviews.com and plan out your route.

If you go:
Art Studio Views
Various Locations
Online Map - https://artstudioviews.com/tour-map
September 2-3, 2023
Saturday & Sunday, 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
www.artstudioviews.com