LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) – Have you ever been to an art museum and wished you could ask the artist about the painting in front of you? Well, this weekend is your chance to do just that.
Open Studio Weekend, put on by Louisville Visual Art and the University of Louisville Hite Art Institute, is happening from noon to 6 p.m. November 3-4.
Now in its sixth year, the city-wide event offers the public a chance to visit over 100 local artists in their studios, get behind-the-scenes looks at their creative processes and purchase their art.
Louisville Visual Art Executive Director Lindy Casebier says Open Studio Weekend is a perfect opportunity for art-lovers and first-timers alike to go beyond the museum for a more intimate experience.
“Well they’ll certainly get exposure to fine art, some amazing art, and exposure to very creative artists throughout the community. They’ll, again, see what drives and inspires the artist—they’ll get to talk to them personally about that. Often-times when you go to a gallery or the Speed Museum or to another facility you see amazing art, but you may not—you don’t often have the opportunity to speak to the artist.”
Tara Remington, a local artist participating in her third Open Studio Weekend, says the chance to interact and speak with artists as they create is invaluable to the Louisville community and is about more than just seeing art, it’s about making a connection and provoking thought.
“It’s been a great experience having the public come into the studio and I think it’s important that they see that it’s work that we’re doing and there’s a lot of hours that we have to put into the work. So, they can kind of see the process happening,” Remington said. “And there’s an appreciation that develops after somebody is exposed, so it’s this constant—I teach as well—so it’s this constant ‘let’s expose people to what creativity means,’ it’s not necessarily just painting and drawing, there’s so much more.”
Local artist Victor Sweatt shares that sentiment and says the ability of Open Studio Weekend to close the gap between artists and observers is something the public should take full advantage of.
“Oh, you got to come out. It’s just, the self-expression is so powerful once you get around it, it changes your mind about a whole lot of things,” Sweatt said. “And say, maybe you want to purchase a couple of pieces and take them home so you get the ambience in your home and you can go, “Hey I know this artist,’ and tell their story and where we mutually connected, and I think it’s a beautiful experience.”
The money raised from the event will help fund Louisville Visual Art's Children’s Fine Art Classes, which have been offered throughout Louisville since 1925, as well as the Hite Art Institute's Mary Spencer Nay Memorial Scholarship.
Participating studios are spread throughout the city from Portland to Prospect, making it easy for the public to tailor their self-guided tour. To see a list of participating artists and where you can purchase tickets and maps for this weekend visit louisvillevisualart.org.