SALT LAKE CITY — More than 120 artists in the Salt Lake Valley are opening their studios to the public this weekend, and there’s an interactive Google map that can help you access them all.
Large cities like New York and San Francisco regularly hold open studio tours that give visitors a sneak peek into the artist’s workspace. But Utah artists have yet to coordinate an open studio collective — until now.
Utah’s first open studio tour will premiere along the Wasatch Front Oct. 12-13, showcasing creativity from a range of mediums including painting, sculpture, photography and mixed media.
While the popular “gallery stroll” format allows viewers to see artworks in their completed state, the studio tour is a more intimate look into the site where artmaking is currently unfolding. To the organizers and participating artists, the tour is also a great way to meet the artists who contribute to Utah’s vibrant art culture.
“Gallery stroll is great, but (participants) can’t possibly attend all the galleries in one evening,” said Kandice Steadman, organizer and former visual arts program manager for the Salt Lake Arts Council. “This studio tour fills two important needs. First, it gives artists exposure by providing short term exhibition spaces, and secondly, it is a great opportunity for the public to interact with art in a friendly, non-intimidating setting.”
The idea began when artists Mary Tull and Jeff Juhlin realized that the coordinated studio tour, a staple in larger cities, had yet to make its way to Utah. The pair formed a volunteer committee of fellow artists, administrators and enthusiasts to begin planning the event. Over the course of a year, the committee regularly met and crafted the ultimate art experience, the scale of which would surprise even them.
Committee member and artist David LeCheminant said the idea began with a modest list of 45 artists and no funding, but quickly blossomed. As a marketing and tech professional who lived in San Francisco for a decade before moving to Salt Lake City, LeCheminant was also actively involved in the open studio infrastructure there.
“San Francisco open studio event is the mother of all open studio events in the nation,” he said.
Utah has many opportunities to interact with art — namely within museums and galleries. But these sites are decidedly less artist focused. To organizers, the open studio tour is a way of remedying that. It’s also a way to educate viewers on the creative process.
“These sites (galleries and museums) aren’t normally speaking to art based on its origin and creation, and if people are to become more educated about art, it’s helpful for them to see the tools, training and dedication behind the artmaking process,” LeCheminant said. “That’s what we’re hoping to communicate with this event.”
The tour is divided into two categories: individual artist studios and artists whose work is exhibited together in artist groups. Thanks to an interactive Google map and a detailed artist list, viewers can customize their studio tour experience to be based on either location or art preferences. Steadman hopes the casual format inspires more people in Utah to discover the art in their backyard.
“This is a great opportunity for people who aren’t traditional art-goers to just experiment and explore,” Steadman said. “To go look at art and talk to people in a less formidable way than stepping into a gallery or museum.”
Organizers are heartened by the artistic response to this project and plan to continue the tour for years to come and, above all else, keep Utah’s vibrant arts culture thriving for a long, long time.
If you go…
What: Wasatch Studio Tour
When: October 12-13, 2019, 10a.m.-6 p.m. each day
Where: Locations throughout the Wasatch Front. Download an interactive Google tour map for participating artist information