It started, as many things on the Avenues do, over cocktails.
That was some three years ago and Avenues Open Studios – “Art . . . Off the Grid” remains a going concern with 24 artists, though the number changes from year to year. Check it out for yourself Saturday from about 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (it varies—these are artists, after all). Maps are available at participating studios and homes or you can see it right here: https://web.mail.comcast.net/service/home/~/?auth=co&loc=en_US&id=358932&part=2.2
Anne Albaugh, 453 Third Avenue, open Saturday from noon-8 p.m. (see what we mean?), recalls bemoaning with her friends “the loss of galleries, the difficulty artists have of showing their work, the unwillingness of galleries, art associations, farmers’ markets, and others to show and promote work that they perceive as unpopular, politically incorrect and unsalable. We thought we would start an art event that would be different,” she says.
Avenues Open Studios has a simple motto: “No judging, no censoring, everyone welcome – we have no artistic rules,” says Albaugh. “This is an event by artists to encourage more artistic participation and diversity in our community.”
And just who are these participatory folks? Sponsored by Avenues Bistro on Third and also by Cucina, they live from South Temple to 11th Avenue and “A” Street to Virginia Street. Some who reside outside the well-defined Avenues District find a venue with other artists and friends – witness box-maker Bonnie Scott, who lives in Mill Creek but will be showing her work with fabric artist Kim Workman Stockdale and Josie Fife (with Donald Trump piñatas – did someone say politically incorrect?) at 171 “F” Street. Hatch Family Chocolates, 376 8th Avenue, will have a Mystery Artist. It costs $25 for artists to participate; this covers brochures (with the aforementioned map), yard signs and posters.
The group has regular monthly meetings beginning in January at Sweet Library, says Albaugh, at 6:30 p.m. “We believe it is important that the meetings are always in a public place and everyone is welcome.”
Other participating artists include: Don Andrews, Terri Checketts, Tom Fightmaster, Sarah Fodor, Jeanne Hansen, Kirk Hendrickson, Randy Laub, Sue Martin, Barbara Murphy, Lisa Ord, Scott Peterson, Pilar Pobil, Gunter Ratinier, James Reeser, Susan Smith, Kym Wheeler, Nancy Vorm, Sydney Smith and Willy & Pam Littig. Some, such as Martin and Vorm, have been featured in our pages. http://artistsofutah.org/15bytes/16sep/page1.html
For more information on Saturday’s event, see: www.avenuesopenstudios.com
A graduate of the University of Utah, Ann Poore is a freelance writer and editor who spent most of her career at The Salt Lake Tribune. She was the 2018 recipient of the Salt Lake City Mayor’s Artist Award in the Literary Arts.
Categories: Daily Bytes | Happenings