Our community is our home, and we honor the beauty that surrounds us – be it the green landscape, the thriving downtown, or the art and music that bring us joy. “We put our efforts to improving our local surroundings.” – JBA website.
Our offices are replete with art, hung on the walls, built into the structural design of each floor, with views from so many windows. The design of our space calls upon and supports us each day to be our best selves. Think how differently you might feel each day coming to work in a beige basement instead of a light-infused functional space, filled with color and textures created by artists.
Clark County is home to a large community of artists, all who work in a space they have created for that purpose. It might be a jewelry workbench tucked in a basement, a former dining room with a canvas on easel to catch morning light, a tiny-home artist studio in a suburban backyard overflowing with clever cartoons and portraits.
Each a unique environment, some carefully curated, others more organically evolved workspaces. All dens of creativity. I’ve been to some of these places – the backyard airplane hangar where large metal sculptures take shape, the tucked-in-the-woods pottery studio, the blind wood-carver’s Washougal garage studio (“theblindwoodsman” on TikTok). Places and people you might not otherwise meet. But all expressing their understanding in a visual of life.
One weekend each year, a group of artists open their personal creation spaces to the public. It’s the Artstra Open Studios Tour. It’s free, no registration, peer-reviewed, self-guided. Comfortable to do alone, or with a friend. The artists will speak about their process and their art, or let you mosey in a relaxed atmosphere. I have never felt the pressure to purchase anything (although I do sometimes). You are welcome to buy, or simply soak in varied artists’ points of view. The event is on November 4-5, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Read the rest of the article here.
In Clark County Open Studios Tour, local artists open their studios to the public and share how, why, and where their art is created. This is a unique opportunity to visit artists and artisans, view diverse works, and buy pieces specifically created or made available for this event, held this year on November 4-5, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. https://artstra.org/open-studios/
- Pick up a program in the break room – and we know someone who can get us more… Artstra Board Treasurer, Douglas Staley, is married to our Cindy Staley.
- Live south of the bridge? https://portlandopenstudios.com is October 14-15 and 21-22.
