Support local artists at the 23rd Annual Portsmouth Holiday Arts Tour
PORTSMOUTH — Have you ever wondered how your artist neighbors do their creative work? Now’s your chance to find out, so mark your calendar for this annual event, that happens every year the weekend before Thanksgiving. This year’s upcoming tour is scheduled for Nov. 18-19 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., both days and features seven studios, with 14 participating artists. In their 23rd year of offering visitors a glimpse into the lives and homes of local artists, this is the original artist studio tour on the Seacoast, showing the fine art and craft work of world class artists. Local artists open their home studios for visitors to view a glimpse of their creative process and perhaps even start their holiday shopping.
“We look forward to seeing returning customers but also welcoming new visitors to our studio who may have been wondering what was happening here!.” says Steve Zoldak, potter and founding member of the Portsmouth Holiday Arts Tour (PHAT). Featuring world class artists, PHAT has proven to be an unparalleled event, offering a wide variety of work available for sale just in time for the holiday season. Including glass, clay, printmaking, jewelry, encaustic, collage, drawing, metal, painting, and blacksmithing, this tour is sure to provide something of interest to everyone.
Since 2001 Seacoast based artists have prepared their home studios to throw open their doors the weekend before Thanksgiving inviting the public to learn about artists in their neighborhoods, unearth hidden treasures, and buy direct from the maker. “It’s clear that visitors to
this event are interested in understanding the artistic process and supporting local arts and artists. Opening our studio for the community to learn more about what the PHAT artists do in our studios helps us build connections with our community while inviting them to continue to support local artists,” says Emma Ashby.
Visitors can check the PHAT website for links to individual artist studios and their websites. Artists featured on the tour include Steven Zoldak and Maureen
Mills pottery, Karen Orsillo Porcelain jewelry and pottery, Nancy Kanner encaustic painting, Emma Ashby encaustic painting, Dyanna Smith fused glass jewelry, Lisa Grey mixed media collage, Peter Happny blacksmith, Susan Bates jewelry and glass, Annie Littlefield pottery, Bill Clarke painting and furniture, Lucy Clarke metal design, Kristina Logan glass jewelry, and Sophia Logan-Barré drawings.
This event is free, self-guided, and individually paced. Check out the map at www.portsmouthartstour.com and pick a studio to begin your tour. You can spend a day or the whole weekend taking in what each studio has to offer and talking individually with the artists.
Some visitors have walked or biked the whole tour, but parking is generally accessible at each location.
The Portsmouth Holiday Arts Tour is grateful to community sponsors Piscataqua Savings Bank located at 15 Pleasant Street and Alie’s Jewelers, located at 1 Market Street, who hosts a window display in their Daniel Street window starting in early November to give passers-by a sampling of the Portsmouth Holiday Arts Tour. The window displays are thoughtfully designed to showcase many of the participating artists.
Art is a special, thoughtful, quality gift for any holiday or celebration. Each piece by participating artists is one-ofa-kind and is heirloom quality - a gift that can be handed down from generation to generation. Making a connection with the artist brings the story behind each piece to life. Open studio visits afford time to discuss a gift with an artist who will help you make the right choice for its recipient. And while you can certainly start your holiday shopping on this tour, it is a low-key atmosphere that welcomes browsing, watching a demonstration, or just visiting too.
For information and updates on the artists and their studios or to download the Portsmouth Holiday Arts Tour map, check out www.PortsmouthArtsTour.com and follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ events/1767153010051460/.