Artists invited to join Open Your Eyes 2019

TORRINGTON — The Northwest Connecticut Arts Council is calling artists and artisans in Winsted, New Hartford, Colebrook and Barkhamsted, to participate in its 10th annual Open Your Eyes Studio Tour weekend, to be held June 29-30. Registration is open through March 1. Space is limited to 50 artists/artisans.

The tour will feature up to 50 artists and artisans who have studios in Winsted, New Hartford, Colebrook and Barkhamsted, including townships/villages. Participating artists and artisans will open their creative spaces and show their processes to the public during the tour.

Each year the Northwest Connecticut Arts Council selects groups of towns within its 25-town service area for the tour. Over the past nine years, the event has drawn audiences from 14 states and two other countries, with many visitors returning annually. The aim of Open Your Eyes Studio Tour is to give visitors a greater understanding of the artists' creative processes and the spaces they work within, and to draw attention to the towns in which these artists live and work. This is the second cycle of this annual event to the towns in the Arts Council’s service area.

“We are so excited for the 10th anniversary of this event. It is important for the public to interact with artists and see their process, it can help demystify art and create a deeper connection between the artist and the rest of the community,” says Rufus de Rham, executive director of the Northwest Connecticut Arts Council, “This is a chance for artists to open their studio doors to a curious public, and for people to have a lot of fun! I’m really looking forward to exploring the area myself.”

Maddie Stenson, program coordinator of the Northwest Connecticut Arts Council said, “We thought it would be exciting to invite more artists than ever before. In previous years, we’ve had about 30 artists participate on the studio tour. We’re hoping that 50 artists will register this year for our largest Open Your Eyes Tour ever. I am very eager to be taking on the management and organization for the tour again this year . ... We will also be issuing a limited edition T-shirt to celebrate the event’s 10th anniversary.”

The Northwest Connecticut Arts Council is a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting the arts and cultural resources of northwestern Connecticut. The council focuses on assisting artists and cultural organizations in their efforts to thrive, informing the public and giving access to the arts across the region with the support of the Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of the Arts, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

To register for the Open Your Eyes Studio Tour or for information, go to oyeartists2019.eventbrite.com or contact the Northwest Connecticut Arts Council at 860-618-0075 or maddie@artsnwct.org