Photograph by Chad Pilster
Sunnyvale resident Elizabeth Luotto, 3, watches as Linda Astill creates a centerpiece out of clay for her son's wedding. The demonstration was part of the April 28 Open Studios exhibtion.
Local artists open their doors to public
Open Studios 2001 allows residents to interact with artisans
By Moryt Milo
On April 28 and 29 Sunnyvale artists participated in Open Studios 2001. The event, which showcased artists throughout Santa Clara County, was created to acquaint the general public with local artists who live and work in their homes and studios.
For Sunnyvale residents, it offered a special weekend opportunity to meet artists within their own neighborhoods. More than 20 Sunnyvale artists participated in the event. Their media of choice was diverse and included showings in ceramics, collage, digital art, photography, papermaking, watercolor, linocut and more.
Liz Kraft, the chairman of the Open Studios Committee says the purpose for these events is twofold. First, it offers an educational element. "People can see the artists [In their studios]," Kraft explains. "They can chat with them, see how they do their work, and what goes into being an artist." Second, Open Studios gives the artist an opportunity to meet their community. "The artists are very happy to chat with the public face to face," Kraft says.
The Open Studios event began over 15 years ago in San Jose. It started with a group of 80 and has grown to over 340 artists. In Santa Clara County the event now stretches from Saratoga to Los Altos Hills. "We are growing," Kraft says proudly, citing last year's attendance at more than 30,000.
Sunnyvale papermaker artist Carol Tao appreciates Open Studios' efforts to create greater artist visibility. "Working in a home studio doesn't allow you too much people to people contact," Tao says. "It's always nice to get feedback." Tao, who works with free form, 3-dimension wall sculptures primarily in floral motifs says, "In my case most people have no idea what I do. When I say I'm a papermaker they think I'm a bookbinder." For Tao the event offers needed exposure.
Linda Astill who has been throwing pots at the Sunnyvale Community Center for over 20 years points out, "It makes people aware that maybe the person across the street is an artist. I think that's important because it shows artists are real people."
Astill is part of the Sunnyvale Artists' Cooperative, a six member group that participated in the event. They opened their studio not just to display their work but also to demonstrate their craft. Scheduling ongoing demonstrations, they illustrated the many ways to work with clay, from using a wheel to sculpting by hand.
Photograph by Chad Pilster
Susan Worley shows off some of her creations--a mask and some body art on her hand which she created.
Bob Nicholson, one of the group members who uses a wheel and then develops his pieces further using petroglyph and Southwestern motifs says, "We look at part of our goal as being educational. If people appreciate the process and see the work that goes into it, they are more likely to appreciate the finished work and buy it."
Phyllis Lee, another co-op member who hand builds clay boxes adds, "A very common question is 'How did you do this? It doesn't look like clay? What is this?' Through demonstrations we show the beginning stages, interim stage, and one finished."
For those participating in the event, a great deal of effort goes into selecting what to display and sell. These artists work months in advance creating inventory in preparation of the event.
Susan Worley, a co-op member who does ceramic sculptures and custom portrait masks says: "These shows are definitely motivators. A lot of us are deadline driven and it makes us do our work."
For the Sunnyvale Artists' Cooperative self-marketing was an integral part of having a successful Open Studio Event. Nicholson says they self-generated postcards, flyers, and emails promoting the weekend. They also put lots of signs around the neighborhood. "We found last year that about 25 percent of our traffic was just people who happened to be out for a walk and saw our signs," Nicholson says.
Nicholson, an engineer by trade and a potter at heart, feels experiencing an Open Studio weekend could inspire others in the community to consider trying an art class. He says Sunnyvale residents have a great community center with an array of classes and resources.
Co-op member Liz King, who took lessons at the community center, completely agrees: "I decided to do this [pottery] after I retired, and I should have been doing it all my life."
Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
