Putting together an open studio

A few months ago, my wife and I were trying to remember the last time I held an open studio to invite people to see my recent work over a glass of wine and appies.

Organizing such an event was a piece of cake when my studio was in the basement of a Maclure mansion in Victoria’s Rocklands area. My biggest challenge was stopping Deborah from driving herself demented and cooking far too many complicated appetizers. But when we moved off our sailboat and incorporated my studio into our walkup apartment, and then our townhouse, things got a bit more challenging, what with strata council rules and neighbours we shouldn’t disturb.

Now we’ve upsized to a house, and the renos are mostly done (it’s finally safe to step on our back deck). It seemed like the ideal time to hold my first open studio in a dozen years. It’s scheduled for Sunday, November 18, 2012, from 1 to 7 p.m. at 1870 Dickson Avenue, North Saanich. And of course, you’re invited!

The good news is there’s a ton of information online to help those of us who are either new to this kind of event, or whose experience is long ago and far away.

I was particularly grateful to Kate Dardine for her Ten Tips for Hosting an Open Studio at http://fineprintimaging.blogspot.ca/2009/10/ten-tips-for-hosting-open-studio.html.

Kate’s tips are actually a countdown, starting two months in advance, that are helping us spread the load, set realistic deadlines, and makes sure we’re not missing any of the basics. Deborah used Kate’s blog article to create our own checklist, which we review every week, and tick off the items we’ve completed.

I’d also like to thank Amy Wilson, whose article on ArtBistro at http://artbistro.monster.com/benefits/articles/9769-tricks-to-pulling-off-a-successful-open-studio has some brilliant suggestions. I think (although we’ll see, closer to the day) that she may even have convinced Deborah to simplify the snacks, with this comment:

“Many artists go overboard … and turn their open studio into a fully catered affair. There’s no need for this. Keep it very, very simple – you want your guests to feel welcome, but for the focus to be on your work and not on your food.”

Another great article on the art of the open studio was written by Charlotte Herczfeld – you’ll find it at http://faso.com/fineartviews/23924/making-the-most-of-your-open-studio.

Charlotte is an expert in making lemonade when she finds herself holding a bag of lemons. She did her first open studio at her home after the venue she’d arranged to us phoned to say, “Oopsy, we can’t host you after all – we’ve inadvertently double booked.”

She was nervous about opening her home, but overcame her jitters and went for it. Her article has a wealth of valuable suggestions on everything from price lists (complete with thumbnails of the art), and a professional approach to delivering the work after the show is over.

And she was thrilled with the results:

“I had fun, met people, could talk a lot about art, made very decent sales, and had the joy of seeing people falling in love with my creations. In the comfortable environment of my home.”

But one of the most valuable sources of inspiration was Susan Hargraves, a residential stylist who has used my artwork to stage condos for sale.

She’d come over for lunch, and the talk turned to our plans to host an open studio.

Susan is another clear-headed professional, so she asked a series of searching questions, including, “What do you want to achieve, and who do you want to come?” She also suggested that we invite other home stylists and interior designers, as well as spa owners (she thought my nudes would work perfectly in a spa).

So we decided to hold the open studio from 1 to 7 p.m., with a preview starting at 11 a.m. for interior designers, home stylists, spa owners, local gallery owners, plus people who’ve collected my work in the past, and the models for my paintings.

Two weeks out, our checklist has more ticks than empty boxes, and we’re continuing to complete tasks on schedule. I’ll let you know in my next newsletter how it all turned out, and what we learned. I’ll even share the checklist with anyone who’s interested.

Meanwhile, you’re all invited – and please feel free to bring as many friends as you’d like!

Best regards

Nicholas Pearce

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