October is Open Studio Time! October 17 & 18, 10am to 5pm
Fall is my favorite season; the excitement of coming holidays, watching the colors change, and enjoying cooler days and warmer drinks. It is time for us to return to all the fun hobbies and interests we love to do indoors.
One thing I most look forward to this time of year is Washington County Open Studio Tour!
- Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18 from 10AM-5PM. You can visit one, 5, 10, or all of them!
What makes open studio weekend so special Amy? I’m glad you asked. It is all local artists. Talented individuals in your community that create beautiful arts and crafts. They open their private workspace and welcome the public in. They show how and why they make what they make. Some stops have hands-on activities, others will have demonstrations, drawings, free art kits, and so much artwork for sale. The best part is that all this is free.
Each year, in October, Washington County Art Alliance brings our community this special treat. They organize over 40 studios in our community to participate. Many of these studios are only open for these 2 days a year. It is hard work organizing and advocating for such a large event. I feel a tremendous amount of gratitude for this organization’s impact.
How do I find the studios?
Another great question. Official maps for the tour have been distributed in shops, libraries, and businesses all over the county.
- Go to @washcoopenstudios on Instagram for posts highlighting locations to find them. You can go to www.washcoart.org/map to see the online map as well as details about all the studios involved this year.
Aside from open studios, there are several other art shows happening this month. There is an excellent show at the Brookwood and Shute Libraries, the “Hispanic Heritage Month Art Exhibition.” The show has paintings, sculpture, ceramics, photography, and more all celebrating culture, creativity, identity, and community. The show is up to the end of the month so make time to see it. Valley Art in Forrest Grove will also be participating and will have works up through 10/31 by 7 of the artists also represented in the library show.
- The Village Gallery will have their annual October award show with an artist reception on 10/11 from 3-5PM. The gallery has a reception every second Sunday of the month and it is free and open to the public.
- The Reser Center for the Arts will have two shows continuing through 10/18, “Carnelian” and “We Are Brothers.” If you come by the gallery for First Friday, 10/2, they will also be offering a beer tasting with Binary Brewing. Go to thereser.org/gallery for more details.
As we head into the last months of this year, I hope we can take stalk in our community. Events like these are both good for the community and for the soul. Take the time to connect and be grateful for all we have while we strive to keep making it better.
Amy Mower is a local artist and lifelong Beaverton resident. She is passionate about the future of the arts in our community.
