Portland Open Studio: Survey the Local Art Scene in Oregon

Every year for two weekends in October, Portland area artists open their workspaces to allow art aficionados am opportunity to see these artists at work in their studios. During these two weekends artists at over a hundred locations scattered throughout the metro Portland area open up their studios and invite visitors in for an intimate peek at their work-in-progress. Visitors can see an artist's landscape or portrait sketch before they transform this idea into a full blown painting, watch weaves create fabric from threads, interact with an installation art as its being constructed, observe how a glassblower or a potter creates a decorative work of art and other creative wonders.

A $15.00 tour guides includes two adult tickets, as well as maps that feature directions so one can walk, bike, drive or take the TriMet bus to each studio. Children under 18 are admitted free. The guides are good for both weekends, so interested parties can soak up to 4 days of local art.

Pictures of each artists artwork are included in the tour guide, so those who don't have time to sample all the artwork can decide which pieces in particular speak to them. These guides are available from participating artists at their studios, at Art Media, New Seasons, and other outlets listed on the Portland Open Studios website. There's a $3 shipping charge added for those who want to order a guide through the mail. Also, those who own an iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad can download an iPhone app version of this tour via the Apple store.

Those looking for a group outing can order 10 tour guides for $100.00. As many of the artist's spaces cannot accommodate large groups, phone ahead to the individual artist's studios to ensure that they can accommodate a larger group. Contact information for all artists is provided in the tour guide. Also, see the artists page in the tour guide for a listing of wheelchair-accessible studios.

The artists involved in Portland Open Studios are selling their art directly to the public. Check with each artist to see if they accept checks and credit cards in addition to cash. As Portland Open Studios does not charge artists commission, all of the proceeds from the sale of artwork go directly to the individual artists.

The Portland Open Studios blog includes information about upcoming annual Open Studio events, as well as ongoing information about the local artists.