4th Annual Open Studio Tour set for October 1st & 2nd
Hilltown Arts Alliance Open Studio Tour set for
October 1st & 2nd, 2022
Village of Huntington Added to the Tour of 23 Artists’ Studios
Cummington, MA – The Hilltown Arts Alliance announced today that 23 artists who have chosen the beautiful and historic Western Massachusetts Hilltowns as a place to live and work will be opening their workspaces October 1 and 2, 2022 for the 4th annual Open Studio Tour. The weekend features art demonstrations and a full slate of food and drink opportunities from unique Hilltown artists and producers. This year, the picturesque and historic town of Huntington is being added to the tour. A Tour Hub & Community House Gallery featuring representative works of each artist is being set up at 33 Main St. in Cummington, MA. Printed maps will be handed out and an interactive tour map is located at: hilltownartsalliance.org/tour-map.
“The rural Hilltowns are home to a thriving population of creative people,” says Hilltown Arts Alliance President Kathy Ford. “We may not be as well known as places like the Berkshires or Northampton, but the Hilltowns are where artists increasingly choose to live. The beauty of this place brings out the beauty in our artists' work. Here we have the room we need to create.”
New to the tour this year are: Elena Allee, who focuses on nature as a construct or memorial; Susanna White, whose oils and alkyds often focus on light and clouds somewhere between realism and abstraction; John Walker, a painter and fine woodworker who recently won first prize at the New England Arts Festival; and Laura Bundeson who explores the brain in all its complexity and beauty through both painting and fabric art.
Attendees of the tour will wander Scenic Byways 112 and 143, plus many backroads, at their leafiest time of year. The Hilltowns feature many hiking and walking trails, white-steepled villages, farms and orchards offering their fall bounty and a river so significant it is designated Wild & Scenic by the National Park Service.
As a complement to the artwork, local producers such as Sena Farm Brewery and Glendale Ridge Vineyard are offering special tastings for tour participants. The Farmer’s Daughter Food Truck will offer lunch in Worthington during the weekend and local restaurants are celebrating with seasonal menus.
The artists included are painters, sculptors, fabric artists, artisan jewelry makers, printmakers and ceramicists. The complete list of artists participating is: Gloria Conwell, Kathy Ford, Mark Shapiro, Jen Parrish-Hill. Elena Allee, Michael Falcone, John Walker, Ana Busto, Sergei Isupov, Kadri Pärnamets, Jeanne Johns, Leni Fried, Chris Bagg, Susanna White, Laura Bundesen, Olwen O’Herlihy Dowling, Susan Flores, Laurie Israel, Guy Matsuda, Pleun Bouricius, Cyndy Sperry, David Marshall, Valerianna Claff.
The Open Studio Tour is made possible with support from the Hilltown Community Development Corporation, primary sponsors ArtsAngels, Community Foundation of Western Mass; Mass. Cultural Council, Hilltown Community Health Center. Secondary sponsors: Florence Bank, Mr. Tire, Cummington Supply, The Hilltown Land Trust.
For the most updated information on artists and events throughout the weekend, go to hilltownartsalliance.org.
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About the Hilltown Arts Alliance. The Hilltown Arts Alliance is a registered 501(c)(3), volunteer-run nonprofit arts organization serving the beautiful hilltowns of Western Massachusetts. These lush rolling hills are home to an impressive number of accomplished artists. Our mission is to spread the word! The Hilltown Arts Alliance seeks to connect and support local Hilltown artists and makers in their creative endeavors