North Coast Open Studios, showcasing 150 local creators, takes place Saturday and Sunday, June 6, 7, 13, and 14, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a kickoff art night on Friday, June 5 from 6 to 9 p.m. In its 26th year, this year’s event features studio visits between Eureka and Trinidad, and east to Willow Creek.
A DreamMaker project of the Ink People, North Coast Open Studios is an opportunity for art fans to visit artists in their creative spaces — their natural habitats, if you will — and get to know the humans behind the art. Opportunities abound to purchase art straight from the makers, from small gifts to original paintings and sculptures, but that’s not a requirement.
“One of my many favorite aspects of this event,” says NCOS coordinator and participating artist Monica Topping-Adams, “is the creative disaster. Splattered clay, cups of well loved paint brushes, storage shelves of glass — it inspires me to no end to see how artists store their supplies, and really enjoy their creative spaces.”
While many artists’ studios are open for both weekends of the event, some are open for one or the other, and more than two dozen participating artists will be open for a kickoff on the night before the first weekend, Friday, June 5, for three additional hours of studio visits. There are also participating artists who are specifically open by appointment — not open during the event weekends, but visitors are encouraged to reach out to these creators, as well as all of the other participants, throughout the year, to schedule a visit.
“Our Friday event kickoff hours also overlap with Eureka Friday Night Markets in Old Town Eureka,” adds Topping-Adams. “Walking, biking, or parking one time in Old Town, then adding studio and gallery visits to a Market visit is a fantastic way to make a perfect night of supporting local makers, restaurants, and performers.”
NCOS is thankful for its funders, including Humboldt Creative Alliance, the County of Humboldt’s Measure D funding, the Ink People Center for Arts and Culture, Eureka Cultural Arts District, and Redwood Coast Energy Authority.
NCOS is free to visitors, who can pick up a guidebook from the Ink People’s office at 627 3rd Street in Old Town Eureka, or at a number of local galleries and artist-supporting businesses. A PDF of the guidebook will also be available to download from www.northcoastopenstudios.com, and the goal is to have interactive maps of the studios available online by the beginning of June.