Get an inside look at Guelph’s very own artists’ community
The Guelph Studio Tour is coming up on Oct. 13 and 14. It is an event that connects our community with 40 local artists and artisans in their studios and exhibition spaces where guests have a wonderful opportunity to meet the artists and see their work.
This juried show started 32 years ago and is still going strong. It’s a non-profit, volunteer-driven event, featuring quality work in a variety of media including painting, pottery, printmaking, sculpture, photography, jewellery, woodworking, metal work, collage, and fibre arts. Every year, new artists join to add fresh faces to the tour.
Artists open their studio doors to the public to view and, if you’d like, purchase their creations. One of the best things about this tour is being able to go inside artists’ studios to see where their artworks are created. You are encouraged to ask questions and learn more about these unique works of art.
Many of the artists have connections to the University of Guelph, including graduates: Deborah Dryden, Michelle Miller, Kiel Wilson-Ciocci, and Amanda Wilson-Ciocci. Helen Hoy is a retired U of G literature professor. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing them about what they get out of inviting the public to visit them in their studios.
Deborah Dryden encourages visitors to touch some of her encaustic artworks. These are made with pigmented hot beeswax and layered images. Deborah explains that the warmth of the hands change the wax layers, making the art appear more translucent. “Because artists are so alone in the studio much of the time, it’s invigorating to connect with others through this tour,” Dryden says. “It gives artists an opportunity to share what we do, sell our work and get inspired by our visitors.”
“I created a ballot for visitors to vote on their favourite painting in my studio,” Helen Hoy, an oil painter, says. “The winner [of the draw] gets a gift certificate. This got people looking [more deeply] at the art and gave me lots of feedback about what they liked.”
“I get a lot from the public coming to see me,” explains Michelle Miller, a jewelry artist. “I love to hear people’s reactions to my work. Jewellery is very personal and I have had many amazing interactions with people just through trying the jewellery on. I love how the work is a catalyst to real connection. It makes me feel like the larger world is made a little smaller.”
Kiel and Amanda Wilson-Ciocci of KIAM Studio — mixed media artists — describe the studio tour as a chance to be part of a well-established and growing art community in Guelph. “We thoroughly enjoy the weekend because it’s a great opportunity to open the studio and invite the public to our working space. We love talking to people about the art, and having visitors to the studio.”
Long time fans of the tour, Joan Mathieu and Jackson Mathieu, add: “We like the chance to see the great variety and skill of exhibiting artists. We enjoy the way we can also see artists in their workplaces, get a better feel for who they are and what they are trying to do.”
“You can learn much more about an artist if one visits their studio,” says Miller. “You can hear stories about what inspires them, how they made their work and how they started doing what they do. Their art can become that much richer by making the trek to their studio. The Studio Tour helps build a stronger community. Art brings people together!”
A map to the exhibit locations is available at https://www.guelphstudiotour.ca/
Article by Barbara Salberg Mathews