“44 Local Artists Open Their Studios for the 9th Biennial Mid-City Studio Public Art Tour” by Helen Werner Cox
On Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2 from 11 AM to 4 PM Long Beach artists will open their studios to the public during the 9th Biennial Mid-City Studio Tour. The free, self-guided tour is made possible in part through a micro-grant from Arts Council for Long Beach and a grant from the Port of Long Beach.
The Mid-City Art Studio Tour is a unique look into the lives of 44 professional artists with a wide range of artistic sensibilities. It allows the public to see working studios and to learn from artists about their inspiration and process. Mixed media artist Annie Stromquist says, “The Mid-City Studio Tour is a special weekend for me. I love having such a wide array of visitors to my normally very quiet workspace. People ask interesting questions that often prompt me to think in new ways, and the interactive weekend charges me up for new work after the tour is over.”
A small group of friends, mostly working from studios connected to their homes, started the Mid-City Studio Tour in 2003. Since then the group has expanded and become more diverse. This year, aside from individual studios, there will be an artist co-op and two galleries, Chez Shaw and Greenly Art Space, on the tour route. Art mediums include painting, works on paper, mixed media constructions, handmade artist books, photography, printmaking, jewelry, silk painting, weaving, ceramics, sculpture, installation, and glass/neon.
Images and artists’ bios can be previewed, and a tour map of the event is available at http://www.midcitystudiotour.com. Artwork will be available for purchase at studio prices. Sponsors include Arts Council for Long Beach, Partners of Parks, Port of Long Beach, Krishna/Copy Pro, Ralphs, Socal Modern Group, and Trader Joe’s.
If you would like to see more work, please click here or contact me for a studio visit.
