Tour gives peek into the heart of local art
Published 1:02 pm Monday, November 26, 2012
There’s few ways to tell that the holiday season has arrived on Bainbridge Island.
The air carries the scent of fireplaces heating homes. The streets in downtown Winslow are illuminated with holiday lights. And the Bainbridge Island Winter Studio Tour opens its doors.
Ten doors, actually. The island’s own studio tour has been providing a journey through the local art scene for decades. Now in its 29th year, it is poised to continue the winter tradition with 10 locations, each hosting an extensive lineup of quality, and unique, arts and crafts vendors.
“It’s very festive and up-beat,” said Dinah Satterwhite, manager of the studio tour. “A lot of people say that it is part of their holiday tradition.”
The tour is a self-guided journey through the heart of local art. Some stops on the tour are even the artists’ own studios, such as Hidden Cove Pottery, the Mesolini Glass Studio, the Robert Spangler Studio and the Siebert Pottery Studio.
With the extensive line-up, more artists will be housed in locations such as the island’s Grange Hall and the Seabold Hall.
A full map of the tour is available on its website at www.bistudiotour.com.
Bainbridge Island hosts two studio tours a year; one for winter and one for summer. The winter studio tour brings out a range of artists from painters to jewelers to furniture craftsmen. There’s something for everyone.
“It’s definitely more of an intimate feeling (than the summer tour),” Satterwhite said. “It’s better attended, too. I would say it attracts close to double the people.”
The winter tour also tends to attract more artists, which says a lot
given that the summer tour boasts more than
50 artists.
This year’s winter tour has 71 artists lined up so far.
In addition to crafts and art, the tour will also hosts its fair share of musical acts to add to the ambiance. Food and drinks will also be available.
