The statewide Vermont Crafts Council's Fall Open Studio Weekend on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 will include four artist studios and two galleries in the Brattleboro area, as well as others in southern Vermont.
Participating sites will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, and visitors will have the chance to see demonstrations, purchase handcrafted items, talk to the professional artisans who made them, and see the environment where they create their work.
The council's website describes the event as a celebration of the creation of craft and artwork and the work life of Vermont artists. With a focus on the studio, including work space and materials, the event aims to illustrate both that creating art requires an investment of time, specialized tools and equipment, and that the process is accessible and rewarding."
The tour is organized into 18 "loops" of sites to visit in one outing. In addition to the six stops in the Brattleboro area, the southern Vermont loop includes the Readsboro Glassworks to the west. During the tour, look for the yellow road signs from I-91, Exit 2, and along Western Avenue to guide you to the sites in Brattleboro.
Also, you can view an interactive map of the local stops on your device, and tour-goers can pick up guidebooks with maps at any participating site. Please note that there are two changes to the local tour lineup since the printing of the statewide guidebooks: Lost Mile Designs in Dummerston will not be participating, and Lesley Heathcote in Brattleboro has joined the tour.
Here are the area tour stops, with their respective site numbers in the guidebook:
43: Readsboro Glassworks - Mary Angus and K. William LeQuier. Handblown glass and glass sculpture. 6954 Main St, Readsboro. maryangusglass.com, kwilliamlequier.com.
44: Vermont Artisan Designs & Gallery 2. (Tour information center) Pottery, art, glass, jewelry and wood. 106 Main St., Brattleboro. vtart.com.
45. Rae Heller. Paintings, quilts, collage. 212 Fox Farm Rd., Brattleboro. raeheller.com. With guest artist Rose Bernhard Ceramics. Handcrafted ceramics. rosebernhard.com.
A1: (added after printing of the guidebook): Lesley Heathcote Studio - Lesley Heathcote. Pastels and oils of animals, birds, and landscapes. 32 Larkin St., Brattleboro. lesleyheathcote.com.
46: Orchard Street Pottery - Walter Slowinski. Woodfired salt-glazed pottery, branch handles. 658 Orchard St., Brattleboro. walterslowinskipottery.weebly.com.
47: Leopard Frog Art Gallery - Larisa Volkavichyute and other artists. Vermont art, gifts, shop, gallery. 257 Marlboro Rd., Brattleboro. leopardfrog.shop.
48: Chris Lann Designs - Chris Lann. Contemporary handcrafted jewelry. 1420 Sunset Lake Rd., Brattleboro. chrislanndesigns.com.
A complete list of all participating sites statewide can be found at vermontcrafts.com.
This The Arts item was submitted to The Commons.