The Gardiner Open Studio Tour (GOST), a highlight of our vibrant community, will be on June 15th and 16th, from 10:00 to 5:00. A brochure with an easy-to-follow map is available at the library, Town Hall, the Village Market, Café Mio, or DM Weil Gallery on Bruynswick Road, or at gardineropenstudiotour.com. It will guide you to any of 18 participating artists who open their studios to visitors. Some will demonstrate their techniques: watch pots being thrown, kilns loaded, or see a felted scarf being made from hand dyed wool.
New member, painter Dina White, uses handmade black walnut ink to create meditative paintings in her dynamic language. Carolyn Baum makes exquisite lampwork glass flowers and jewelry inspired by her natural surroundings. Anna Davis, a mixed media artist, assembles sculptural wall pieces from found natural materials.
The variety of ceramic work will make you aware of clay’s potential: Michelle Rhodes’ work has roots in Japanese pottery; Annie O’Neill’s playful, brightly painted work is influenced by Mexican and “primitive” decorative work; Lynn Isaacson and Tiffany Dyckman’s functional work has roots in American craft pottery; Pam and Craig Booth make ceramic cars and whimsical figures; while Meadow makes decorative work in a variety of invented styles and materials.
Tour painters are divided into traditional work—haunting landscapes, portraits and still lifes by Marsha Massih, John A. Varriano, and Ron Schaefer, while Jean Tansey confronts social issues in semi-abstract paintings, D.M.Weil creates colorful highly energetic abstraction, and Bruce Pileggi works with pastels. Leonie Lacouette will expand your perception of time with her astonishing clocks, Alexa Ginsburg’s wide ranging felted work includes sophisticate wearables, animals and puppets, and Greg Thompson is the Tour’s only photographer.