Serious collectors of fine art seldom turn down the opportunity to enter the private world of its creator. Studio tours are a particular treat for getting up close and personal with the artists, and when that tour happens to take place in a historic seaside town, the visit might easily segue into a memorable weekend getaway.
On Saturday, the Lewes Artists’ Studio Tour will showcase the diverse talent in the Deleware town’s art community while giving visitors the chance to explore and discover the variety of media presented by 17 regionally and nationally acclaimed artists.
“A lot of people visit from all areas, because it is still a lovely time to come to Lewes,” Jean Doran, who has opened her painting studio to the public for the past seven years, said.
Lewes, a quaint, yet vibrant town, has origins dating to an early Dutch settlement in 1631. Today, history and maritime living are indigenous to its location at the confluence of the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The town’s proud heritage has been carefully preserved by the Lewes Historical Society, making Lewes a great place for a leisurely walking tour.
It is while walking that each of the artists’ studios will be accessible to the public. With map in hand that indicates the location of each home studio and the creator’s medium, art aficionados can visit as many or as few of them as desired.
Artists participating this year represent a variety of media that include painting, textiles, photography, glass, jewelry, digital imaging, wood and mixed media.
Connie Ballato, the organizer of this year’s studio tour, works in stained glass and fused glass art, actually using ground glass as her paint.
“I’ve been on the tour for at least 10 years and in my own studio, I get well over 300 people that day,” she said, noting each artist has made room for individual pieces to be sold on the spot. “This is an opportunity to … win an original piece of art that will be given away in the drawing at the end of the day at each studio.”
Also, the end of the day can be a fitting time to explore Lewes’ historic area, which contains many of the older preserved homes and the downtown district where, in addition to several art galleries, there can also be found charming shops, restaurants, bed and breakfasts and other accommodations for a perfect day’s end.
