Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona – Open Studio Tours
Contact: Lauren Bays, Publicist
Open Studio Tours goes online, inviting visitors to support local artists while learning about their artistic processes and studio spaces. Registration for Southern Arizona artists is now open, and closes November 20, 2020.
Many large-scale open studio tours across the country have been cancelled or postponed indefinitely due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than cancel this year’s event, the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona (AFTSA) has pivoted their annual Open Studio Tours (OST) to an online setting.
Open Studio Tours Online, taking place November 27 through December 6, will serve as a free, temporary hub for the community and local artists to connect. Southern Arizona artists can register and share their artistic processes, virtually open their studio spaces, and sell their artwork directly to the community in a collective space. Artist Registration is currently open and will close on November 20, 2020.
“The Arts Foundation had to get creative and brainstorm how we were going to keep Open Studio Tours running this year while balancing our responsibility to keep both artists and the community safe,” said Adriana Gallego, Executive Director of AFTSA. “Pivoting online has allowed us to continue the event despite the challenges that the ongoing pandemic poses. Our goal continues to keep artist registration as accessible as possible while creating an engaging online experience for visitors — and providing a free opportunity for artists to promote themselves and sell their artwork.”
Keeping the intent and spirit of the event intact while going online has resulted in an expansion to the Open Studio Tours website. Artists can upload descriptions, pictures, and video of their artworks and studios and have the opportunity to host Virtual Studio Tours through Zoom during the event dates. Resources, workshops, and tutorials have been provided to help artists register and maintain an online presence — before, during, and after the tours. During the event, visitors will browse the individual Artist Pages to learn about and engage with artists, virtually visit studios, and purchase art directly from local artists in Southern Arizona.
“As a proud member of Local First Arizona — a nonprofit organization that celebrates independent, locally owned businesses — for over a decade, I have learned so much about the huge impact that our spending dollars have,” said Tucson artist Kira Geddes. “Whether buying a small treat for yourself or a big gift for a friend, when you purchase from a local artist, you are reinvesting your own money into our local economy instead of watching those dollars fly away to a corporation somewhere. Open Studio Tours has been an amazing opportunity for me to connect with neighbors and other artists, to teach and learn, and to feel a part of our thriving art community.”
Open Studio Tours Online runs from November 27-December 6, 2020, with the goal that visitors will consider supporting the local art community when purchasing gifts for the holidays. Artist Registration is now open and will close November 20, 2020. For more details about the event, including Artist Registration and Resources, visit ost.artsfoundtucson.org.