Columbia Open Studios 2008

Saturday and Sunday, May 3rd and 4th

Columbia Open Studios 2008 will take place the first Saturday and Sunday May 3 and 4. For the event, 75 artists from the city of Columbia and Lexington and Richland counties, South Carolina, will open their studio to the public from 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 12:00 - 6:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Like last year, the event's first year, the Open Studios organization has produced a special tabloid publication listing participating artists and their contact information, images of their work, maps of the area and directions to the artists' studios.

The Open Studios tabloid will be distributed with Columbia's The State newspaper and through art institutions across the state as well as a bookstores, frame shops, etc., throughout the South Carolina Midlands. Copies of the tabloid can be ordered by calling (803) 238-2351 or emailing wroefs(a)sc.rr.com. During the Open Studios weekend, road signs will further direct the public to artists' studios.

Last year, 66 Columbia area artists participated in the first Columbia Open Studios, and thousands of visitors came to see their art. The event was then part of the first Columbia Festival of the Arts.

On this site you'll find a list of artists participating in Columbia Open Studios 2008, their contact information, directions to their studios, information about them and their art and images of their work.

Update:

How To Get To Peter Lenzo's studio on Saturday
On Sat. May 3, during Open Studios, the Rosewood Crawfish Festival is also taking place. This complicates access to Peter Lenzo's studio at Southern Potter on the corner of Rosewood Dr. and Maple St. To avoid being charged the cover fee for the Crawfish Festival, go the festival's Maple Street gate. Tell the gate attendant that you are there for Open Studios, to see Peter Lenzo at Southern Pottery. They will let you in without having to pay.

Correction to the Open Studios tabloid:
Correct directions to Tim Floyd's studio

Connect with the Artists

Columbia Open Studios 2008 wants to give artists an opportunity to engage the public directly and show their art as well as their creative processes. The organization hopes this will create new marketing opportunities for artists.

The event also aims to provide easy access for the community to the visual arts and expose the public to the wealth of fine artists in Columbia and Richland and Lexington counties. This, the organizers hope, will educate people about the process of making art and create a dialogue between artists and the public.

By giving people a chance to peek into artists' studios, get a sense of how they work and interact directly with artists, Open Studios hopes to generate excitement about area artists among seasoned collectors and first-time buyers alike.