Save the dates!

The 2012 Open Studios Tour has been expanded to two days, Saturday, Sept. 22 and Sunday, Sept. 23 to:

-  Accommodate the growing number of participating Tour artists;

-  Give the public more opportunities to tour the studios; 

-  Allow the participating Tour artists an opportunity to visit some of the other Tour artists’ studios.  

Tour time for both days is noon-5:00 PM.  

Artists will demonstrate their work at 19 locations as they create jewelry, beads, fiber arts, painting, sculpture, ceramics, pottery, log furniture, talc-carvings, stoneware artifacts, and more.  A special children’s activity is also planned in conjunction with the Tour.

This year’s featured artists include:

Ceramics - Lisa Ernst, Jim Gilman, Page Kelly, Jeremy McFarlane, Emily Free Wilson;

Fabric Arts - Andrea Atwood, Jennifer Pryor;

Jewelry - Charla Cullen, Allison Flynn, Sandy Shull;

Painters -Sally Angove, Louis Archambault, Marcy Bergmann, Carol Christensen, Kathryn Fehlig, Jim Howard, Susanna Nadia, Sheri Nagy, Cindy Rose, Jim Stevens;

Photographers - Conrad Flynn, Paul Pacini, Linda Roberts; 

Sculptors - Chip Clawson, Tim Holmes, Lyle Schwabauer;

Printmakers - Vivian Hayes, Carol Montgomery, Phoebe Toland;

Other artistic mediums - Jacque Duxbury, Jo Lee Hawkins, Shellie Lee, Steve Palmer, Jennifer Pryor, Eli Smith, Chloe Young.    

"Community Pulse" with Brian Lamoure and HPAC chair Vivian Hayes and HPAC member Jim Gilman

Video courtesy of HCTV 

Tickets are $15 for this fundraiser to support public art and will be available in August 2012 at the following Helena art galleries: 

• Bears Den, 1330 N. Montana Ave.
• Birds and Beasleys, 2 S. Last Chance Gulch
• Ghost Art Gallery, 21 S. Last Chance Gulch
• Holter Museum of Art, 12 W. Lawrence
• The Gallery at the MT Veterans Foundation, 318 Fuller Ave.
• Turman-Larison Gallery, 337 N. Last Chance Gulch
• Upper Missouri Artists Gallery, 7 N. Last Chance Gulch

 Tickets are also available at room 445, 4th floor of the City-County Building, 316 N. Park Ave., and from HPAC members:  Vivian Hayes, Carol Montgomery, Carol Swanson, Karen Sturm, Bobi Harris, and Jim Gilman.

Ticket purchasers will be eligible for these special gift certificates: 

• Benny's 
• On Broadway
• Silver Star
• Toi's Thai
• Holter Museum one year membership

An optional "Paint A Tile" project, open to all ages, will be available for $5 at Free Ceramics.  Paint two tiles-one for the studio and one to take home. 

A special children’s activity is also planned in conjunction with the Tour.  Free Ceramics' Clay Club program offers hands-on playing with clay.  Drop your child off between 12 and 5pm Saturday or Sunday, and they will get to make pots, sculpt animals, and get their hands dirty throwing on a wheel.