The Helena Public Art Committee (HPAC) will host its 5th annual Helena Area Open Studios Tour of working artist studios from noon-5:00 PM, Saturday, September 21, and Sunday, September 22, 2013.   The Tour gives the public a wonderful opportunity to visit artists at work in their studios, allowing the viewer to learn more about the creative process of art and buy directly from the artists.

Artists will demonstrate their work at 9 Helena area locations as they create jewelry, paintings in a variety of styles, prints, ceramics, pottery, collages and more. 

Leah Lambert paints portraits and loves faces, and is challenged to capture each person's own beauty, uniqueness and Spirit.

Jim Stevens paints in an impressionistic-realism style which describes the painters who influence his work such as the early 1900's impressionist painters.

Carol Montgomery's printmaking work is in pursuit of the narrative-cartoon figures and animals that tell a story.

Vivian Hayes' paintings are inspired by scenes in and around Helena, flower gardens, and favorite felines who often lurk in her work.

Ann Wilsnack works in her solar-heated studio and uses beautiful and unique found natural materials, fabrics and textiles that inspire her passion to create joyful, inspiring artwork.  

Liz Harter focuses on mixed media collage and assemblage art using recycled artifacts. Her pieces emerge as representative collage and assemblage, art dolls, original design oak handbags, and copper and tin collage mirrors.

Tara Wilson makes functional wood fired pottery, from place settings and tableware to one of a kind vases and centerpieces that are food safe and can be placed in the microwave or dishwasher.

Cindy Rose's paintings are reflective of the unusual  that excites her artistic side; she likes seeing life through an artist's eyes.

Marcy Bergmann's mediums are oil, water color and graphite.  Art has become her life passion; she is thinking "how can she create something beautiful from..." no matter what medium she is using or the time of day.

Robin Maynard, a native Helenan and self-taught artist, paints bright, colorful, stylized depictions of flowers, creatures, landscapes, etc. with acrylics or oil almost daily, and also creates jewelry.

Carl Wooten, a native Montanan and trapper, tans hides to make medicine bags, knife sheaths, pistol scabbards, etc. to approximate historical artifacts of early Montana.