ADDISON COUNTY/BRANDON — It must be Open Studio Weekend when bright yellow signs appear along Vermont’s roads over Memorial Day weekend. The signs guide visitors to studios of 242 craftspeople and fine artists across Vermont — including 31 in Addison County and Brandon — during the 2013 Open Studio Tour on May 25 and 26.
This year’s event features a number of artists new to the tour, giving long-time Open Studio visitors some fresh destinations to explore. There are also some new clusters of studios in Lincoln. Many visitors plan to head to their favorite studios to see what new art works await them.
Open Studio Weekend is a statewide celebration of the visual arts and creative process, offering a unique opportunity for visitors to meet a wide variety of artists and craftspeople in their studios, some of which are only open to the public during this event.
The self-guided Open Studio tour features the work of glassblowers, jewelers, printmakers, potters, furniture makers, weavers, ironworkers, painters, sculptors, quilt makers and wood carvers. Many galleries will host gallery talks and feature special exhibits in conjunction with this event.
This May, the Vermont Crafts Council, which organizes the event, is honoring four studios that have reached their 20th year of participating in Spring Open Studio Weekend:
•  Fred and Judi Danforth, Danforth Pewter in Middlebury.
•  Robert Compton, Robert Compton Pottery near Bristol.
•  William Laberge, William Laberge Cabinetmaker near Dorset.
•  Marion Waldo McChesney, The Pawlet Potter near Pawlet.
Martha Fitch, the executive director of the Vermont Crafts Council, says the allure of the Open Studio tour is that “it takes you through the real Vermont in a safe and controlled way. The road may go on and on, but the yellow Open Studio signs along with the Open Studio map will guide visitors to every studio.”
The Vermont Crafts Council publishes a free map booklet with directions to participating sites. It is available throughout the state at Tourist Information Centers, galleries and studios. It is also available on the VCC website, www.vermontcrafts.com.
Five artists in Lincoln will open their workspaces to visitors this weekend. They are:
•  York Hill Pottery/Elizabeth Saslaw – Functional, sophisticated pottery. 166 York Hill Road.
•  Kathleen Kolb – Oil and watercolor paintings of landscapes, prints. 685 Colby Hill. Same location as Paul Forlenza’s studio.
•  Paul Forlenza – Photography. Studio is in the same building as Kolb’s.
•  Victoria Blewer – Original, individually hand-colored photographs. 39 Quaker St.
•  Escape Studio/Nick Mayer – Naturalist watercolors of fish and wildlife. 1497 West Hill Road.
Other open studios in the northern half of the county are:
•  Creative Space – Fine art, photographs, furniture, pottery. 235 Main St., Vergennes.
•  Outerlands Gallery – Photography, sculpture, painting, furniture, metal. 37 Green St., Vergennes.
•  Anne Cady Paintings – Colorful Vermont landscape oil paintings. 653 Quarry Road, New Haven.
•  Dale Helms – Custom contemporary furniture. 2886 Mountain Road, Bristol.
•  Vermont Folk Rocker/Jim Geier – Handcrafted hardwood rocking chairs. 3820 Route 116, Starksboro.
•  Robert Compton Pottery – Handthrown functional and decorative pottery. 2662 Route 116 North, Bristol.
•  Art on Main – Artist cooperative, works in many media. 25 Main St., Bristol.
•  Rory Jackson – Oil paintings, landscapes, seascapes, prints. 11 Main St., Bristol.
In the southern half of the county, look for these open studios:
•  Sandra Lance Pottery – Colorful porcelain pottery for home and garden. 1409 Lincoln Road, Ripton.
•  Tom Homann – Earthy, stoneware, functional kitchenware, ashglazed. 3 Warner Drive, East Middlebury.
•  Mike Mayone Fine Art – Paintings, prints, note cards, realism, landscapes. 8 Case St., East Middlebury.
•  Trillium Art & Beyond/Yinglei Zhang – Traditional Chinese painting, calligraphy, landscape, birds and flowers. 56 High St., Middlebury.
•  Danforth Pewter Workshop and Store – Watch pewter being made. 52 Seymour St., Middlebury.
•  Timothy Fisher Gallery – Painting, wood sculpture, fabric paintings, merry-go-round. 727 Fisher Road, Cornwall.
•  The Oxford Rug Hooking School/Amy Oxford – Hooked rug demonstrations and mini lessons. 4174 Route 30, Cornwall.
•  Stratford House Pottery/Stacey Stanhope – Highly decorative, functional salt-fired pottery. 296 Route 22A, Orwell.
•  Family Tree Glass/Brooke and Brian Holzhammer – Lamp worked glass-blowing, sculpture, jewelry. 22 Young Road, Orwell.
Brandon, with 10 open studios, will offer an array of artists any many different media:
•  Caleb Kenna Photography – Vermont photography, images, prints, notecards. 28 Pearl St.
•  Judith Reilly Gallery – Fabric Artist. Unique fabric paintings, prints, notecards, accessories. 24 Conant Square.
•  Art on a Whim: Stained Glass Studio/Laura Rideout – Stained glass, original “clouds,” panels, suncatchers. 8 East Prospect St.
•  Brandon Artists Guild – Cooperative gallery for Vermont artists and artisans. 7 Center St.
•  Mobiles and More/Patty Sgrecci – Kinetic sculpture, mobiles. At the Brandon Artists Guild.
•  Kimble House Inc./Warren Kimble – Contemporary American folk art, paintings and sculpture. 40 Park St.
•  Joan Curtis – Mixed-media artwork. 10 Union St.
•  Big Sky Farm Handweaving/Lee Greenewalt – Blankets, rugs, towels, hats, color. 29 Union St.
•  Don Ross Photography – Color, black and white, large format. The Granary, 29 Union St.
•  Smith-Hunter Studio/Susan Smith-Hunter – Ceramic sculpture. 4 Railroad Ave.