The County Studio Tour is on! Well, at least for Chester County. While the pandemic put the kibosh on both the Delco and Montco tours this year, founder Jeff Schaller was able to keep the Chesco tour alive. This year 136 artists are participating at 55 studios. It’s the 10th Anniversary of this tour and that’s something to celebrate during this otherwise somber year. Many artists are opening their doors in and around our area and all the studios will be considering health and safety precautions due to Covid-19. I’ll be sharing profiles of participating artists leading up to the tour dates of September 19th and 20th.
Landenberg artist Karen O’Lone-Hahn will be showing her colorful ceramics at Pam McKee’s Studio in Downingtown (#11 in the catalog). O’Lone-Hahn’s pottery is cheerful. Her functional pieces are made from white stoneware or porcelain and she achieves her bright colors by firing her kiln multiple times. In addition to her smaller pieces, this year she will also feature larger porcelain paper clay pieces and accent lamps. She is looking forward to the event. “I am a real people person and I am missing the camaraderie of being with my fellow artists and patrons.” Along with McKee and two other artists at Studio #11, they are considering safety measures for visitors now. “We are planning ways in which our visitors and each other can feel safe in the space and feel the joy of interacting with artists and viewing the art in a real and personal way.”
When asked how she handled working in the studio and trying to plan during quarantine, Hahn said, “I felt a bit less stressed and free to explore making new forms without the deadlines of a lot of upcoming shows. That’s a double edged sword. Also, I was able to take the time to develop an inventory system.” Hahn took further advantage of the downtime to pursue other avenues for her work. “I submitted my work for sale to Uncommon Goods and happily, I just got a deal with them for two lines of my mugs on their website. I have work on exhibit in the member’s gallery of the Rehoboth Art League in Delaware and am now being represented at The Artists Emporium Gallery in Havre de Grace, Maryland.” Hahn will continue to pursue online avenues to share her work but said, “Serious art lovers will return to the galleries and art events – when they feel comfortable to do so.” Hahn can’t wait to get back to real life. In addition to the studio tour, she is participating in the annual Hagley Craft Fair in Wilmington, scheduled to take place October 17th and 18th. For more information about O’Lone-Hahn, visit her website here.
Pam McKee creates realistic works in watercolor and specializes in the details and symmetry found in nature. She can capture the tiniest lines in a petal all the while keeping a light touch resulting in paintings of flowers that look light and airy, and real. Early on, McKee took classes in botanical illustration and gained a lot of experience. She has spent many years painting and teaching art, and her work is widely exhibited in the Delaware Valley. Her pleasure lies in creating her work, not promoting it so leading up to the studio tour, she has continued to focus on painting. During quarantine she increased her presence online but mostly used the time to create and experiment with art ideas. “My time in the studio is a refuge from the news and it’s resulted in being a little more introspective so I think my work reflects that. I gather vines and berries and flowers from the woods and dye them in a water bath before painting on top. This process forces my creativity to really see what I can paint.”
Studio #11 is located at McKee’s old farmhouse (circa 1750) in Downingtown. Patrons will be welcomed to the studio, the garage space display and the front porch as well as other space on the property. McKee said, “Masks will be required and this year we will forego the mimosas! We are also reducing the numbers of patrons allowed inside at any given time.” Lin Webber and Joanne Orth are also showing at Studio #11. Stay tuned for more information about these artists and others in the coming weeks. For all the details on Chester County Studio Tour, being held on Saturday, September 19th and Sunday September 20th, visit the website here.
In other art news, Chester County Art Association (CCAA) is happy to announce that there will be exhibitions this fall. They are moving to a virtual platform starting in September. Check the website here for more details.
Whatever you do this week, support the arts!!
About Constance McBride
A native of Philadelphia, Constance McBride lived in Arizona for 16 years, where desert observations made a transformative impact on her work as a research based visual artist. Passionate about contemporary art, she was actively engaged in the local arts community. She served as a board member for several art organizations, managed an artist collective/gallery space, curated and juried several exhibitions and wrote for two arts publications in Phoenix. She taught ceramics at Shemer Art Center and Museum and exhibited her work both locally and nationally. McBride returned to Pennsylvania in 2018 and resides in Chester Springs with her husband and two dogs. In West Chester, she serves as a board member at The Art Trust Gallery at Meridian Bank and teaches ceramics at Chester County Art Association. She also teaches at Clay on Main in Oley, PA. She is a member of American Craft Council, Philadelphia Sculptors, and Women’s Caucus for Art, Philadelphia Chapter.
(5 votes, average: 4.60 out of 5)
Loading...
Comments