Maui Open Studios removes the middleman.
The second annual free event brings viewers directly to the doorsteps of local artists by skipping what could be an uncomfortable art gallery setting.
Instead, more than 100 isle artists are inviting people into their studio spaces and homes to see exactly how and where their work is made.
Article Photos
Jim Meekhof
Photo provided by Carolyn Quan
Mediums are as diverse as the artists themselves and include glass, silk painting, digital art, basket weaving, photography, jewelry design, bronze sculpture, mixed media, ceramics, plein air, stone carving, printmaking and more.
"People can expect a lot of interaction with artists, which separates this from going into an art gallery," said organizer Carolyn Quan, artist and former gallery owner. "The opportunity to have a closer interaction with artists is a big draw."
The four-week event starts with a free preview show Saturday at the Maui Tropical Plantation. The event features live music, a cash bar, no-host pupus and previews of artists' work and includes a copy of the MOS Guidebook. The book is an artist directory that contains maps directing visitors to studios and exhibition spaces around the island. Guidebooks will also be available through the month of February at locations around the island.
Fact Box
2nd Annual Maui Open Studios
Opening Celebration / Preview Exhibition
* 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday
* Maui Tropical Plantation
* Free
WEEKEND SELF-GUIDED TOURS:
11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday
* Weekend 1: West, Central and South Maui, Feb. 11-12
* Weekend 2: North and Upcountry Maui, Feb. 18-19
* Weekend 3: The Road to Hana, Hana and East Maui, Feb. 25 - 26
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND MOS GUIDEBOOK DETAILS:
www.mauiopenstudios.com
MOS continues each weekend in February in West, Central and South Maui on Weekend 1; North and Upcountry Maui on Weekend 2; and Hana and East Maui on Weekend 3.
Participants design their own self-guided tours, based on the work that interests them most.
Quan promises that the tours will be inspiring and encourages people to talk story with artists and get to know their work.
"Maui is a major art collectors travel destination," Quan said. "People come from far and wide to purchase art on Maui and add to their collections. I have no doubt that this event will continue to significantly enhance the vibrant and stimulating arts community on Maui.
Events to coincide with the tours include a reception at Travaasa Hana on Weekend 3, along with a talk by Patricia Jennings, author of "Georgia O'Keeffe's Hawaii."
Also, Hui No'eau Visual Arts Center, a MOS sponsor, will host demonstrations in its printmaking, jewelry and ceramic studios on Weekend 2, as well several independent artists' open studios on the lush garden estate property in Makawao.
Quan, a former resident of Maui and Oahu, launched Maui Open Studios last year based on the well-attended open studios she witnessed in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she now lives. The inaugural MOS was a huge success, she said, in drawing 111 participating artists and more than 6,000 individual studio visits by art collectors and art enthusiasts.
"This event allows artists to connect with their art buyers more personally, giving locals and tourists alike a unique experience and opportunity to learn about the artists' techniques and about the artists themselves, as well as purchase art directly from them,"?Quan said.
"The Maui Open Studios event is also a way of helping artists gain vital exposure to the public year after year in a fun, exciting and creative way."
- Kehaulani Cerizo
