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Gateway Arts District Opens Doors To Artists Studios

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Gateway Arts District Opens Doors To Artists Studios

May 18th, 2012 - Washington, DC

Published on: Monday, May 14, 2012

By Wanda Jackson

For artists and art-lovers’ organizations along the U.S. Route 1 corridor, it is one of Prince George’s County’s most anticipated events.

The eighth annual Gateway Arts District Open Studio Tour opened artists’ studios in Mount Rainier, Brentwood, North Brentwood and Hyattsville to the public on Saturday. The Gateway Arts District is home to more than 120 artists and 70 studios.

Saturday’s tour offered an opportunity to experience firsthand the artists at work in their own studios. Visitors could access both in-home and stand-alone artist studios, plus cultural centers, art galleries and performance spaces located throughout the arts district.

Artists showcased works in almost every visual arts medium including painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, jewelry, textiles and photography. Demonstrations were offered, and art was available for commission or sale.

Kristus Ratliff, one of the event’s organizers, said that the Open Studio Tour was a positive experience.

“It was an opportunity to engage the public and highlight not only artist and galleries, but also the area’s businesses. For example, at each studio or gallery, you could sample food and refreshments from local businesses. The value in that was to show the public what’s available right here in their own backyard,” Ratliff said.

While final numbers for the event were not available, several artists said the numbers were down significantly from the estimated 1,500 people that attended last year.

But, there was no lack of talent.

At the Gateway Storefront Studios at EZ Storage in Brentwood, highlights included Cheryl Edward’s oil, ink and acrylic paintings inspired by her “fascination of the human body as a whole,” and Imani Russell’s hand-stitched dolls and quilts made from found objects and other materials.

Edwards said that she had a steady flow of foot traffic through her studio, due in part to publicizing the Gateway Arts District event in her newsletter. For her, it was a good day.

“I sold two works of art, one to a previous collector of my work, and one to a new person,” Edwards said.

Laurel Ahrnsbrak, first vice-president of Gateway Community Development Corporation Board, participated as a tour docent. According to her, the studio tour provided an important opportunity for the public to get a glimpse into the creative process behind the art.