Happy New Year from the Artisans Road Trip - See You in 2016!!!

"Late Winter Afternoon - Woodland Edge"

photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison

Happy New Year from the artists of the Artisans Road Trip!  We'd like to take a moment to thank you for making 2015 a great year and for supporting your local artists of this region!

Look for the future artists of the 2016 A.R.T. in the months ahead - as well as future exhibits held throughout the year!

Our next art exhibit starts in just over a week at the Clear Lake Arts Center in Clear Lake, Iowa!  The image above is just one sample of what will be showing and available at the CLAC!  The exhibition will open on January 8th and run through February 15th of 2016.  If you're in the Clear Lake area be sure and not miss out!

Also, if you would like to participate through the 2016 year as an artist of the Artisans Road Trip - its not too late!  Just download the prospectus from the A.R.T. web site and send it in by January 15th!  Enjoy the benefits of year around exhibits in quality galleries and art centers, your own web page and weekly to semi weekly blogs for free P.R. as well as advertising and full color brochures for 2016 - what better way for a Happy New Year in the arts!  Visit the Artisans Road Trip web site for more information and contacts - http://www.artisansroadtrip.com/

Happy New Year!!!

Remember - Artisans Road Trip Call for Artists in 2016!

Once again the Artisans Road Trip is looking for Artists for the 2016 season!  A.R.T has been going strong in NW Iowa since 2004 and originally started as an open studio tour of the counties in the NW corner of the state.

Every year the Artisans Road Trip puts the invitation out for all artists of the region to consider joining for the next season!  It is not always possible to find every artist however - so we're putting the word out again!  All disciplines and media from painting, drawing, sculpture, mixed media, jewelry making, fabric, wood turning, photography and more are accepted.

A.R.T. reminds artists that, although the October weekend event was originally the main focus of the Artisans Road Trip, A.R.T. now has something going on throughout the year with exhibits and showings at various art centers, galleries and public events!  And participating artists can take advantage of a year-round web site, a weekly blog and the year long P.R. afforded by the organization!

Is the Artisans Road Trip right for you?! Do you know an artist that may not be aware of A.R.T.?  Forward this information to them! The 2016 season is shaping up to be another great year and event!  

Check out the 2016 Artist's Prospectus near the bottom of the A.R.T web site homepage - fill it out and join us!  Hope to see you in 2016!

2015 Artisans Road Trip Artists in Area Shows and Hoilday Weekend Events!

This week and weekend is bringing area holiday art exhibits and sales that several 2015 Artisan Road Trip artists will be participating in!  Yes, lots of choices and loads of fun!

 

Each year the artists of this area get together for a Holiday Sale, and this year is no different - except - this year there are two events on the same weekend!

The first Holiday sale that you'll find A.R.T artists participating in is at Barb McGee's Gallery on Main Street in Peterson, Iowa and at Beth Cathcart's Rocking M Pottery, NW of Linn Grove, Iowa.  Barb and Beth will be holding their Holiday sale for several artists this year! 2015 Artisans Road Trip artists at both Holiday Open Houses will include (among others) Tim Anderson, Beth Cathcart, Bruce Morrison, Barb McGee, Diane Noll and Marisa Sidles.  These Holiday Open Houses will be held on Saturday December 5 from 9:00AM to 5P.M. and Sunday from Noon to 3PM.

Take some time and check out the artists and entertainment at the McGee Gallery and Rocking M Pottery Holiday Open House!

 

Another Holiday sale and exhibit that 2015 A.R.T. artists are participating in is a new gallery in Lake Park, Iowa! "December at Systolic Studio" will be an Art and Fine Antique sale and is being held in the former Methodist Church building in Lake Park. This new gallery (Systolic Studio) will have a host of top quality artists and artwork and antiques over a 3 day event! 2015 Artisans Road Trip artists at "December at Systolic Studio" will include (among others) Danielle Clouse-Gast, Hank Hall, Tim Arand-McIlrath, Bruce Morrison, David Strom, Paula Streeter and Holly Zinn.

The event is inside the west entrance and up the stairway to the left, and this exhibit and sale opens on Friday, December 4 from 3-8PM, again on Saturday December 5 from 10AM-6PM, and Sunday December 6 from 11AM-3PM; be sure and take it in - you'll be in for a real treat!

 

Where else can you find 2015 A.R.T. artists this week and through the weekend!?  Try Arts on Grand in Spencer, Iowa for their "Christmas in the Gallery"!  The exhibit and the Arts on Grand Gallery Shop features several Artisans Road Trip artists and you can get anything from cards to original works!  For an extra treat - attend the Ugly Christmas Sweater Party at Arts on Grand this Thursday night from 5:30-7:30PM!  Its free!  Enjoy the appetizers, games and fun!  The exhibit "Christmas in the Gallery" runs from December 1 through January 2, 2016.

There's a lot to enjoy and see - don't miss them!  Enjoy the season!

Artisans Road Trip Call for Artists in 2016!

The Artisans Road Trip is looking for Artists for the 2016 season!  A.R.T has been going strong in NW Iowa since 2004 and originally started as an open studio tour of the counties in the NW corner of the state.

Every year the Artisans Road Trip puts the invitation out for all artists of the region to consider joining for the next season!  All disciplines and media from painting, drawing, sculpture, mixed media, jewelry making, fabric, wood turning, photography and more are accepted.

A.R.T. asks artists to realize that, although the October weekend event was originally the main focus of the Artisans Road Trip, A.R.T. now has something going on throughout the year with exhibits and showings at various art centers, galleries and public events!  And participating artists can take advantage of a year-round web site, a weekly blog and the year long P.R. afforded by the organization!

Is the Artisans Road Trip right for you?! The 2016 season is shaping up to be another great year and event!  

Check out the 2016 Artist's Prospectus near the bottom of the A.R.T web site homepage - fill it out and join us!  Hope to see you in 2016!

2015 Artisans Road Trip Artists Hank Hall and Tim Arand-McIlrath Artwork Selected for Iowa Crafts 42 Exhibition

 Artwork (top two - clockwise)

"Parade Ready", "Breezy", "Ridged" and "Pondgazing"

Artworks - © Hank Hall and Tim Arand-McIlrath

 

Artwork by Hank Hall (Spirit Lake) and Tim Arand-McIlrath (Okoboji) has been selected for the Iowa Crafts: 42 exhibition at the Charles H. MacNider Art Museum in Mason City, Iowa, through January 9. Hall's teapot Parade Ready was announced Best in Show at a reception on November 14.

The Juror for this year's Iowa Crafts competitive exhibition is Laura Colby, lecturer of art at Upper Iowa University.  According to Mara Linskey-Deegan of the McNider Museum, the exhibit provides much deserved recognition to the many talented artists and craftspeople active in Iowa.

Hank Hall's "Parade Ready" is a wheel thrown and altered teapot with mixed media lid and handle, metal wheels, and a wooden ramp base.  The teapot is made of bisque-fired cone stoneware, sprayed with green glitter paint on the outside and glazed inside,  His other teapot entry "Satellite" features dimensional fabric paint dots over acrylic paint with a mixed media handle.  For the Best in Show award, Hank will receive a solo exhibit at the MacNider Museum during the next year.

Tim Arand-McIlrath is exhibiting three fabric pieces in the exhibition. "Breezy" printed fabric, crocheted yarn. "Ridged", knitted fabric, crocheted yarn. "Pondgazing", printed fabric, crocheted yarn. All of his recent work uses recycled fabric from garments as backgrounds with crocheted environments over them.

Both artists are members of the 2015 Artisans Road Trip and currently have artwork included in the A.R.T. Group Exhibition at the Pearson Lakes Art Center in Okoboji. That exhibit will be on view through Dec. 31, 2015.

Iowa Crafts: 42 is free and open to the public through January 9, 2016.  The Charles H. MacNider Museum in Mason City is open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 9-5 and Tuesday and Thursday 9-8.

Thank You!

The big October Studio Tour/Art weekend event - the Artisans Road Trip, is a little over a week past and what a great weekend it was!

All of the artists of the 2015 Artisans Road Trip would like to take this time to put out a big THANK YOU!!!  Thank you to everyone who visited our studios or exhibit spaces, who put the word out to their friends and neighbors and who support the arts in NW Iowa!

Remember - the Artisans Road Trip also continues throughout the year with it's exhibits at galleries and art spaces around the region!  A.R.T. currently has two exhibits ongoing - one at Arts on Grand in Spencer, Iowa and another at the Pearson Lakes Art Center in Okoboji, Iowa!  More exhibits coming in the month ahead as well!

Thank you once again and we hope to see you at future events!

2015 Artisans Road Trip This weekend!!!

This is the big weekend!

Not one, but three venues!

Northwest Iowa's Artisans Road Trip members invite you to attend the 12th annual open studio tour on Saturday, October 10th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 11th from noon until 5 p.m.

Along with the open studio tour, everyone is encouraged to see and purchase original art at the two collective (group) shows sponsored by Arts on Grand and Pearson Lakes Art Center. "There will be one or two pieces from almost all of the artists," explains chairperson, Tim McIlrath.  It's impressive to see the range, quality and diversity of each artist's work and as a collective group."

Events and Dates:
Artisans Road Trip's Open Studio Tour: October 10 – 11, 2015
Arts On Grand, Spencer IA: September 29 to October 31, 2015
Pearson Lakes Art Center, Spirit Lake IA: October 8 to December 31, 2015


"Planning your personal A.R.T. tour is easy."

To learn all about the 2015 Artisans Road Trip, preview artists' work and begin planning your personal tour we encourage you to use these tools:
1. BROCHURE: You can find brochures at local art centers, participating artist locations, banks, libraries and gathering places in your community.
2. WEBSITE: www.artisansroadtrip.com
3. BLOG: http://artisansroadtrip.blogspot.com/

"We're looking forward to seeing you this year!"

BRUCE MORRISON, painter/photographer: "I love it when people come to my studio, see what I do and ask questions – I learn a lot from this exchange!  And people learn something too, in a fun way. I believe (that) the interchange between the artist and public fuels the act of creativity. The biggest barrier to any artist is the issue of 'exposure'.  A.R.T. gives the artist a venue for interaction and the potential for the purchase of the work. It also opens the world of 'creativity' to the public.

 LINDA FRIES, watercolorist: "Oh, the freedom and flow of watercolor and just as the brush takes control; the painter begins a journey and that's when the fun begins. For years now, A.R.T. has opened our home studio to the fun bunch that just stops in. And I so enjoy meeting all of these outstanding artists. Each year is richer, better – It's a good time."

 HANK HALL, pottery, drawings, painting: "Sharing my work with the public is something I love to do," says Hank Hall. "I create to satisfy my sense of aesthetics, and if someone else gets a kick out it then it just doesn't get better than that!"

And that's just a few words from three of the 35 artists participating in this year's big weekend event! The weekend forecast is for plenty of sunshine and above normal temperatures for October - plan a weekend trip and make the rounds at the 2015 Artisans Road Trip!

Hope to see you on the road for a fun weekend!