Art thrives in this gorgeous community. From theater to music to art galleries, there is support for all types of creatives here in Carbondale and the Valley. With local artists in mind, two talented people brainstormed a community-centered art walk that gives patrons of the arts an opportunity to see the process behind the scenes. Artists Adele Craft and Lindsay Jones have organized the free Art Wander event, June 27, for residents and visitors to step inside of their world for an afternoon.
“Lindsay and I have been studio mates in Studio 10 now for about a year. A couple of months ago, we had a conversation about hosting an open studio for Studio 10 in the Third Street Center and we started talking about including other artists in that open studio. I’m a kind of go-big-or-go-home person,” Craft said.
While living in London and getting her master’s degree, Craft became inspired by an art event called “The Crouch End Open Studio,” when a little neighborhood full of artists opens their studios for the public to walk through once a year. While talking with Jones about hosting an open art studio, this event popped into her mind and the beginning of Art Wander Carbondale began to form.
“I think people, in general, love seeing the behind the scenes of anything, and that’s basically what an open studio is; but we talked about it and Adele was like, ‘Let’s make it bigger,’” Jones added.
So the Studio 10 event became Art Wander. Craft and Jones originally aimed to have around 15 artists. Currently, they reported that 30 artists have signed up to open their space to the public. With this incredible turn out, all that is left is for the public to participate.
“I sympathize with artists who don’t have a space or who want to show their work, but they’re afraid to make an event of it — so we made the event for them,” Jones said.
The event will have a central location at the Third Street Center, starting at noon and ending at 6pm. The Third Street Center will have map print outs to guide patrons to each artist’s location around town.
“It was really important for us to have something tactile. We want something that people can hold in their hands and have an unplugged community experience,” Craft noted.
The goal is for the public to get to know the local art scene from the perspectives of the artists while they are creating. Seeing final pieces is always mesmerizing, but this event provides the opportunity to get to know the art and the artists before the product is finished.
The artists involved in the Art Wander are all unique in craft — ranging from carpentry, fiber arts, fine arts, pottery and more. The artists are also generous with their time and space, allowing spectators into the intimate process of creation.
“As artists, you only get so many chances to show your work,” Jones said. “Artists always have work that nobody ever sees because we’re always creating something, but it doesn’t all make the final cut to a show.”
Craft and Jones emphasized their gratitude to the downtown businesses that are lending their space to collaborate with artists and give them a place to present their work if they do not have a home studio. Some of the artists will be located at Studio for Arts and Works (S.A.W), Mountain Tide Provision Co., KDNK Community Access Radio and Colorado Mountain College’s Lappala Center in Carbondale to name a few.
“Our hope would be that we could do this every summer in Carbondale, and then Lindsay and I have started talking about doing the Art Wander Glenwood edition in fall. I’d love to see a spring one happen in Basalt. We would love to carry this name, Art Wander, over to the different towns,” Craft said.
Join Craft and Jones at the Third Street Center this Saturday, June 27, from noon to 6pm and romp around town for a peek inside the creative process of 30 local artists.