The Carroll Artists Studio Tour is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its founding this year. On Dec. 7-8, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Carroll artists will open their studios throughout the county to members of the public to allow them to examine their work, their working environment and to make purchases.
The tour was the brainchild of Linda Van Hart, who was program coordinator of the Carroll County Arts Council.
“Director Naomi Benzil asked me to put together a group of craftspeople like the painting guild,” Van Hart said. “We called ourselves, The Carroll County Crafts Guild. Our first meeting was on December 18, 1984.”
The first art studio tour was held in September 1987 by 20 artists in six studios. In 2018, they renamed themselves The Carroll Artists Studio Tour.
To mark their 40th anniversary, the artists will also exhibit as a group at five community galleries throughout the year. The shows feature regional art.
The first gallery featuring the 40th anniversary show is Off Track Artists Cooperative at 11 Liberty St. in Westminster. The show will be held from March 1 through April 21.
The second gallery will be the Scott Gallery at Carroll Community College, 1601 Washington Road, Westminster. The show will be held from May 9 through June 8. The reception is May 9, from 4-7 p.m.
The third gallery, Gribs Gallery at 208 Main St., in New Windsor, will be hosting the show from June 22 to Aug. 10. The reception is June 22, from noon to 4 p.m.
The fourth gallery is the Fairhaven Gallery at 7200 3rd Ave., in Sykesville. The reception is Sept. 8, from 2-4 p.m. and the show will run from Sept. 7 through Oct. 19.
The final gallery will be the Carroll County Arts Council, 91 W. Main St., in January 2025. Details of that exhibit are pending.
Some of the artists included are Linda Van Hart, metalsmith from Uniontown, who will be selling her handmade silver jewelry and “Heart Armor” sculptures (tollhousestudio.com). Jacob Selmer, of Harney, will show his blacksmith crafts (selmerironworks.com). Local artist, teacher, author and craftswoman Carolyn Seabolt, from Westminster, is exhibiting silk paintings, tinsel paintings and collages (cattracksstudio.com). Sharon Schaeffer, from Westminster, is exhibiting her handmade baskets. Rep Staub of Homestead Forge N’ Wood, from Westminster, is showing his wrought iron work and wood crafts (homesteadforgenwood.com). Terry Koening is a porcelain painter who will show her delicately hand painted China. Needle felting by Gayle Mathues, from Westminster, includes a felted duck and a bunny rabbit as well as other animals. Doug Heck, a woodturner from Taneytown, will be exhibiting his hand turned wooden bowls, trees and laser cut ornaments (dougsturnings.com).
For more information visit ccartists.com.
Lyndi McNulty is the owner of Gizmo’s Art in Westminster. Her column, An Eye for Art, appears regularly in Life & Times.
