Greenville Open Studios returns to celebrate 20 years of a special glimpse at local art

Experience the melting pot of 150 Greenville-area-based artists and their studios and witness some of their creative processes during Piedmont Natural Gas Greenville Open Studios, which is free to the public Nov 11-13.

Sculptures, woodwork, paintings and more will be showcased and for sale at the personal and public studios of artists within a 15-mile radius of downtown Greenville throughout the weekend as the difference-making, self-guided tour celebrates its 20th year.

The Metropolitan Arts Council has published an interactive map of studio locations involved in this year's Open Studios at greenvillearts.com. The event offers the public a unique look at the pieces, practices and working environments of some of Greenville's best visual artists.

"The style of art in Greenville is constantly growing," said Alan Ethridge, executive director of the Metropolitan Arts Council in Greenville. "We want to raise the awareness of the great artists and professionalism of the people working in Greenville and give the public an opportunity to interact with them in their studios."

Its intention is to promote the diversity and quality of local visual artists in Greenville.

The prelude to the event — "The 12 x 12" exhibit at the Metropolitan Arts Center at 16 Augusta Street — showcases 12-by-12-foot displays of the working artists participating in Open Studios. This exhibit will stay open through Dec. 9.

Open Studios officially opens with the Friday Night Preview 6-9 p.m. Nov. 11, at participating galleries before fully cranking up Nov. 12.

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Open Studios has grown over the decades

What began in 2002 with fewer than 60 Greenville artists has blossomed to include more than 150 professional creators participating in the weekend exhibition that has fostered growth and value of Upstate visual art.

Michael McDunn, a clay and wood craftsman, has been involved with Open Studios since its inception and has firsthand experience in how the weekend exhibition has benefited him and his contemporaries. McDunn recalls renting a tour bus in collaboration with the former Tempo Gallery & Art Supply on West Stone Avenue, which would shuttle the public to three different locations for Open Studios during its opening 20 years ago.

"It's evolved into a great opportunity for craftspeople and artists to show their work," McDunn said. "Otherwise, people wouldn't know about artists in the community."

And because of that, the MAC has put its money where the art is. In 2002, the Metropolitan Art Center spent less than $10,000 in advertising for Open Studios, but it now invests more than $200,000 a year into media advertisement, catalogs, posters and even a mobile app for the weekend event, said executive director Ethridge.

The MAC generates funding for advertising through more than 30 sponsors and private donors.

After the pandemic year of 2020, where participating artists sold less than $150,000 in artwork and many decided to open their studios only virtually, Open Studios bounced back with $439,000 in total artwork sold in 2021, a record high in sales, according to Ethridge.

In its 20-year existence, Greenville Open Studios has generated $4.96 million in total art sales ranging from painting, sculptures, metalsmithing, glass curation and other mixed media, Ethridge said.

Greenville artists who were there in the beginning

In 2002, there were 58 artists in 50 locations participating in Open Studios, and now there are 150 artists at 100 locations, according to Alice Ratterree, marketing director at the Metropolitan Arts Council.

Eric Benjamin, an oil painter, can recall how Open Studios, both then and now, has offered a space for artists to become more personable with the public.

"We're not in our jazzy outfits that we would be in a gallery setting," Benjamin said. "We get a chance to be in our element and show people how we work."

Of the 150 artists participating in this year's Open Studios, 10 have been there since the beginning. Ratterree, and their perception of accounts of what makes Open Studios a needed event showcases why visibility for local artists is needed in Greenville.

Diane Kilgore Condon, oil painter

■ Why Open Studios is important: "It has changed Greenville's opinion of itself," said Condon. "When people come out and see what's here, they are actually impressed with their town."

Her grandmother, Helen Kilgore, introduced her to art as a kid, and influenced a passion in art that caused Diane to switch from journalism to an art major shortly after her freshman year at Bob Jones University.

In between classes, Condon would sprint to the school's studios to get in as much time to practice her art as possible. Today, she is a professional artist who specializes in oil on panel canvases that often include animals and nature.

■ What makes her studio unique: "It's a densely woven fabric at The Artbomb Studios," said Condon of the collection of artists who work out of West Greenville. "We compete with each other, and it creates an energy."

■ Studio location: 1320 Pendleton Street in Greenville

Lynn Greer, watercolor painter

■ Why Open Studios is important: "Because of the skills of MAC, it's grown phenomenally," Greer said of the 20-year exhibition. "I think people learn what artists go through, and see what kind of environments we work in.

The Wade Hampton High School graduate was a part of the very first class that experienced Greenville's Fine Arts Center at the school. If it wasn't for the fine arts center, she wouldn't be an artist, Greer said. After graduating with a degree in graphic design from the University of Georgia, she spent nine years in advertising before becoming a painter, specializing in watercolor.

"If I didn't have the fine arts center (at Wade Hampton High), I wouldn't be an artist," Greer said of her beginnings as an artist. " I started painting while working in advertising and decided to go fulltime 30 years ago."

■ What makes her studio unique: "You have to follow a path before you find me. I have colors everywhere, including a bright fuchsia door. It's fairly small, but I do have a deck."

■ Studio location: 118 West Montclair Avenue in Greenville

Lu Wixon, wood panel painter

■ Why Open Studios is important: "It's been excellent publicity and connection to the arts community," Wixon said. "It's wonderful having people see me work in action, because I have a certain technique, and people don't know it until they see it."

Wixon spent two years in the West Indies where she would paint on wood she found around her neighborhood. Now she uses more professional wood panels to accentuate canvas.

She served as an art teacher at Heritage Elementary School in Travelers Rest where she helped start Art Day, a yearly event that brings local artists to the school for children to engage with the professional artists of Greenville.

■ What makes her studio unique: "I have everything in my studio on wheels. I'm constantly working on several pieces at a time, and I have a display wall."

■ Location: 5 Zelma Drive in Greenville

Michael McDunn, woodworking and clay artist

■ Why Open Studios is important: "Painting or woodworking or pottery, the people get an idea of how much work goes into our art." McDunn said. "It gives the public an opportunity to come and visit to see what is really involved."

The self-taught woodworking and clay creative received his start in 1976 at the Greenville County Museum of Art while assisting with a bicentennial textile showcase. That two-week exhibit turned into a five-year stint working with GCMA, where he took classes towards the development as he took classes towards his development as an artist.

■ What makes his studio unique: "I've got a nice showroom out front that's full of my work. There's always lots of work in progress. This is a really cool place."

■ Location: 741 Rutherford Road in Greenville

What to know about Greenville Open Studios

• Friday Night Preview: Friday, Nov. 11, 6-9 p.m. (select artists only)

• Open Studios Day 1: Saturday, Nov. 12, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Open Studios Day 2: Sunday, Nov. 13, noon to 6 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Greenville Open Studios celebrates 20 years with special glimpse in