Open Studios expands county-wide for first time, connecting more than 160 artists with area aesthetes

Oct. 5—Have you ever visited an art museum, taken a look at, say, a landscape painting and wondered aloud: "How on earth did they do that?"

Enter Open Studios, an informative and fascinating opportunity for members of the community to get a first-hand look at how artists all across Boulder County "do that."

As one of Boulder's most beloved traditions that spans nearly three decades, this year's Open Studios will go beyond city limits and expand to include artists from all over the county — featuring more than 160 artists in all towns — Boulder, Erie, Hygiene, Lafayette, Longmont, Louisville, Lyons, Nederland, Niwot, and Superior — as well as studios in unincorporated portions of the county. Artists will fill 112 studio traditional and non-traditional locations from private homes, outbuildings on farms and garages to warehouse spaces and artist collectives.

Open Studios takes place the first three weekends in October and is a free and self-guided tour. Studios are open from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, when members of the community are welcome to peruse the studios — which often host more than one artist — at their leisure.

Whether you identify as a layperson or an expert when it comes to art, Open Studios welcomes all members of the community to learn more about local artists, their work, their histories and their artistic processes. Some studios will feature live demonstrations and others will have works for sale. Every studio will put a face to the name of the area's most talented photographers, sculptors, painters, jewelry-makers and ceramicists (to name a few).

This year will mark jewelry-maker Nina Brandin's fifth year on the Open Studios circuit.

Brandin's pieces are stunning, delicate creations. Her necklaces and rings are made of rare materials — such as mammoth tusk, dinosaur fossils and ammolite — framed by precious metals like 14-karat gold and sterling silver.

While there are some purists who staunchly adhere to the "don't mix silver and gold" rule, Brandin's pieces intertwine the two materials in a way that is both refreshing and graceful.

"I use the working properties of the materials to their advantage to reflect the natural beauty inherent in their nature," Brandin said. "Silver can be oxidized with a patina to highlight areas, and give depth to show texture. Gold has a lustrous richness and warmth, contrasting the cool and grey tones of the silver. These two metals create a dynamic interplay that serves to illuminate the precious stones featured in my pieces."

Brandin will be sharing a space with fellow Open Studios artist Sue Cable, within Cable's private home at 2490 Grape Ave., Boulder. Guests can look forward to discovering Cable's paintings, as well as Brandin's extensive collection of jewelry and crystals for sale. And, of course, no open studio event would be complete without a live demo from the experts — Brandin will display to visitors how she melts sterling silver to create her wearable masterpieces.

"Reconnecting with the community and fostering meaningful client connections through the Open Studios Tour plays a pivotal role in supporting the development and progression of my work," Brandin said. "Observing how guests interact with my jewelry gives me information, motivating me to enhance functionality and explore materials. The community's support through the purchase of my metalwork is what keeps the creative energy flowing, allowing me to move towards fresh ideas and innovative designs."

Richelle Cripe, a Longmont-based software engineer who moonlights as a colorist painter, is taking part in Open Studios for the third time — the first time being in 2013, and the second time in 2020.

This year, Cripe is not only hoping for a smoother ride (2013 was the year of the flood and 2020 was the year of the pandemic), but she is also hoping to establish herself as a full-on, professional artist.

"I'm making this leap to have more of a professional career in art," Cripe said. "In the past couple of years, I wanted to push myself more into selling my art and being a part of the artist community, and Open Studios is a great way to put myself out there as a professional."

Cripe describes herself as a colorist as she recreates Western vistas (like the Flatirons or Monument Valley in Arizona) in her work using incredibly vivid colors. The result is an imaginative, gorgeous and contemplative landscape that transports the viewer into a magenta daydream.

"I'm really interested in color and intuitive painting, and adding this feminine perspective to the tradition of landscape painting," Cripe said. "Over the years, there's been this long history of landscape painting, especially in the West, but it's been very male-dominated, as most of the arts have been. That's one reason that I bring these crazy colors — lots of pink and purple — into my painting. I want my pieces to very obviously state, 'Hey, I'm a woman!'"

Visitors to her open studio at the New Local Annex at 713 Pearl St., Boulder, can expect to see several new original paintings by Cripe, paper giclee prints and a piece in progress on display to teach guests about her process and her use of color in her work.

"Being a colorist, I always work in a limited color palette, meaning I only use three or four colors in one piece," Cripe said. "That can be kind of interesting because sometimes I'll choose colors that don't make any sense, and then it's a challenge for me to see if I can make something beautiful out of them. So that will be fun to show people."

Details

—The Open Studios preview exhibition can be viewed at the Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. The exhibit features art from various participating artists on the tour, making this a nice pit stop to preview the variety of art. The exhibit is on display through Oct. 22. Learn more at dairyarts.org.

—A full list of participating artists, an interactive tour map — with filters to sift through various mediums and art types — and studio locations can be found at openstudios.org.

—Printed catalogs can be found and printed online, or will be available for $5 at Boulder's Dairy Arts Center and The New Local, 741 Pearl St., or at Longmont's The Great Frame Up, 430 Main St.

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"Whisps of Gold Necklace" made of rutilated quartz and 14K...

"Whisps of Gold Necklace" made of rutilated quartz and 14K gold by artist Nina Brandin. (Nina Brandin/Courtesy photo)

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"Dragon Skin Drop Necklace" made of Ammolite fossil in 14K...

"Dragon Skin Drop Necklace" made of Ammolite fossil in 14K gold and sterling silver by artist Nina Brandin. (Nina Brandin/Courtesy photo)

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