If you have any plans for the weekend of April 26 and 27, cancel them, unless of course your plan was to attend this year’s Open Studio Event here in Brookline. Why attend? Why not! It is free unless you purchase some art to support a local artist.
Where else can you see 140-plus artists’ work, walk through various neighborhoods, speak with both seasoned artists and aspiring creators about their work? You might just find that perfect piece for that spot on the wall that has been left bare far too long. What better way to spend an afternoon than with family or friends going door to door fantasizing about all the artwork your dream home would have? Who knows, you might find something you just cannot live without, or the perfect gift for a loved one.
Brookline is truly blessed with many talented artists, and while not all participate in this yearly community event, many do. This year, in addition to the artists who will be showcasing their work in their own homes, there are more group venues (multiple artists in one location), along with the Puppet Showplace Theatre, Feet of Clay, The Frame Gallery and, for the first time, the Brookline Teen Center will be helping our younger talented ones show their work as well. Our artists are award-winners, represented by galleries, have work in museums, and are collected by art aficionados. You, too, can become a collector! But first you need to attend and see all that is being offered.
We have bookmakers, ceramicists, jewelers, painters, photographers, sculptors —and that is just the surface. More importantly, we have truly talented, dedicated artists that live amongst us and are our neighbors. They quietly practice their craft throughout the year, but come April they open up their doors and their hearts to the public so that they can share that which they’ve lovingly created with you.
So come, view some wonderful art, maybe even purchase a piece or a few. You will not be disappointed. Looking is free, and who can pass that up?
Sonya Ann Abbott is a fine art photographer who lives and works in Brookline. For more information you can also contact this year’s organizer, Peg O’Connell, at 617-359-4074.
