Somerville Open Studios 2008
Somerville, MA - Somerville Open Studios 2008: The First Decade. Saturday-Sunday, May 3-4, noon-6pm each day, with over 340 artists in more than 100 venues in various locations throughout the city of Somerville. [With special SOS events preceding Open Studios weekend: “Artists’ Choice” exhibition, April 17-May 16, with an art opening on Thurs., April 17, 6-9 pm, at the Somerville Museum, 1 Westwood Rd., Somerville; and a SOS Kickoff Bike Ride, Friday, May 2, gathering 7:30 to 8:30 pm at the Somerville Museum and then touring the city in two groups, ending at either Davis or Union Square at 10:00 pm.] All Somerville Open Studios events are free and open to the public. For up-to-date information, visit www.somervilleopenstudios.org or call 617-543-9265.

When measuring success on a scale from 1 to 10, a decade turns out to be the perfect time span. Now going on 10 years of producing under its belt, Somerville Open Studios has developed not only its largest but its most synchronized event yet. Uniting the disparate neighborhoods of Somerville is no easy task, but SOS has managed to do just that – using the endeavor of artists as the glue and the clue to presenting a perfect civic occasion.

The city of Somerville boasts to having the largest density of artists within the state. In fact, the city's web site claims to have more artists per square mile than any other city in the U.S., except New York (which does not hold a citywide open studios). The research is yet to be done, but SOS may in fact be the only citywide open studios of this magnitude in the world, where artist sites are so close together that it is considered truly pedestrian-friendly. The SOS map booklet features indexes by both artist and by artistic medium, so that event-goers can pre-select and plan ahead their marathon walking tour (aided by free trolley rides!).

The three anchor exhibits complementing this year’s SOS explorations are:

Brickbottom Gallery’s “Milestones & Benchmarks”
March 30-May 4)

East Somerville Main Streets “The Colors of the Americas: East Somerville Art Walk”
April 19-May 20

Nave Gallery’s “Turn On A Dime”
May 2-25
including jazz music performances during SOS

A free trolley service will connect these exhibits during SOS weekend, with a quasi-oval shaped route that circles around the city from the Union Square and the lower Broadway areas on the east side to the Powderhouse and Davis Squares on the west side. The trolleys, 4 in all, will run on a continuous basis during SOS weekend and will make frequent stops along the way, giving the public the opportunity to take in the unprecedented number of Somerville artists who will open up their work spaces for that weekend. Since this year there are 4 trolleys, all provided by Old Town Trolley, there will never be longer than a 15 min. wait at any given stop.

Over 340 artists will be showing at more than 100 locations throughout the city. During this free citywide showcase for the arts, mid-career and emerging artists working across a broad spectrum of fine art styles and craft media – including painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, glass, fiber, jewelry, furniture and ceramics – will exhibit and sell their work to the public.

SOS Preview Events at the Somerville Museum:
Leading up to the SOS weekend in May, the Somerville Museum (www.somervillemuseum.org) will host the SOS traditional “Artists’ Choice,” which runs from April 17-May 16, providing a sneak preview of the art work that will be on display during open studios weekend. Each participating SOS artist will choose one piece of work to be featured in this salon-style exhibition. The details for “Artists’ Choice” special events, are as follows:

- April 17, Thurs.: Art Opening, 6-9 pm.
- May 2, Fri.: "Kickoff Bike Ride,” gathering 7:30-8:30 pm and then taking off to tour SOS city-wide territory in two groups (led by Subversive Choppers Urban Legion [SCUL, www.scul.org] and The New Amsterdam Project [NAP, www.newamsterdamproject.com]), ending at either Davis or Union Square by 10:00 pm.

Regular museum hours: Thurs., 2 - 7 pm, Fri., 2 - 5 pm, Sat., 12 - 5 pm, and by appointment. Take note that during SOS weekend, Sat. and Sun. hours have been extended to run from 11am-6pm, in order to encourage SOS-goers to acclimate themselves by visiting the museum to get a “taste” of the weekend’s artistic offerings.
The Somerville Museum is located at 1 Westwood Rd., Somerville; phone: 617-666-9810.

Various SOS weekend guides available to the public:

SOS website:
The continuously updated SOS website (www.somervilleopenstudios.org) allows visitors to search participating artists by name, medium and location. The site includes full event information and a downloadable map, available by mid-April, so that visitors can easily plan their routes beforehand.

SOS map booklet:
SOS has created a printed booklet-style map showing specific studio locations within five neighborhood zones. The booklet features indexes by artist and by artistic medium, and also includes information on the trolleys, designated parking areas, special designations for handicapped accessible studios, and local sponsors. On May 3-4, this map booklet will be available on the trolleys and at all trolley stops, as well as at every studio site and at many retail establishments throughout the city. Unique map stands, designed and built by SOS artist Hilary S. Scott, will be located in various neighborhood artist enclaves. Before SOS weekend (from April 17 on), maps will also be available at several exhibition sites, including the Somerville Museum, and at retail establishments throughout the city. Updated information on where to obtain a map will be available on the website by mid-April.

SOS studio location markers:
Orange balloons will mark all exhibition sites during SOS weekend.

SOS: overall weekend experience:
Somerville Open Studios (SOS) has come a long way from presenting 80+ artists in 1999. However, SOS continues to be dedicated to maintaining that initial local, grass-roots feel, providing visitors with the opportunity to view art made within the community, to interact with local artists, and to have access to artists' working spaces, ranging from the dozens of home studios to the large studio and commercial buildings, such as Central Street Studios, Joy Street Studios, Mad Oyster Studios, Vernon Street Studios, Washington Street Art Center, among others.

SOS: further background:
Somerville Open Studios (SOS) is a non-profit organization formed for the purpose of producing an annual open studio and related events in Somerville, Massachusetts. Its goal is to broaden the public's exposure to, and appreciation of, finished works of art as well as the art-making process. This exposure both educates the community and raises awareness of the diverse artistic experience available in Somerville. Somerville Open Studios is managed by a Board of Directors comprised of participating artists. An Open Studios executive committee is formed each year to organize the event. This committee is assisted by many dedicated volunteers. SOS is run by artists volunteering their time, energy and talents, and is fully supported by participating artists and the sponsorships of local businesses. For more information, log onto www.somervilleopenstudios.org. ### --

- submitted by marycurtinproductions (on behalf of SOS)
Mary Curtin