Comments Off on It’s Here! The 2024 Tour starts today.
Visit Bruce Iverson in his home studio – Studio #4 – all weekend during the Portsmouth Holiday Arts Tour.
Join us this weekend (November 23-24) for our 24th Annual Portsmouth Holiday Arts Tour. Stop by any of our seven open studios today (Saturday) and tomorrow (Sunday) from 10am-5pm and visit with fourteen local artists. See their new work and purchase directly from the maker! The Tour is free and self guided: download a brochure with a route map, or visit the online map to make your way through the stops. We all look forward to seeing you!
Comments Off on Meet the 2024 Artists on Tour this November!
Since 2001 Seacoast based artists have prepared their home studios to open their doors the weekend before Thanksgiving, inviting the public to learn about artists in their neighborhoods, unearth hidden treasures, and buy direct from the maker.
This year the Portsmouth Holiday Arts Tour (PHAT), celebrating its 24th year, will not disappoint in attracting visitors from around New England who are interested in exploring local art on the seacoast. The upcoming FREE self-guided tour, happening November 23 and 24 from 10am to 5pm both days, will feature seven home-based studios with fourteen participating artists offering visitors a glimpse into the creative lives and homes of local artists. This is the ORIGINAL artist studio tour on the Seacoast giving visitors a chance to jump start their holiday shopping!
Stephen Lichtenstein at the forge
Art is a special, thoughtful, quality gift for any holiday or celebration. Each piece by participating artists is one-of-a-kind and of heirloom quality – a gift that can be handed down from generation to generation. Making a connection with the artist brings the story behind each piece to life. Open studio visits afford time to discuss a gift with an artist who will help you make the right choice for its recipient. The tour offers a low-key atmosphere that welcomes browsing, watching a demonstration, and chatting with the artists.
This year’s tour continues to represent an array of world class artists, featuring some of your favorite studios and welcoming one new artist to this popular event. After years of apprenticing with local blacksmith Peter Happny, Stephen Lichtenstein will be joining the Arts Tour for 2024 with his wrought iron sculptures. Stephen noted, “It’s quite an honor to join with some of the most renowned artists in the community. I watched with delight as the annual tour brought community members into studios to witness firsthand the creative energy that goes into individual artistry. There’s nothing like seeing the planning and work that goes into the creative process and to see the actual environments where people work.”
Bruce Iverson returns to the tour with his Asian brush painting after a brief hiatus. When asked what brought him back to the tour, Iverson shared, “The Holiday Arts Tour is probably the most unique venue for Portsmouth artists. Portsmouth has a lot of local talent that needs to be seen and appreciated, and I feel the Holiday Arts Tour provides that opportunity. I’m pleased to be back.”
Anticipating her participation in this annual event, glass artist Kristina Logan adds, “I am always happy to see new faces and local friends in my studio each year! I love giving demonstrations and sharing the magic of how hot glass forms into beads at the torch.”
Emma Ashby, encaustic painting artist, expressed similar thoughts, saying, “The best part of the tour is introducing people to the medium. A lot of people have not seen encaustic before and to be able to demonstrate the process and see people’s reaction to the medium is so lovely.”
PHAT remains an unparalleled local arts event in our community. The tour is FREE, self-guided, and individually paced. Check out the tour map at www.portsmouthartstour.com and pick any studio to begin your tour! Spend a day or the whole weekend taking in what each studio has to offer. Talk with the artists. Learn about their individual techniques. Some visitors have walked or biked the whole tour, but parking is generally accessible at each location.
Featured artists on this year’s tour include:
- Steven Zoldak and Maureen Mills, handthrown stoneware
- Karen Orsillo, Porcelain jewelry and pottery
- Dyanna Smith, fused glass, beads and jewelry
- Nancy Kanner, whimsical encaustic painting
- Lisa Grey, mixed media collage
- Peter Happny, blacksmith
- Emma Ashby, encaustic painting
- Bill Clarke, en plein air painting and custom furniture
- Lucinda Clarke, hand cut designs and en plein air painting
- Kristina Logan, flamework glass beads and jewelry
- Silas Logan-Barré, illustrations
- Stephen Lichtenstein, wrought iron sculpture
- Bruce Iverson, Asian brush painting
The Portsmouth Holiday Arts Tour is grateful to community sponsors Piscataqua Savings Bank located at 15 Pleasant St. and Alie’s Jewelers, located at 1 Market St., who hosts a display in their Daniel St window starting in early November to give passers-by a sampling of the Portsmouth Holiday Arts Tour. The display is always thoughtfully designed to showcase many of the participating artists.
Comments Off on The Tour is Here!
It’s Tour weekend this Saturday (Nov. 18) and Sunday (Nov. 19, 2023)! We are busy in our studios happily getting things ready to welcome you in. Stop by any time from 10am-5pm to see all the artists in our home studios. There will be lots of new work out and also the work you already know us for. Start your holiday shopping early and buy local. We can’t wait to see you!
Download the brochure here, with all the artists listed, and a map to guide you through Portsmouth to all eight studios. Learn more about the artists using the Artist tab in the website menu at the top of this page.
Comments Off on The 21st year of the Tour is in-person!
The Portsmouth Holiday Arts Tour has inspired many others, but as THE Original artist’s studio tour on the Seacoast, the quality and variety of artists represented is unparalleled. This year they are returning to their home studios to welcome visitors to share the experience, while supporting Covid-19 best practices.
Celebrating the 21st year of this unique tour, they are pleased to announce that all studios, with only one exception*, are intending to stay open for in person visits. Individual studio guidelines may vary, but social distancing and masks are encouraged. Please, continue to consult the website for up to the minute details.
“Coming out of an unusual year, everyone is looking forward to being in person again.” says Mills, potter and founding member of the Portsmouth Holiday Arts Tour (PHAT). “This tour has become part of the season’s tradition for artist and visitors alike and we expect to have a great turn-out at all our studios.” Featuring world class artists, PHAT offers a wide variety of work available for sale just in time for the holiday season. Including glass, clay, photography, printmaking, jewelry, encaustic, collage and blacksmithing, this tour is sure to provide something of interest to everyone.
Since 2001 Seacoast based artists have prepared their home studios to throw open their doors the weekend before Thanksgiving inviting the public to learn, unearth hidden treasures, and buy direct from the maker. “We have participated in a number of successful events this year and we’re sure this tour will follow that trend! Sharing with our community to learn more about what we do in our studios is a way we can continue to find success and invite them to continue to support local artists.” says Mills.
This year’s upcoming event features seven in-person studios, with 15 participating artists. Studios that are opening to the public may ask visitors to observe social distancing, limit numbers inside, and require masks to be worn. Visitors can consult the PHAT website for links to individual artist studios and their guidelines. Artists featured on the tour include Steven Zoldak, Maureen Mills, Karen Orsillo, Nancy Kanner, Emma Ashby, Dyanna Smith, Lisa Grey, Peter Happny, Susan Bates, Annie Littlefield, Bill Clarke, Lucy Clarke, Kristina Logan, Reg Logan, and Sophia Logan-Barré.
“I think one of the reasons people enjoy the Tour so much, and come back year after year, is they’ll see familiar artists,” Lisa Grey, print and textile collage artist says. “I also think the variety of medium, style and price range has kept people interested.” This event is self-guided and individually paced. You can spend a day or the whole weekend taking in what each studio has to offer and talking individually with the artists.
Art is a special, thoughtful, quality gift for any holiday or celebration. Each piece is one-of-a-kind, always comes with a story, and is heirloom quality – a gift that can be handed down from generation to generation. Open studio visits afford time to discuss a gift with an artist who will help you make the right choice for its recipient. And while you can certainly start your holiday shopping on this tour, it is a low-key atmosphere that welcomes browsing, watching a demonstration, or just visiting too.
For information and updates on the artists and their studios or to download the Portsmouth Holiday Arts Tour map, check out www.PortsmouthArtsTour.com and
*Studio 5 will be online only*
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WHAT: Portsmouth Holiday Arts Tour; Original seacoast Artist Studio Tour
WHERE: 7 Portsmouth studios, featuring 15 artists
DATES: Saturday and Sunday Nov. 20-21 , 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
INFORMATION & MAP: www.PortsmouthArtsTour.com and
https://www.facebook.com/PortsmouthHolidayArtsTour/