Frequently Asked Questions

1. On the application, how do I complete your request for 5 words to be used in the county section of the Tour Guide? Do you want directions here, or what?

We want five words to describe what people will see when they come to your studio. This is mostly completed with a fuller description of your work. Where you may have chosen these two words for your index description: Functional Pottery, you may chose these for your five word description: Carved, stoneware pottery, colanders, platters. The five words are used as a lead in to your directions listing in the county section of the Tour Guide.

2. If a group of us want to get together at a site, not our studio, can we just pay the "showing at another's studio" fee or does someone have to pay a site fee first?

At least one of those at the site with several artists would have to pay the site fee. Then others could sign up as showing at that site, not their studio.

In the past, I have known several people showing at one site to pay an equal share of the fees. In other words all the fees of the site plus those showing there are added and then paid equally by all. It is more convenient and less confusing (remember that if we are confused we make mistakes...) for one check to come to us from each person involved. However you handle the finances behind the scenes is your business.

3. What benefits do artists get if they "show at another's studio"?

They get a full artist listing on the website and in the index of the guide, and in the county section of the guide. They do not get a separate spot on the map. We mark sites on the map, not people. Which is why, if you are trying to create a more robust presence in an area, it is better to have more sites.

It would look like this: Site name, artist name and contact info including site address. Showing here are: Guest artist business name and artist info. Guest artist business name and artist info. Guest artist business name and artist info. etc. Directions to site.

If participants are not members, their page on our website comes down (if my webmaster remembers to do this, and I remember to remind him) after Open Studio.

4. Is Open Studio a good fit for my business or gallery?

Open Studio Weekend is about authenticity and originality.

The ideal Open Studio arts business is one where one person or a team of people under the direction of a designer, is creating functional work from their own original ideas, not from kits or other commercially available patterns and not where the main part of the product consists of manufactured parts.

It is not ideal to have the main part of what is shown during Open Studio Weekend consist of copies of original work, for instance giclee prints, unless there will be some education of the public about the differences between original work and these duplicates.

Galleries can participate by showcasing the original work of Vermont artists or craftspeople in a special exhibit, or activity like a gallery talk or demonstration.