Andrea Nelson in her Haines studio (April 24, 2018)
Artists are opening their studios to the public this weekend in Haines, for the Magical Mystery Tour Artist Studio Crawl.
A local arts group is hosting an artist studio crawl which promises a glimpse behind the work of some of the area’s most talented artists.
The artist studio crawl is a new event in Haines with the goal of giving the public a peek at the places where local artists make their work.
Seven studios are participating in the all-day event.
“Well, it I the Magical Mystery Tour—we are having a studio tour and it is going to be a really fun day,” said Audrey Smith with the Alaska Arts Confluence in Haines.
Each studio will be a unique experience, she says.
“Some will be more elaborate, some will have demonstrations, some will be just showing you around the studio, sometimes you will see how they put together their art,” said Smith. “You know, each one will do a different kind of approach.”
“Usually, the common person’s experience with art is the final product. And there is so much chaos and messiness behind that,” said Andrea Nelson, one of the artists who will open her studio for the event.
The studio of Wayne Price. (April 25, 2018)
For example, Nelson’s studio: “It is floor to ceiling shelves of all different shapes and configurations packed with thousands of objects. Most are from nature or over 50 years old,” said Nelson. “There are a lot of vintage and antique things, there are books, there are figurines, there are toys.”
Entering Nelson’s workplace, a small building beside her home, is like stepping into another world, much like one of her works of art.
“I have a need to see everything, as part of how I, my process. So, I don’t like big spaces. This studio is eight feet by 10 feet,” said Nelson.
The walls are lined with small, porcelain birds and animals peering out at you from shelves while metallic and glass objects sparkle and shine from the corners and crevices.
“Technically the medium that I use is assemblage, and that means utilizing found objects and arranging them into compositions that are three dimensional and I’ve been doing it for over 20 years either formally or informally,” said Nelson.
Among her favorite items are a world war two gas mask and a figurine of a blue jay.
“It’s an antique, it’s very old, the beak is broken off. It’s dirty, it’s dusty. A lot of what I’m attracted to is objects that have a past, a history,” said Nelson. “I think you can feel that more than in a newly manufactured object.”
Wayne Price, a Tlingit master carver, designer and artist, will also open his studio to the public.
Wayne Price in his Haines studio. (April 25, 2018)
“My Indian name is Ayon-ki, I come from the village of Kake. I was raised in the village of my father which is here in Haines. He comes from the frog house and I’ve been pretty much here all my life,” said Price.
Price, who learned his craft in Haines, has been carving since he was 12 years old.
“Since I was 12, I’ve had 38 totem poles standing in Southeast Alaska and I’ve also completed 11 dugout canoes, in that time. Seven of those dugouts are still on the water,” said Price.
Price explains his work is imbued with tradition and healing.
“I do traditional style Tlingit art,” said Price. “They’ll be able to see the screen that I am designing and painting and we will have some smaller artwork that I have from my own collection on display.”
Price’s studio is one side of a duplex at his home.
“I look forward to everybody coming by and saying hello and taking a look at what I’ve turned this side of the house into, which is a shop basically,” said Price. “And most of the time it has got tools and chips and all the stuff that it takes to make art, but we are going to dress it up and make it look really nice.”
Price says he will also share a totem pole he is working on.
“We’re also going to have the tarp off the totem pole on the deck and people will be able to see the totem that is in progress and the story that is involved with that totem and I encourage people to ask questions about it,” said Price.
Artist studios will be open between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
“so you can take your time, and spend a lot of time discovering studios or dash around all day,” said Audrey Smith, with Alaska Arts Confluence.
They’ll be a buffet and a raffle along with some other surprises says Smith, and the Magical Mystery Tour Artist Studio Crawl, she says, is sure to live up to its name.
The artist studio crawl is a fundraiser for the Alaska Arts Confluence. Tickets are $30 and are available at the Babbling Book and Dragon’s Nook bookstore or at the Alaska Arts Confluence Gallery on Saturday [4/28] morning, between 9 and 10 a.m.
