My first Open Studio in the Bay Area
In May 2024, I had my first Open Studio. I took part in the Silicon Valley Open Studios (SVOS) - the largest and most popular fine art show in the San Francisco Bay Area. They create a digital and paper map of the event with all the studios you can visit, publish a catalog, print posters, and provide artists with informational support as well as navigation street signs. I felt excited and anxious at the same time. Here, I want to recap my actions, emotions, and findings. I hope it will be useful for other artists who will have an Open Studio.
I started in four weeks with a checklist of "To-do's":
to finish new works (several mixed media ones and a new sculpture)
to make my new website on the American site-building platform to have an opportunity to accept e-payment
to get a wireless check-out solution/ terminal to accept payments (yes, I wanted to be ready for every situation, even for sales :)
to design my announcing postcards and to print them (100 items)
to order a new set of business cards
to arrange the garage as a studio-gallery
to invite people by myself
to print out explaining texts about my work, my CV, and Bio
to prepare a coffee machine, water (the forecast was hot), and some snacks
The most crucial preparation phase was inviting the real people around me to visit my Open Studio. I took my announcing postcard everywhere, trying my best to make it organic and smooth. I did it in person for my inner and intermediate circles. Also, I put the invitations into the postboxes of all the houses in my neighborhood. And it worked! I will write about it later.
I had about 10 street signs for the navigation inside the neighborhood. Instinctively, I did two important things for better navigation. First, I wrote the address large and well-visible. Many people would tell me later that it helped them to find a place and even chose my site over other artists' studios. Second, I spent some time observing where the real estate agents put their navigation signs in our neighborhood on the previous weekends. We have open Houses almost weekly, and business agents with high stakes know how to navigate their customers. I used some of those places to put my navigation signs. Fortunately, we had no open houses that weekend, so there was no mess with the competitive street signs.
DAY X came. I agreed with myself that I wouldn’t have any expectations. Surprisingly, people started to come in from the very beginning. I was talking all over two days. It was a pleasure to communicate with people, explain my ideas, and hear their feedback. During those days, I heard stories about a secret participant in the nuclear project, a female military engineer, and migrants from Romania. I got several bright recommendations for movies and books (I’m reading one of them right now - it’s a book about materials - and enjoying the author’s perspective). All my dear friends came to support me. Some of them made it twice - on Saturday and Sunday. I hadn’t felt such warm and sincere support for many years. I met several neighbors living close to our house - that’s how my inviting strategy with postcards-to-postboxes worked. I felt so “in the right place at the right time.”
Some local artists told me not to expect sales during the Open Studio. However, I had several sales and one commission. I’m satisfied with the process and with the result. It was fun, resourceful, and inspiring. The implications I made out of this event are as follows:
Be yourself as an artist and a person. It’s the best strategy to show up and to represent yourself to find the right connections.
Do your best; otherwise, do not do it at all.
Enjoy the process, especially the people that life has gifted to you.
Will I have more Open Studios? Yes, sure! I want to be more open to the world as I feel more confident daily.
