Chance to Win an Alan Sanborn Painting and Support NCOS

Here is your chance to own a beautiful original Alan Sanborn painting. This framed and matted watercolor painting will be raffled off on Wednesday, June 24th, and the proceeds will benefit North Coast Open Studios. Tickets are still available. For only $5 you will get a chance to take this beautiful painting home with you!

Call (707) 834-6460 for tickets or more information. Tickets are available until Tuesday, June 23rd for a $5 donation to North Coast Open Studios (c/o Ink People Center for the Arts).

Thank you to Alan Sanborn and North Coast Gallery & Framing for their generous donations! Drawing will be June 24th. Need not be present to win.

And the Survey Says...

Open Studios Attendees:
Do you have feedback on your experience attending North Coast Open Studios? Want to help us plan for next year's event? Complete and return the NCOS 2009 Attendee Survey and you will be entered to win one of five gift certificates (for an ice cream cone, shake or sundae) or the grand prize of a custom ice cream cake!

NCOS Participating Artists:
There's a survey for you too! Complete the NCOS 2009 Participant Survey and you will be entered to win a free listing in the 2010 North Coast Open Studios Guidebook.

You feedback will help us plan for the 2010 event, and make sure it is even better then the 2009 NCOS! Thank you so much for taking the time to complete and return this short survey.
Please complete the survey and return it to: NCOS, c/o the Ink People Center for the Arts, 411 12th Street, Eureka, CA 95501 by Tuesday, June 23rd, and you will be entered to win!

Questions? Contact NCOS at (707) 834-6460.







Thank you to Bon Boniere for their generous support of the arts in Humboldt County!

See Artists in Their Natural Habitat

North Coast Open Studios is a once a year opportunity to see artists in their natural habitats. Artists’ studios are often as much artwork as their creations are. On top of that, most artists do not welcome visitors into their inner sanctums lightly.

So, this really is a very special chance to see, not only what has been created recently, but the older artworks that no longer excite the creative artist as much. A common characteristic of the creative personalities is that they are most excited about what they are working on right now. “If it’s new, it must be the best,” is the artist’s cry. It may or may not be, but it will eclipse thoughts of older artworks. The advantage of Open Studios is that you can actually browse through those older pieces and discover the gems. It’s like a treasure hunt.

The other special feature of Open Studios is the opportunity to get to know the artist whose work you have admired for so long or to meet a new artist and discover their artwork – with the artist right there to talk with you about it. Fabulous!

It pays to plan your studio tour ahead of time. So get your NCOS guidebook and plot your adventure. Two weekends affords lots time to get out around the county and visit all those artists’ lairs.




Left: Painting by Libby Maynard.

Libby, who is the Executive Director of Ink People Center of the Arts, will be open by appointment during North Coast Open Studios. Libby is pictured above (left) with Ink People Program Manager Tanya Nordberg.

Only 10 Days Until North Coast Open Studios!

Can you believe the 11th Annual North Coast Open Studios is only 10 days away? Now is a great time to check out our website: www.northcoastopenstudios.com for a complete list of participating artists, media, and much more...


And, keep an eye out for our 2009 guidebook, which will be in the June 2nd issue of the North Coast Journal, and is available at arts friendly businesses throughout Humboldt County, including:
Ink People Center for the Arts
Morris Graves Museum
Jacoby's Storehouse
North Coast Co-op
Wildberries Marketplace
and many coffee shops, restaurants, businesses ...

What Goes on Behind Closed Doors... from the Humboldt Art Walks Blog

Its always nice to see what other people have to say about North Coast Open Studios.

Art writer and blogger Katherine Almy recently featured Open Studios in her Art Walks Blog in an entry headed "What Goes on Behind Closed Doors".

If you have never had a chance to view Katherine's blog, check it out! Her blog is a wonderful resource for what is going on in Humboldt County's arts community.

What I'm preparing to sell during North Coast Open Studios

by Yvonne Kern, NCOS Artist # 25 and NCOS Steering Committee Member

Having my very own opening is exciting and fun, not only because I get to meet so many interesting people, but also because I can offer to my visitors artistic things that I wouldn't consider trying to market anywhere ... mass production isn't my thing (at least not right now).

So far, the only reproductions of my paintings have been in note cards that I make. And those I offer for sale only occasionally in a few local stores. It's really interesting to see which images buyers choose & which cards sell the best. It's usually a surprise to me. I sell quite a few cards at my studio sale. I have boxed some as gift items that are offered at a substantial savings, and those are popular.

Last year I made sticky note pad books and bookmarks, which I'm doing again this year (but, I'm improving on the designs). I could never sell these items anywhere for the price I can sell them for at my studio. Also, all of those watercolor studies and small oil painting studies which I have painted will be offered at very low prices.

It's wonderful having a set time, with great publicity, to do a "clearance sale". I have so many paintings that it's impossible for me to display them all, and the more I create the less storage space I have, and I Must create new pieces. So, I feel that it's way better for someone else to have an inexpensive piece of original art hanging on their wall than for me to have it tucked away somewhere. It's really difficult dropping the price of a painting, because I only keep images that I really like ... the bad ones get recycled. But, there is only so much room ....what's an artist to do??? Besides when someone gets a really good deal - they're so happy ... it makes me happy. So, now I'm hoping that lots of interested art collectors come on over; they'll find some great deals!

Wishing great sales for everyone!


"Beach Tree Spring"
Oil painting on canvas
by Yvonne Kern

Why am I part of North Coast Open Studios? Because it's important!

by Julia Bednar, NCOS participating artist #10 and Steering Committee Member

I have participated in North Coast Open Studios since the first year it was offered. I continue to open my studio each year because I believe it is worthwhile on many levels.

Humboldt County has a wealth of talented artists, Open Studios is a way to highlight and recognize them.

When people see work hanging in a gallery or a shop for sale they see only the finished product. But getting to visit an artist's work space and see the process one goes through to create a finished work of art is a learning experience that gives greater understanding of the value of an art piece.

For me personally, it is an opportunity to meet new people, to share with them my paintings...both finished and in progress, to explain what I paint and why and to answer questions. I want visitors to enjoy visiting my studio, browsing through paintings, prints and cards. I offer refreshments and lawn chairs for a break on their tour. And visitors are free to walk around my "casual" garden which is usually in bloom in June. Also, a lot of friends and neighbors and fellow artists drop in during the weekend and it's always good to see them.

Name recognition is also important. When I have an art opening, it's always nice to hear someone say, "I remember you. i came to your studio on the Open Studios tour".

While sales are always nice, to me it is more important for visitors to experience what the creative part of an artist's life looks like. I believe that anyone who goes on the open studio tour gains a greater appreciation for the value of our local art and the artists who create it. Also, as we continue on the path to becoming an art destination, open studios will help to assure community support.

Another reason I find Open Studios to be useful to me,,,,it gives me a good reason to
organize and declutter my studio before visitors arrive. Without that incentive, I might put off those mundane chores indefinitely!

All in all, I see Open Studios is a positive and happy experience, both for artists and the visitors who go on the tour.

Image below: Trinidad Bluffs, painting by Julia Bednar