Mark your calendars for the New Bern Artists Studio Tour on Saturday, November 6, 2021. Over 40 artists will open their studios to visitors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in locations in and around New Bern.
The free tour is self-guided and family friendly. It is the public’s chance to see where and how arts and crafts are created in New Bern. A free brochure is available with a map of studio locations. There will be directional signs and location signs at the studios.
More information can be found online at NewBernArtists.com. The brochures with map are available at the downtown locations of Bank of the Arts, Community Artists Gallery and Studios, Carolina Creations, and the History Center. Brochures are also available in River Bend Coffee Shop.
Arts and crafts at the studios include some pieces that have been shown out of town and not available until this tour. The creative works are as individual as their creators and include painting – oil, acrylic, watercolor, mixed media – sculpture, photography, pottery, jewelry, weaving and textile. There will be something for anyone who wants an art original, or unique craft piece.
The local artists in this year’s Studio Tour have shown their creations in art galleries and in regional and national art shows. Some of our local artists are even better known outside of New Bern and have received professional and national recognition for their remarkable work. Visiting an artist’s studio can also be a good opportunity to ask about commissioning a personnel work, or portrait. Some of the artists also offer art lessons.
The special feature of the Studio Tour is, of course, the artists’ studios. If you ever had a question, or were curious about a creative process, or tools, or materials, it’s all there, just ask. Studio locations can be interesting, too. The tour map will lead you to various buildings in historic downtown New Bern, and to neighborhoods surrounding downtown, including Ghent and Trent Woods, then out to the community of River Bend.
In a few locations, artists will be sharing space for the Studio Tour. The tour map will indicate who is where. There are images of each artist’s work on the web site, NewBernArtists.com, and information about their location for the tour. You can plan what to see and who to meet for the one day event.
Postponed from last year, this is actually the third Studio Tour in New Bern. Each year the event has grown larger with more artists participating and more art and crafts available. Planning for this year’s tour carried over from last year’s postponement due to the pandemic. Visitors to the studios are asked to bring a mask. Many studios will require that all visitors be masked.
By Jan Hoppe