They’re in your neighborhood

Arts | September 19th, 2024

By HPR Contributors

They are the inventive, passionate, adaptable, resourceful, sometimes over-enthusiastic, wack-tacular people who create art in our community, and they’re opening their studio doors to you for the 2024 Fargo-Moorhead Visual Artists Studio Crawl party. At fmva.org, there’s a map that shows where these studios are, and you might be surprised to see they’re in your neighborhood! Who knew?

A lot of you probably do know. The Studio Crawl is now in its 21st year and it’s been well attended since day one.

During the free, two-day event on October 5 and 6 (always the first weekend in October) established artists, arts educators, and emerging artists from dozens of studios in the Fargo-Moorhead area open their doors to us, demonstrate their craft, and de-mystify art’s “making” process. The artists demonstrate how they do what they do — painters, potters, sculptors, photographers, artists who work with wood, fabric, and glass.

They like to talk about the creative process — the necessary education, experience, and infrastructure. And some of that infrastructure is more rugged than you may think. Visual artists use tools like forges, chisels, jigsaws and lathes, annealers, and pickaxes. Some studios are noisy and cluttered. Some smell like spicy, exotic sawdust or baking clay, and some, of course, are lovely and quiet, filled with work that’s charming, thought-provoking, or downright ingenious. Some smell like warm apple cider and cookies because many studios serve refreshments.

Studio Crawl destinations added this year include the Indigenous Art Collaboration in the Indigenous Association space above the Plains Art Museum Center for Creativity. The Rourke Art Gallery and Museum is offering tours of their public access print studio. Plains Art Museum is hosting a Studio Crawl Preview Show. Admission to the museum is always free, and that’s one place where you can pick up a printed Studio Crawl brochure that includes a map of all the participating studios and what you can expect to see there. You can also get a brochure at Dakota Fine Art and Gallery 4.

So gather your family for the Studio Crawl tour October 5 and 6, because it’s educational and family friendly. Or gather some friends for brunch first, because it’s fun. The Studio Crawl is the art party of the year! Don’t miss it.

The event is hosted by the Fargo Moorhead Visual Artists, a group that provides networking and exhibition opportunities to artists. Anyone can join the organization — artists of all skill levels (and arts supporters) are all welcome. In addition to the Studio Crawl, the FMVA hosts artist talks, socials, the annual Big Art Show at West Acres, and Arts For The Holidays at the Fargo Civic Center. Check them out at facebook.com/fmvisualartists and join at fmva.org.

IF YOU GO:

FMVA Studio Crawl

October 5-6

Noon-6 p.m.

Fargo-Moorhead and surrounding communities

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