The 3rd Annual Maui Open Studios Event Happens Every Weekend in February, 2013. For Art-Lovers and Art-Collectors.
The Annual Maui Open Studios Event is the first of its kind in the state of Hawaii. The 3rd Annual Maui Open Studios Event is scheduled for all four weekends of February, 2013. It follows a model that has been very successful on the mainland for decades, where artists and artisans open up their studios and exhibition spaces to show and sell their work to the public as well as “talk story”, connect, and inspire visitors. Many artists also give live demonstrations of their process and techniques. The entire event is free to the public. Since it’s inception, the event has featured over 100 artists and generated over 6,000 individual studio visits by art collectors and art enthusiasts each year. Over $100,000 in art sales have been generated by the event each year that have directly supported local artists.
During the event, visitors are invited to join the artists at the Opening Celebration/Preview Exhibition, where they can enjoy a cash bar, no-host pupus, listen to live music, preview one or two pieces of the artists’ work, connect with the artists and pick up a copy of the MOS Guidebook containing an artist directory and maps directing them to different studios and exhibition spaces around the island. Guidebooks will also be available throughout the duration of the event at various retail pickup locations around the island. Visitors then design their own self-guided tours, either by referring to their printed guidebook, our online artist directory or our online digital guidebook on our website, based on the artists and work that most interests them.
This year over 90 artists, from established to emerging, will participate in the 2013 MOS event who work in a variety of mediums including glass, silk painting, digital art, basket weaving, photography, jewelry design, bronze sculpture, mixed media, ceramics, Plein Air, stone carving, printmaking, and much more.
The event is produced and organized by acclaimed fine art photo collage artist and former art gallery owner on Maui and Oahu, Carolyn Quan. She is now based in the San Francisco Bay Area after living in Hawaii for 9 years, while continually remaining connected to the islands and the art community there.
“When I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area from Hawaii and began to do research into art shows and ways of exposing my own artwork to the public, I learned about the myriad of open studio events that take place in California and other art-loving states on the mainland. I realized that it was time for Hawaii to have such an event. It is a concept that has been around for almost 40 years on the mainland and it is a wonderful way for artists and artisans to connect with art buyers, collectors and art and craft enthusiasts. It’s a chance for the art community to come together and show the world what we’ve got here on Maui and what we’re all about!” says Quan.
The dates and time for the 2013 Maui Open Studios Event are as follows:
Opening Celebration/Preview Exhibition
Saturday, February 2 from 6pm – 9pm
Maui Tropical Plantation in Waikapu (www.MauiTropicalPlantation.com)
Cash bars, no-host pupus and live entertainment.
The Open Studio self-guided tours begin the following weekend. Hours for the Weekend Open Studios are 11am – 6pm.
Weekend 1: North and Upcountry Maui
Saturday and Sunday, February 9 and 10
Weekend 2: Central Maui, Road to Hana, and Hana
Saturday and Sunday, February 16 and 17
Weekend 3: West and South Maui
Saturday and Sunday, February 23 and 24
The event spans over all four weekends in February to allow the public time to enjoy as many studios as possible, and to give more tourists an opportunity to catch at least one weekend event during their visit to Maui.
Interactive Google maps are available on the MOS website (www.MauiOpenStudios.com) and visitors can use these maps and their GPS to navigate around to different artist studios. This is very useful, if visitors prefer to be environmentally-friendly or if they aren’t able to pick up a physical guidebook.
While supplies last, printed guidebooks can be picked up on Saturday, February 2 from 6pm – 9pm at the Opening Celebration and Preview Exhibition as well as the following locations throughout the month of February.
- Lahaina: Akimbo Studios, 118 Kupuohi St. C-1 and Kingwell Island Art Gallery, 834 Front St. #103
- Maalaea: Story of Hawaii Museum, Maalaea Harbor Village
- Paia: Wine Corner, 149 Hana Hwy. and Maui Crafts Guild, 69 Hana Hwy.
- Makawao: Hui No’eau Visual Arts Center, 2841 Baldwin Ave.
- Pukalani: Foodland, 55 Pukalani St.
- Kihei: Foodland, 1881 S. Kihei Rd.
- Wailea: Wailea Wine, 161 Wailea Ike Pl. and Wailea Golf Club, 100 Wailea Golf Club Dr. (In lobby of Gold & Emerald courses)
For more information about the event please visit our website at www.MauiOpenStudios.com