PITTSBORO -- Dan Gottlieb, N.C. Museum of Art director of planning and design, will serve as judge for the opening reception of the 17th annual Chatham Studio Tour at the Pittsboro Campus of Central Carolina Community College on Dec. 4 from 7 to 9 p.m.
Gottlieb will judge artwork from more than 50 regionally and nationally recognized artists who live and work in Chatham County. Members of the Chatham Artists Guild working in a variety of media will open their studios to give visitors from all around the area a first-hand experience with the creative process.
"We really appreciate Dan Gottlieb bringing his depth of art world experience to our opening reception," said Guild President Forrest Greenslade. "This is a fantastic party, and the best way for folks to plan their schedules for visiting our artists' studios all over Chatham County."
The free reception is open to the public and features one sample work from each artist on the tour, as well as refreshments created by glass artist and well known foody Gretchen Niver.
A tour brochure and map is available at many locations, including: Durham Arts Council, Durham; General Store Cafe, Pittsboro; Aria Spa, Chapel Hill; Arts Center, Carrboro; Artspace, Raleigh and Alamance County Arts Council, Graham; N.C. Arts Incubator, Siler City. Information about The Chatham Studio Tour is available online at: http://www.ChathamArtistsGuild.org.
"Our members work all year long, preparing artworks, educational demonstrations and informational materials so that visitors can enjoy the tour, and learn more about creating art in the artists' own environments," said Maggie Zwilling, executive director of the Chatham Artists Guild. "The tour is also an important economic event for Chatham County. People stop at restaurants, gas stations and all kinds of businesses while they travel from studio to studio."
Seven artists are new to the tour this year. Emma Skurnick has created nature illustrations for American Scientist Magazine, Brooklyn Botanical Garden, the North Carolina Aquarium, and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. She teaches illustration and design courses at Central Carolina Community College, the ArtsCenter and the North Carolina Botanical Garden.
In addition to Skurnick, wood furniture maker David Botts, stoneware potter Lara O'Keefe, iron and steel forger Peter Ross, oil and acrylics painter Deborah Sanks, wood turner Michael Thompson and jeweler Mariah Wheeler are new artists participating in the 2009 tour.
