Natick August 2016

Page 6 Local Town Pages www.naticktownnews.com August 2016
Preparing for Natick Artists Open Studios
By Via Perkins,
Contributing Writer
Natick Artists Open Studios
(NAOS) serves the community
in more ways than one. The annual
October event promotes the
work of nearly 100 local artists
and also seeks to bring out the
artist in everyone. Galleries and
shows educate viewers about different
kinds of artists that live
and work in town, and pre-event
activities give residents an opportunity
to create their own art.
NAOS has worked to expand its
role as a prominent part of the
arts culture in Natick.
Introducing NAOS
Using gallery spaces, public
institutions and studios across
Natick, NAOS provides an interactive
cultural experience for
both artist and viewer for one
weekend in October. Residents
are able to gain an insider’s look
at artists’ collections and workspaces,
learning how they create
and why, and artists can provide
information and answer visitor
questions.
“Artist involvement has increased
dramatically since we
started,” Denise Girardin said.
She is a Natick artist of multiple
mediums herself, and has helped
coordinate the event for all 16
years of its existence.
“Our first weekend event
hosted around 25 artists, and
in recent years, we have had up
to 80 participants with a wide
range of genres and mediums,”
Girardin said. An important part
of raising public consciousness
of NAOS was in marketing, and
the first brochures were handed
out at various locations around
town.
“Our current brochure is
full-color and professionally designed,
and is bulk-mailed to
every household in Natick. It includes
a sample photograph of
each artist’s work, so guests are
able to select locations to visit
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Art for All
The fact that artist involvement
has increased so much
over the years is a testament to
NAOS’s efficacy. Girardin feels
that the sales artists may get during
the weekend are great, but
that NAOS serves a purpose beyond
these transactions.
“Artists have so much fun
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chatting with guests, explaining
their process and showing
their work,” she said. “The public
learns about what artists do,
and how much fun we all having
doing something that we love.
Guests always seem interested in
learning more about Natick arts,
and are surprised to find out just
how many artists work and live
in town.”
NAOS is still a two-day weekend
event as it was when it was
Natick Artists Open Studios Events Preview
Themed Artist Group Show
(Houses)
Location: Morse Institute
Library, Leibowitz Hall,
Lower Level
Dates: Thursday, Sept. 1 –
Monday, Oct. 31
Community Paint Day and
Art on the Common
Location: Natick Common
Date and Time: Saturday,
Sept. 17, 9 a.m. – 12 a.m.
Community Paint Day on the Natick Common. NAOS supplies the
materials, and guests paint and take home their creations. (Photo/Denise
Girardin)
NAOS Artist Group Show
Location: The Center for the
Arts in Natick
Dates: Saturday, Oct. 1 –
Monday, Oct. 31
Artist Presentations
and Chats
Location: Creative Connections,
Morse Institute Library,
Leibowitz Hall, Lower Level
Date and Time: Wednesday,
Oct. 5, 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
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created, but preliminary events,
including a themed art show
and a community paint day,
have been added. These are
meant to encourage art-making
in the community among people
of any experience level, and to
highlight NAOS as an upcoming
event.
This year, NAOS will take
place on Saturday and Sunday,
Oct. 15 and 16, and Girardin is
looking forward to it. “It’s fun to
see parents bring their children
to our events and watch them
light up when they see a real artist
studio, or are able to participate
in a free hands-on project,”
she said.
NAOS 2016 and Beyond
Outdoor artist tents will be
new at NAOS this year. The
Annex @ 3 Adams will enable a
few artists to display their work
outside of The Studios @ 3
Adams Street. This setup is reminiscent
of ArtWalk, another annual
Natick arts event that took
place in July.
“Upon approval from the
Natick Police Department and
the Natick Board of Selectman,
we also hope to host musicians at
that same locale, making it a
new destination for our guests,”
Girardin said. NAOS planners
hope to provide even more locations
for musicians to play in the
future.
Event brochures will be sent
in the mail in September, and
will feature maps and directions
to NAOS’s various locations.
Though the artist lineup for the
2016 event is finalized, artists of
all disciplines are invited to apply
for NAOS 2017 by April 2017.
For more information, visit
www.natickopenstudios.org.