Massachusetts offers dozens of Open Studios weekend events across the Commonwealth, throughout the year. The majority take place in the spring, summer and fall, and most take place annually, though a few take place twice a year, for example, in Dorchester and Somerville. A handful take place monthly, including in SOWA in Boston’s South End and at Western Avenue Studios in Lowell.
Open Studios can range from as few as 10 artists in one location to over 300 artists across one city or even a region like the South Coast (covering Dartmouth and Westport, Massachusetts as well as Tiverton and Little Compton, Rhode Island), Cape Ann or the Berkshires. Some incorporate shuttle bus services between artist studio locations, others are walkable across the board. Some Open Studios events include food trucks like a festival, others include live music and family activities. Some feature hands-on interactive workshops, others showcase juried exhibitions and art auctions.
Open Studios are a unique experience for visitors and artists alike — visitors get to see many different artists’ work in one fell swoop, while artists get to showcase their work to hundreds of interested folks over one weekend. Visitors often get to learn about artists’ process, seeing their materials, equipment and workflow on site, behind the scenes — and often, buying directly from artists awards a better price on said work, especially when paying in cash and without the hassle of shipping.
Most often, artists live or work in the cities and neighborhoods where they also participate in Open Studios, but some Open Studios also curate specific group sites for artists who either don’t have their own studio or are from outside the community to participate in the event. Some of the oldest and longest-running Open Studios include Boston’s South End, Fort Point and Jamaica Plain Open Studios — each over 35 years running. One thing’s for sure: With free admission, and scores of different genres of art to view and experience, visiting an Open Studios is always a bang for your time and your buck.