Public invited to see artists at work
Artist Kevin Kirking is sprucing up his studio and preparing to welcome visitors and guest artists for the third annual Coeur d'Alene Artists Studio Tour, taking place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
Kirking, of Dalton Gardens, creates bronze sculptures that integrate people with wildlife. He has been an artist most of his life. Tour guests will be invited to peek behind the scenes of the creative process in his studio, Bronze of the West, which is one of nine locations where 15 different local artists will be working and exhibiting their art.
"A lot of times we get young kids, aspiring artists, and they want to see what it's all about," Kirking said Thursday morning. "To me that's one of the really neat parts of it."
Kirking's studio has been on the tour since it first began. He said usually between 125-200 people come through during the self-guided tour to ask artists questions, enjoy refreshments, purchase art and learn a few techniques. Kirking will be hosting three guest artists in Bronze of the West, where he has been sculpting and creating art for 20 years. He said the tour is an opportunity to expose the community to professional artists in the area as well as provide support and education for burgeoning artists and young people interested in the creative process.
"You can watch the artists really working on their art in the studio," Kirking said.
The 2014 Coeur d'Alene Artists Studio Tour is presented by the Coeur d'Alene Arts and Culture Alliance. Tickets are $10 and are available at the Coeur d'Alene Chamber of Commerce, 105 N. First St., as well as in each artist's studio. Students and children get in free.
The pre-tour launch goes from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Coeur d'Alene Chamber Visitor's Center and will include a preview of works by all the artists and a raffle to win some art. The nine locations and 15 artists on the tour are as follows:
* Gizmo, 806 N. Fourth St.: Clancie Pleasants, acrylic and oils on canvas and wood.
* Blue Door Art Studio at Fray, 811 N. Fourth St.: Chelsea Cordova, oil and acrylic landscape paintings.
* Jan Clizer Studio, 2601 E. Harrison Ave.: Jan Clizer, painting Scotland.
* Madeline Blake Studio, 2601 E. Harrison Ave.: Madeline Blake, still life, land and seascape painting in oils.
* The Little House - An Art Studio, 1384 W. Bering Drive: Terry Ann Swanson Blakemore, oil, charcoal and graphite drawings, plus mixed-media paintings.
* Bronze of the West Studio, 1715 E. Hanley Ave., Dalton Gardens: Kevin Kirking, contemporary and Western bronze sculpture; Louise Telford, kiln-formed glass; Tammy Crawford, painter/muralist; Joe Kronenberg, classic realism in Western and wildlife art.
* Lori Blessing Studio, 1739 E. Wilbur Ave., Dalton Gardens: Lori Blessing, fine and functional kiln-formed art glass.
* Debora Seaver Studio, 2985 E. St. James Ave., Hayden Lake: Debora Seaver, torch-worked and kiln-worked glass.
* Terry Lee Studio, 1506 Lacey Ave., Hayden Lake: Terry Lee, bronze sculpture and paintings; Allen Worst, photography; Buddy Paul, metal sculpture with an emphasis on movement and fountains; Cheryl Metcalf, wildlife and figurative bronze sculpture.
Info: 292-1629