Since opening the doors to the Green Antelope Gallery in Bellevue in December 2006, Brooke Bonner and her mother, Helen, have continued to be at the forefront of Bellevue attractions. Celebrating the third annual Oktoberfest, Green Antelope Gallery, surrounding neighbors and Bellevue artists have grown the annual weekend celebration to debut Bellevue Open Studios 2010.
"The old Oktoberfest was just businesses around the Green Antelope Gallery," Bonner said. "Now, it includes open studios. The event has tripled in size."
Fun for art lovers and anyone wanting a "hometown" experience, Open Studios 2010 will have several fine artist studios and workspaces open to the public. In addition, some artists will have demonstrations on their art processes.
Bellevue Open Studios 2010 will take place Friday, Oct. 15, from 3-9 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 16, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Green Antelope Gallery will feature a selected piece from each participating artist in Open Studios at an opening reception on Friday. Visitors can visit the gallery to see a preview of the work and pick up a brochure and map to plot out their Bellevue Open Studios 2010 tour.
"We're excited to have 11 artists participating in the first year of this event," Bonner said. "We're hoping it can grow over the years into a valleywide celebration of local art and artists."
This free community event promises to be a fun, social outing with different refreshments served at each location. Visitors should also make time during their tour to stop by the event sponsor locations, which will be offering specials during the tour.
Participating sponsors include the Brickhouse Bar & Grill, which has a coupon special available in the brochure, Isadora, Riverbend Coffee House & Tea Café and River Rock Art. Other sponsors include "Butterfly Design Studio" , "Stromberg Moore Hardwoods" and the Wood River Arts Alliance. Bonner said the Wood River Arts Alliance was the first to respond to the idea of Open Studios 2010 because of the positive promotion for local arts.
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Artists include Martha Andrea, Nolina Burge, Clifford Frates, Janet Houts, Steven R. Houts, Sarah Long, Mark Sheehan, Kirsten Shultz, Marie Stewart, Pamela Street and Don Yeager. “The idea for open studios came from Green Antelope Gallery artists who had participated in a similar event in the San Francisco Bay area,” Bonner said. “Nolina Burge and Clifford Frates are artists who have moved from Los Angeles to Bellevue, and they are very excited about Open Studios.”
Bonner said she wanted to do something different and recognized times are hard.
"We can enjoy the arts, especially since there are so many amazing local artists in Bellevue," she said.
Look for balloons in Bellevue indicating participation in Bellevue Open Studios 2010. A few artists are located south of Bellevue in the Bellevue Triangle.
"People should make the trip," Bonner said. "It's worth it to see the artists south of Bellevue, and it's a beautiful drive."
For more information or to check out the online brochure and map, visit www.greenantelope.net.
A Bellevue Haunted Forest
kickoff party with the band Shaken not Stirred will take place at The Brickhouse on Saturday, Oct. 16, from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. A $5 cover charge will benefit the Haunted Forest, which will take place on Friday, Oct. 29, and Saturday, Oct. 30. Tickets for the Haunted Forest are $5 and will be on sale at The Brickhouse on Saturday. The Brickhouse, Splash & Dash and the Bead Shop in Hailey will sell tickets for the Haunted Forest until sold out. Only 600 tickets are available for the event, which did sell out last year. For details, visit www.bellevuehauntedforest.com.
Janet Houts will have traditional and art quilts on display at her Bellevue studio. Courtesy photo
