Sparx and the Open Studio: Why and how it works for us

 

When City Artists at Work (CAAW) came into existence, one of its goals was to reactivate the Open Studio events that NOVA (New Organization for the Visual Arts) had sponsored before its demise. NOVA’s Open Studio weekends included galleries across Northeast Ohio, but those in outlying areas had very little attendance. CAAW decided to reduce the size of the event area, thereby making it possible visit studios more efficiently. Another element of the CAAW events was to engage the visitor in conversation about our work, processes, and in some cases, offer hands-on experiences.

 

A few years ago, the Downtown Cleveland Alliance organized Sparx City Hop to promote the city’s extensive gallery and restaurant offerings. Sparx offers visitors the opportunity to choose an area such as Tremont or Superior-St. Clair and travel about riding Lolley the Trolley free of charge.

 

Three Superior Avenue buildings–Tower Press, Heller, and Artcraft–are full of artists, and fortunate to have trolley stops at their entrances. We make a point of welcoming visitors personally and attempt to engage them in conversation about our work, our processes, or simply about their experiences while on tour. Sales are not the main objective of the open studios, engagement and informative conversation is. Visitors often become clients as they learn more about the work. Please join us.

 

City Artists At Work Open Studios / Sparx City Hop 11 am – 6 pm Sept. 20

 

For more info: www.downtowncleveland.com/events/sparx-city-hop-aspx

 

City Artists At Work

2218 Superior Avenue

Cleveland, Ohio 44114

cityartistsatwork.org