West Medford Open Studios Returns May 16 & 17

Medford High School student Marcus Howard with his artwork at last year’s West Medford Open Studios.

In this Medford neighborhood signs of spring are popping up everywhere lately. Tulips are poking up in the yards, trees are budding, and on the third weekend in May, bright blue balloons will be dotted around the West Medford neighborhood marking the sites of the West Medford Open Studios.

West Medford Open Studios, an annual event showcasing the local arts community, returns on May 16 & 17 from noon to 5 pm. WMOS is a free (open studios) event that invites visitors from all over to experience exhibits of local art and crafts, musical and literary performances, and live arts demonstrations over the course of the weekend.

The 2015 WMOS will showcase over 70 artists participating at 26 sites—including community buildings, private homes, and studios—located throughout West Medford. Guided by an event map, visitors can drop in on each site at their leisure, all weekend long.

Though the number and diversity of participating artists have grown considerably in the 16 years (since WMOS first started), the event planners strive to keep the majority of sites within walking distance of each other.

“We try to group the sites close together so that visitors can experience as much as possible within the weekend. We are proud of the fact that our open studios event is enjoyable for people of all ages and art interests. Visiting open studios is a great way to see the exciting range of art that is being creating locally and connect with artists that are creating it,” says board member and artist Earl Howard.

Every year, visitors to WMOS are impressed by the quality and variety of the art on display. This years featured work will include paintings, glasswork, jewelry, textiles, pottery, turned wood, mosaics, photography, quilts, mixed media, and more. Additionally, a number of exciting free performances and demonstrations will also be offered: highlights include the music of Al & Katrin Peterson (of Porch Party Mamas), a student-teacher rock band show, open jam sessions, pottery demonstrations, clay hand-building demos, and readings by local writers.

The WMOS event map can be found on the website WMOS.ORG. In addition, visitors to the springtime event will be guided from event to event–and from artist to artist-by WMOS’s signature bright blue balloons tied in front of each site location. So take a stroll, meet up with a friend, listen to some music, enjoy and buy some art, or take a studio tour, but just don’t miss out on the festivities of the West Medford Open Studios!

West Medford Open Studios is a non-profit organization supported by the Medford Cultural Council, participating artists, Tufts University, local businesses, and friends. For more information about West Medford Open Studios, visit WWW.WMOS.ORG or contact Tanya Howard (781) 706-0451.

– Information from Tanya Howard. Photo by Allison Goldsberry.