A lot of things have changed this year, but thankfully, one thing that hasn’t is our creative community of extremely talented artists + makers here in Greenville. This month (until Nov. 30), Metropolitan Arts Council (MAC) is hosting their 19th year of Greenville Open Studios – to “open up the world of visual artists to everyone – from the seasoned collector to the first-time art buyer to the curious general public.”

With 133 participating artists whose work spans a variety of different mediums, there’s something for everyone. Here’s how our Open Studios experience went and how you can #TryThis.

Look for these signs when you’re out and about around town | Photo by GVLtoday Team

Experience:

Metropolitan Arts Council’s Greenville Open Studios 2020

What we tried (with pricing):

If you’ve participated in Open Studios in the past, the experience will be largely familiar – the same free, self-guided tour around Greenville – now, just with a few different safety precautions in place because of COVID-19 (social distancing, masks, etc.).

Additionally, artists will be choosing their own hours this year, so we planned our day using Open Studios catalogues (that can be found all around town right now) + MAC’s handy dandy new app. In the app, you can easily see which studios are open and when and see a map of the area with all the participating artists. We hit a few different artists down by the Reedy River at Art Crossing before heading over to visit some others at Hampton Station and finished our day with David Young, ceramics artist + master saddler of 41 years.

Work of Marcy Connors on display by the Reedy River | Photo by GVLtoday Team

What not to miss:

If you don’t feel safe quite yet getting out + about around town, don’t worry, MAC has something for you too. On their YouTube channel, MAC has produced absolutely stunning videos with many of the artists participating in this year’s Open Studios. You can see close-ups of their work, learn more about their processes, and hear about what inspires them. (We are loving these videos of Cecilia Ho + Meredith Piper.) There’s also MAC’s virtual 12x12 Exhibit.

Work of Jared Emerson on display at Art Crossing | Photo by GVLtoday Team

What we’re still talking about:

Run, don’t walk, to visit David Young – a ceramics artist + master saddler of 41 years from England. We spent over an hour with David exploring his garden + studio, learning about his glazing process, and looking through pictures of some of his work as a master saddler. Can you believe that he sewed all of the leather goods in this photo by hand?

Ceramic busts by David Young – ceramics artist + master saddler of 41 years | Photo by GVLtoday Team

Talking with David Young | Photo by GVLtoday Team

How you can experience this:

Choose some time now through the end of November to visit one or all of these incredible artists. We would highly recommend planning your trip using MAC’s app to make the most of your time. And be sure to come prepared with a mask + your credit card (because you're bound to see something you love like we did).

Local artist Nicole Kamb | Photo by GVLtoday Team

Things to know if you go:

Experience: Metropolitan Arts Council’s Greenville Open Studios 2020
Price: Free
Website: https://www.greenvillearts.com/greenville-open-studios/
Address: See a map of participating artists here
Hours: See when different artists are participating here
Social: Instagram | Facebook Ⓟ