Melrose Open Studio Tour Returns This Weekend!
By Ellen Putnam
The Melrose Open Studio Tour (MOST), now in its 10th year, returns to Melrose this Saturday and Sunday, November 14th and 15th, 11am to 4pm. Visitors are invited to peek into local artists' studios, see the artists at work, and purchase artwork directly from creators.
MOST is an offshoot of Melrose Arts, which runs the annual Melrose Arts Festival in the spring. It is a free, self-guided tour, and audience members can use the map to visit as few or as many artists as they choose.
Some artists will have work for sale during the tour, while others will simply have their work on display, but there is no expectation that visitors purchase anything.
Here's what you can expect from this year's open studios!
647 Main Street (Follow Your Art Community Studios)
The largest group of artists, as usual, can be found at Follow Your Art Community Studios. Stop in at the Big Yellow House to see the following artists:
- Sara Gravante - painter and printmaker
- Jennifer Blesso - mixed media
- Kristen Byrne - photography and jewelry
- Alissa Onigman - mosaics
- Kerry Pegoraro - painter and printmaker
- John Maciejowski - jewelry and art
- Carol Farese-Viola - painter
- Tamara Kenney - bridal alterations and redesign
- Sally Bowman Gordon - mixed media
- David Winkler - mixed media
- Natalie Isbitsky - fiber art
- Marta Diaz - sterling silver and fabric
- Kimberley Kent - mixed media
427 Main Street @ rear entrance (The Underground Collective)
This is a new stop on the tour! Get a sneak peek at the Underground Collective, which will be having their grand opening next weekend.
- Shelley O'Brien - painter
- Greg O'Brien - photography
- Erin Leigh Ann Browning - mixed media
- Karim Badwan - mixed media light, furniture, and photography
Artist-Business Collaborations
Several artists will be showing their work at businesses throughout town. Check out the following stops:
- 953 Main Street (Paper and Clay) - Lesley Keegan will be showing her pottery; stop in and buy other local artists' work while you're there!
- 488 Main Street (Lilah Rose) - Emily Aliski and Alex Van Meter will both be showing mixed-media work
- 158 Essex Street (The Residence) - Bob Clark (painter) and Karen Giusti (textiles)
- 423 Pleasant Street (Firefly Bicycles) - Jonas Mikolayunas will be showing sculptural relief (with an opening reception Saturday evening, 6-9pm
- 28 Holland Road- Debra Corbett will be showing off her mixed-media work along with old friend Deborah Haney
- 61 Willow Street - Lorrie Dicesare (enamel jewelry and encaustic paintings); gail Hamm (jewelry and wood); and Lorraine Diemer (photography on birchwood trays)
- 10 Vine Street - Jacqueline Sokol (painter), Agusta Agustsson (printmaker), and Catherine Bertulli (painter)
- 32 Lake Avenue - Margaret Swan will be showing her large metal sculptures
- 78 Sheffield Road - Allie Karthaus (ALTA Ceramics) will be showing off her pottery along with Davi Axinn Levine (acrylic paint and resin) and Millie Ettenberg (student artist)
- 169 West Emerson Street - Ellen Rolli will be showing her paintings and Annie Damphousse will be showing her mixed-media artwork and fabric and wallpaper design
- 368 Main Street - Jen Strasburger will be showing her paintings
- 30 Summer Street - Judy Rosenbaum will be showing her paintings
- 520 Franklin Street - Molly Phillips will be showing her jewelry
- 31 Damon Avenue - Roberta Tobey Gertz will be showing her mosaics
- 40 Boardman Avenue - Paul Cornacchini will be showing his furniture and paitnings, along with Jenna Allwood (student artist)
- 9 Sears Avenue - Danielle Chouhan will be showing her ceramics along with Miles Chouhan (student artist)
- 67 Woodland Avenue - Karen Moreau-Ceballos will be showing her pottery
- 32 Richardson Road - Sheryl Zelten will be showing her pottery
