He said they first walk into the regular part of his home where there are a few sculptures, then into his studio where visitors can see the raw materials and learn a little about his sculpting process. Finally, in the gallery space, nothing but sculptures will be on display, and visitors can ask questions and stay as long as they please.
“I think it’s a really good opportunity to engage the community and really introduce them to their local artists,” Karen Sosa, a Chapel Hill-based painter and another participant in the tour, said.
Sosa said she has been painting and drawing her whole life and has worked as a rare book conservator. After moving to Chapel Hill in 2015, she started painting more seriously and joined the Guild in 2018.
Sosa’s pieces express her connection between land and color. She said she primarily paints in acrylic because of how vibrant the paint is, but she will have some oil paintings hanging as well.
She said that a wide variety of people go through the tour every year, and she particularly enjoys when parents bring their children, or “budding artists,” who are really into art.
Catharine Carter, a Chapel Hill-based photographer, was one of these attendees herself before deciding to join the Guild. She used to pick six to eight different studios and visit them during the days of the tour.
“I think it’s a great opportunity, if people like art, if they want to talk about art, if they want to see some different things, to get to know the artist, as well as just see the work,” Carter said.
Vandermeer, Murphy and Carter will have their studios open both weekends, while Sosa’s will only be opened the first weekend. Vandermeer’s studio is located at Studio 31 on the website’s map, Murphy at Studio 67, Sosa at Studio 44 and Carter at Studio 61.
The tour will run from 1-5 p.m. on Saturdays and 12-5 p.m. on Sundays. To see all of the artists and their studio locations for the tour, visit the OCAG website.
@dthlifestyle | lifestyle@dailytarheel.com
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