Camano Part Deux
What can I say….I had to come back for another round of this Camano Studio Tour. I’ve been working with these guys since last fall and while I’ve been excited about this crazy cool arts community since I first met them, it wasn’t until I actually experienced the Tour last week that I “got it.”
I think I might become an art junky.
Last Saturday I came out and was only able to explore half the island. Mind you, I was taking video shots all day which slowed me down. But even so, I don’t know how all 60-plus artists could be enjoyed in a single day.
Here’s my vibe from last week:
It hardly gives it justice. But it gives a taste.
I returned this past weekend, determined to take in as much as possible. I left Westport at 6am just to get here with time to spare as the Tour kicks off at 10am.
I’m still trying to piece together the blur of coolness that was Saturday. Between the glass and metal, the paint and thread, the clay and egg (yes, egg)…I stand in awe. How such diverse artistry can live in such a small space…. And the surrounding beauty is just a bonus. A mighty nice bonus, at that.
I did miss having a navigator this time as a good part of this experience is the “scavenger hunt” aspect of driving around with a map that details the location of all the studios and galleries that open for this great annual tradition. Though they do a phenomenal job of marking the roads with signs to help guide the journey. Plus, I had enough in my memory banks from the previous weekend to make it work solo.
In talking with some of the other visitors, it became clear that a lot of folks caught the “art bug” on a previous Tour from years past. It’s just such a perfect way to experience the world of art. No stuffy museums or snobby gallery owners. Just real down-to-earth artists who live what they love and love to share how they live.
This was the first year the Tour expanded to two weekends. It’s always a challenge when you take a successful event and change it. Especially one with as much history and tradition as the Camano Studio Tour.
The final wrap on how that worked is still forthcoming. But the goal was in part to spread out the tour so that the people might come in less concentrated bursts, allowing the artists to spend more quality time with people in their studios. I think that goal was largely met. It will be interesting to see how all the pluses and minuses add up in the coming weeks.
One thing’s for sure, I’m already thinking about next year.
