Athens’ art community will open its doors May 3 for the first-ever StudioFest, a day-long, citywide art and craft crawl that invites the public into artist studios, galleries, maker spaces and pop-up exhibitions. Presented by Athens Institute for Contemporary Art (ATHICA), a nonprofit gallery that showcases and supports contemporary art and artists, the event runs 10 a.m.–6 p.m., with ATHICA serving as a home base for maps and information. An after-party at ATHICA will follow from 6–8 p.m.
Though the art crawl concept isn’t new, organizers hope making it an annual Athens event will shine a light on the town’s visual arts scene with the same energy AthFest and PorchFest bring to music, furthering ATHICA’s mission to support artists.
“Athens brands itself as a creative community and markets the arts and music, but many artists and musicians can’t afford to live here,” says Lauren Fancher, director of ATHICA. “I’ve been involved in conversations and efforts around how we can provide more support for artists… and it seemed like a good time for us to start building a high-recognition, town-wide event. I think StudioFest is a way to really highlight the visual arts in our community.”
The inaugural event received an enthusiastic response with more than 50 participants signing up, including businesses, galleries, museums, artist collectives, individual studios and pop-ups. To name a few: Lyndon House Arts Center, Good Dirt Clay Studio, ACE/FRANCISCO Gallery, Mother Lode Athens, Indie South, Southern Star Studio and Mother of Monkeys Ceramics.
“We’ve definitely seen that there’s an appetite in the arts community to have this kind of big recognition day,” says Fancher, who’s been with ATHICA for more than a decade. “To get this kind of response [from participants] is really gratifying.”
For abstract artist Christina Habibi, StudioFest is a natural extension of her practice. Working in acrylic, oil, graphite and spray paint at her Chase Street Warehouse studio, Habibi’s process is intuitive, layered and driven by a desire to stay present in the act of making. During StudioFest, she plans to show recent small works on paper, paintings and even pieces still in progress—some hanging, many stacked for visitors to sift through.
“I love inviting folks into the studio to experience the process up close,” Habibi says. “It’s more personal. A gallery can feel formal and removed, but a studio visit invites people into the working rhythm of an artist’s life. There’s room for conversation, for questions, for connection. It’s a different energy, and I think that’s what makes it special and appealing.”
Sculptor and printmaker Mickey Boyd will represent TugArt Studios, which also includes Joni Younkins-Herzog, Rick Herzog and Eli Saragoussi. Beyond showing his own work, which uses construction materials to create large-scale sculptural installations, Boyd finds engaging with colleagues on their own turf both personally inspiring and integral for generating connections between artists and the general public.
“I think StudioFest will bring a greater understanding of the diversity of visual artists in the Athens area,” he says. “There are so many artists in such a small town, and I hope that the general population will be able to see the great multiplicity in style, media and career position of the creators here.”
In addition to individual artist spaces, creative businesses like Good Dirt Clay Studio, a long-established ceramics studio run by Jessica and Rob Sutherland, will showcase pottery demonstrations and encourage visitors to consider trying their own hand at creating.
“Rob and I are going to be focusing on that element of connection and community and learning that is so important to us,” Jessica says.
The collaborative, community-mindedness of Good Dirt Clay Studio reflects a larger spirit that StudioFest hopes to capture. Rather than presenting art as something untouchable, participating artists want visitors to see it as accessible, messy and alive.
“We want people to experience the space,” she says. “To see Rob throw on the pottery wheel and me paint or sculpt, learn a bit and maybe, just maybe, think to themselves, ‘I want to try this. I can do this.’ Everyone is an artist, it’s just that not everyone has had the opportunity to become one yet.”
Looking ahead, many hope StudioFest will become a signature Athens tradition, expanding into new neighborhoods, incorporating more performances, workshops and artist-led events.
“It has the potential to become something people look forward to each year,” Habibi says. “A day or even a weekend to celebrate the creative pulse of this city.”
Boyd agrees, envisioning future editions filled with creators showing even more work, installations and performances. Sutherland sees it expanding beyond the studio into opportunities for sharing knowledge in what she describes as “one long progressive art party from one studio to the next.”
For now, StudioFest’s inaugural run offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the rich, varied world of local artists—a chance to see, learn and maybe even get a little inspired to create something yourself.
WHO: StudioFest
WHEN: Saturday, May 3, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
WHERE: Various Locations
HOW MUCH: FREE!
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