By Jenn Sheridan ·
Grant Kaye | Truckee ·
A nod to the community of artists in Truckee, the Nevada County Arts Council presents the first Truckee Open Arts Studios Tour spanning 10 days and showcasing a variety of artists and mediums in the surrounding community of Truckee. In addition to the opportunity to visit the studios of local and guest artists, TOAST is a collection of events and workshops that includes a mix of art, music, film and photography.
“One of my goals was to bring a wide range of mediums, ages and gender,” said Carla Beebe, project director for a TOAST to Truckee’s creative community.
Greg Zirbel ·
Carla and her husband, Tom Beebe, are long-time supporters of the arts in this region. Carla serves on the board of directors for the Nevada County Arts Council and Tom owns a fine woodworking and craft school in Truckee. In addition to teaching workshops, he creates functional and beautiful pieces of furniture and jewelry.
Inspired by the way the city of Santa Fe, N.M., works to promote its creative community by building interactive events that draw tourism to the city to experience art workshops and gatherings, Carla says that she saw the need for an inclusive event in Truckee.
“I want to build community among the art organizations and brand Tahoe and Truckee as an art community,” she said.
Jannell Botto ·
An open art studio tour ties the event together inviting the public to view the galleries and studios of local and guest artists. From July 17 to 19 and from 24 to 26, local artists open the doors to their studios for live demonstrations and exhibit viewings. Participants use a guidebook to create a schedule around their interests.
Andy Blanchard ·
Studios include photo galleries, woodworking shops and home studios such as that of mother and daughter Janet and Meg Martin. The sandblasted windows in the home studio is just one of the examples of the variety of work from this duo.
In addition, many artists have scheduled workshops to coincide with the tour. Choose photography classes with Abe Blair or Grant Kaye, exploring the creative process in writing with Karen Terrey, or learn to paint eggs with Cathee vanRossem-St. Clair, who was commissioned by former President George Bush to paint an egg for The White House.
The final component of TOAST celebrates the history and depth of the Truckee community beginning on July 17 by honoring the military with a fundraiser to promote art, health and well being to the region’s veterans through Art Health Alliance and Friends of the Veterans Hall. The event includes keynote speaker Dr. Philip Lisagor and a round table discussion on available therapy programs including art and outdoor recreation. The talk is followed by the documentary “Marines to the Mountains” from the High Fives Foundation.
On July 18, discover Truckee’s artistic past with an archive of artwork by Truckee residents from 1876 to 1980 presented by the Truckee-Donner Historical Society. The exhibit is accompanied by music from Richard Blair, a songwriter whose tunes tell the tales of Truckee’s colorful past. The tour closes on July 25 with a reading from local writers including Marion Porter, Nicole Dreon and Karen Terrey at the Artisans Marketplace.
Carla’s vision for the future of TOAST is an event that attracts cultural tourists to support the creative community.
“Imagine coming to Truckee to hike, enjoy the outdoors and do a workshop with local artists,” she said.
Join Click-Off Truckee
Photographers of all ages and abilities are invited to compete in Click-Off Truckee from July 17 to 19. Competitors have 72 hours to capture photos of the best of Truckee’s people, history, art and landscape. Winning photos will be displayed at the Truckee Community Recreation Center and prizes are offered for best of show for youth and adult photographers. Visit facebook.com/clickofftruckee for details.
For more information on the open studio tour, the events or for a digital copy of the guidebook, visit creativetruckee.org. Locations on where to pick up a copy of the guidebook are available on the Web site.
July 16
1-5 p.m. | Photography workshop
July 17
10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Open studio tour
6:30 p.m. | Honoring Our Military talk & film showing
July 18
10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Open studio tour
5-9 p.m. | Archival display of artwork 1876-1980
July 19
10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Open studio tour
5-8 p.m. | Exploring Creative Process writing workshop
9:30-11:30 p.m. | Shooting the Tahoe summer sky
July 20
10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. | Post processing workshop
6-9 p.m. | Beginning Egg Painting
July 21
6:30-9 p.m. | Painting class
July 22
1-5 p.m. | Experimental Screenprinting
July 23
1-5 p.m. | Photography workshop
July 24
10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Open studio tour
7 p.m. | “Elevate Tahoe” showing
July 25
10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Open studio tour
5:30 p.m. | Literary Arts & Wine Reading Series
July 26
10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Open studio tour
6:30-9 p.m. | Watercolor & Wine
Ongoing
Daily | Group exhibition at Truckee Recreation Center
