Events

Exploring The 15th Annual FMVA Studio Crawl

Studio crawl

For fifteen years, the FMVA Studio Crawl has been bringing together the artist and the viewer. This month, we had lunch with Studio Crawl Director and glassblower Jon Offutt to find out exactly what to expect from this year’s event.

Photos by FMVA/Michael RT Photography

For fifteen years, the FMVA Studio Crawl has been bringing together the artist and the viewer. Not only is it an opportunity for local artists to gain exposure, but it is a time for people like you and me to experience the inner workings of those who have been helping make our community so vibrant. This month, we had lunch with Studio Crawl Director and glassblower Jon Offutt to find out exactly what to expect from this year’s event.

Studio crawl

Jon Offutt (left) demonstrates his glassblowing technique during the 2017 Studio Crawl.

Meet the Director

Though his role as director is to coordinate the event, Offut has opened his studio up every year for the Studio Crawl. There, he demonstrates his glassblowing technique for curious onlookers. “I’ve never been on the crawl, myself. I’ve always been a participant. There’s only four of us that have been in it all fifteen years.” Those artists are Ellen Diedrich, Karen Bakke and FMVA Member of the Year, Brad Bachmeier.

Meet the Artists

Each year, Offutt selects someone, usually a museum or gallery director, from outside of the FM area to review applicants for the Studio Crawl. This year, the crawl will include 38 studios and even more artists, as some studios are shared by multiple artists. Just to give you an idea of how much the crawl has grown, the first year included only 28 studios. Newcomers this year include Kayla Helenske and the NDSU Architecture Program.

Brad Bachmeier

Brad Bachmeier throws pottery on his wheel during the 2017 Studio Crawl.

Attend the Event

This year, the Studio Crawl will take place on October 6 and 7 from noon to 6 p.m. To attend, the first thing you’ll want to do is pick up a brochure from The Plains Art Museum, The Rourke Art Museum, The Hjemkomst Center, Dakota Fine Art or Gallery 4. Brochures will also be available at a variety of local restaurants and businesses leading up to the event. The event is totally free to attend and a map will be provided in the brochure.

The Plains Art Museum will also have an exhibition featuring work from artists participating in the Studio Crawl. Something to note is that admission fees to The Plains Art Museum and The Rourke have been permanently waived thanks to increased financial support from the public, although admissions have always been free during the Studio Crawl weekend.

From there, you can pick and choose which studios you would like to visit. “Choose what you want to do because there’s far more than you’ll be able to see if you give each studio its due time,” Offutt said. For example, the Crawl includes studios in Fargo, West Fargo, Moorhead, Felton, Glyndon and Harwood. At the studios, guests are encouraged to ask the artists questions about their work. Many of the artists will also demonstrate their skills for the public. Between visiting with artists, Studio-Crawl-goers will be able to take their picture with the giant red ball of The Red Ball Project, which will also be in Fargo on October 6 and 7.

Karmen Rhealt

Karmen Rhealt demonstrates her metalwork during the 2015 Studio Crawl.

Take the Design & Living Route

We’ve gathered all of the artists you can visit on this year’s Studio Crawl that have been featured in Design & Living Magazine. Those artists include: Jon Offutt, July 2013; Kimble Bromley, March 2014; Marjorie Schlossman, March 2015; Elizabeth Schwankl, January 2016; Emily Williams-Wheeler, May 2016; Brad Bachmeier, June 2016; Ashley Kunz, June 2016; Karmen Rhealt, February 2017; Dale Cook, August 2018.

Studio crawl

 

Fargo Moorhead Visual Artists

1104 2nd Ave S #313 Fargo

fmva.org

 

To Top