Author: Chris Goldthorpe

We have two important announcements regarding the Open Studios Tour.

The first is that we will be postponing the open studios weekend to October 2021. The artists already registered for the 2020 tour will continue to be registered with no action necessary.  We will continue to promote artists on social media and will take the opportunity to add educational videos to this website.

The second announcement is that Peg Falconer will be resigning as chairman of Washington County Art Alliance, the organization that runs the Open Studios.  The board members are sharing the responsibility of running the organization until such time as we have a new chairman. This is unrelated to the postponement of the tour which was due to COVID-19. A message from Peg is below.

Message from the President Peg Falconer

July 26, 2020

Dear Washington County Open Studios Artists, past and present;

This is the 11th year of an event that has grown in many ways since inception. Our inaugural artist group was 17, now we are over 50 and include local galleries and studio collectives. The traditional weekend of opening our doors now also embraces art events, farmers markets, and often a Sneak Peak exhibit. The numbers of visitors can top 2000 collectively. We have established ourselves as a 501(c)3 nonprofit and endeavor to build a mentorship program in our organization. We have made a meaningful contribution to our community, and the result is that the Washington County Art Alliance has a strong foundation of support and encouragement to continue to do so.

All through this, we have managed to keep the tour free to visitors, a unique arrangement in the Open Studio genre. This aligns to our mission to provide access to art for all people, regardless of income. We use local businesses to conduct our own business; our stunning catalog (thank you Joyce Gabriel for the conception and guidance) has been printed by Lithex Printing in Hillsboro, our fearless photographer for three years running, MIke Teegarden, is himself an Aloha resident, our signs have been printed at Miracle Signs in Forest Grove, whose owner Lynne has patiently seen us through the many updates and revisions.

But most importantly, our organization has been run by YOU. I can’t emphasize that enough. Many hours of effort, earnest commitment, and a willingness to work towards a common goal has made the Open Studios Tour possible all these years. We have many artists who return each year to contribute to the effort, which speaks of good things about them as well as what they do. These people put in countless hours each year to keep the gears turning: Chris Goldthorpe, Virginia Parks, Randy Goossen, Bob Heath, Terry Grant, Patti Isaacs, Susan Gallighar-Turner, Ana Quinn, Tim Gabriel, JoAnn Pari-Meuller, Donna Sanson to name a FEW. There are

m any others both past and present. Truely, we are an intrepid lot of

volunteers making this thing work. My hat is off to each and every one of you who has done some part, because you GET that the old axiom is true:

Many hands do indeed make light work.

Which brings me to the point of this rather long letter.

I have been the President or co-president since we were founded in 2010, and it has become necessary now for me to step down. I know this is midstream in a very difficult year, and I do not make this decision frivolously. In fact, it is quite difficult to let go of something I hold dear, something that I feel is contributing to the common good, something that allows me to connect with the artists in my community. Something, quite frankly, that forces me into my own studio to get to work.

Yet it is for better health that I step down from any position of leadership, and I cannot ignore this turn in my path.

Washington County Art Alliance is on solid ground, in spite of how uneasy we seem these days. We have an excellent and committed board, a solid financial base for our next tour, and a fine mix of experienced Open Studios artists along with new artists with fresh ideas. In short, we still have YOU, the local artists with a message to send and a means to do it. Art matters to healthy communities. Creativity is meaningful to everyone. Our connections to each other allows us to flourish in ways we cannot otherwise.

Please keep sharing. Your art, your time, your talent, your commitment. I will be seeing you around, I am sure of it.

Warmly,

Peg Falconer

Founder and past president of WCAA