A chance to get behind the scenes with local artists

Many local artists will open their studios to the public this weekend.

It’s Open Studio Weekend, sponsored by the Vermont Crafts Council, giving people a chance to meet a wide variety of artists and craftspeople in the studios where they do their work.

“This is a fun event because I get to talk to all kinds of people with all different interests in the arts,” says painter Torrey Carroll Smith, whose Waterbury village studio at 55 S. Main St. will be open to the public Saturday and Sunday, May 23-24, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For the public, the visits give them a chance to see beautiful artwork and handcrafts, get more information about the process of making art, and learn about the influences behind a particular artist’s work.

Smith, for instance, works in acrylic paints to capture images of beauty in everyday life — from clothes hanging on the line to dewdrops on a spiderweb to bees on a flower. Her colorful, figurative paintings explore mindfulness and presence, and their effects on people’s lives. 

Nearly 250 studios will be open across the state, and the event is free and open to the public. Smith’s studio is at 55 S. Main St., across from Wesley United Methodist Church, on the second floor.

For information and tour maps for areas of the state, visit vermontcrafts.com.

Here’s a rundown on local artists who are part of Open Studio Weekend.

• Jeremy Ayers Pottery; colorful, high-fire stoneware pottery for daily use. 18 Elm St., Waterbury; 802-363-3592.

• Ziemke Glassblowing Studio; artist Glenn Ziemke. Colorful contemporary blown glass. 3029 Waterbury-Stowe Road, Water-bury Center; 802-244-6126.

• JH Forge; artist Jim Hurlburt. Handmade Vermont hardwood kitchen knives. 3986 Stowe Hollow Road, Stowe; 802-253-8473.

• Stowe Craft Gallery; artist Susan Bayer-Fishman. Furniture, art, mirrors, lighting, sculpture. 55 Mountain Road, Route 108, Stowe; 8020253-4693.

• Jayne Shoup; contemporary paintings, landscapes, florals. 263 Center Road, Middlesex; 802-223-0100.

• The Mud Studio; artist Michael Sullivan. Functional pottery. 961 Route 2, Middlesex, in the Red Hen Bakery complex; 802-224-7000.

• Mad Women in the Attic; artist Elga Gemst. Fresh, original, metal and stained glass. 1104 Route 100B in downtown Moretown; 802-496-4614.

• The Naked Potter Studio and Gallery; artist Luke Iannuzzi. Naked raku dinnerware for foodies. 1460 Main St., Waitsfield; 802-496-9935.

• Mad River Glass Gallery; artists David and Melanie Leppla. Handmade art glass. 4237 Route 100, Waitsfield; 802-496-9380.