WAYNESBORO, PA—The Arts Alliance of Greater Waynesboro will host its inaugural Greater Waynesboro Art Studio Tour, celebrating 14 local artists within the greater Waynesboro area, on Nov. 1.

This tour features five home and work studios located within the Waynesboro Area School District, as well as nine artists at a special exhibit in Gallery 50 on 50 West Main Street, Waynesboro.

The event is presented in partnership with funding from the Franklin County IMPACT! Grant.  

Several of the studios will feature demonstrations: 

• Mary Ashe-Mahr and guild members of the Nicodemus Center for Ceramic Studies will do Raku firings from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Raku pieces will also be available to purchase. 
• Jay and Kathy Brown of Sugar Hollow Farm Alpacas, LLC will offer patrons a chance to meet their alpacas, as well as see various fiber spinning, weaving, and knitting demonstrations.
• Andrea Finch will be creating on site with her featherweight sewing machine.
• Lexi Shockey of Blue Lemonade Ceramics will host working pottery demonstrations.
• Seth Holmes of Holmes Watercolors will provide light refreshments and do watercolor demonstrations.

Another feature of the tour is a People’s Choice Award Contest. Everyone is invited to support their favorite artist by donating votes. Each artist’s entry can be viewed and donations can be made in person at Gallery 50 or online at artsalliancegw.org. Each vote helps artists climb the ranks, and the artist with the most votes at the end will win a $100 gift card. Plus—voters enter a raffle for a chance to win a piece of artwork from the artist they voted for, making it a win-win for both fans and creators! All donations benefit the Arts Alliance of Greater Waynesboro. The raffle drawings will take place in early November.

Detailed artist profiles and information about the tour and People’s Choice Award are posted at artsalliancegw.org. 

Featured home and work studios:

Seth Holmes, Holmes Watercolors, 8 E. Main St., Waynesboro. Seth aims to highlight the quirky beauty of local buildings, using vibrant colors and playful exaggeration to invite viewers to look at familiar places with fresh eyes.

Karen Manderson, Want Not Quilts & Soft Fabric Creations, 723 Fir Spring Dr., Waynesboro. Karen works with lots of “leftover” fabrics to create tastefully done art work.

Jay and Kathy Brown, Sugar Hollow Farm Alpacas, LLC, 9955 Masters Road, Waynesboro. Visit Sugar Hollow Farm Alpacas, meet the herd, shop for hand-knitted items, yarn and ceramics and experience the joy of alpacas.

Mary Ashe-Mahr, Ceramics, 10983 Mentzer Gap Road, Waynesboro. Mary creates functional stoneware pottery made for everyday use as well as pieces using the Raku method that is completed outdoors with unpredictable and stunning results.

Lexi Shockey, Blue Lemonade Ceramics, 17 Park St., Mont Alto. Lexi creates wheel-thrown functional ceramics and focuses heavily on surface decoration using mono-printing and screen-printing techniques to create her surfaces.

Special exhibit artists all featured at Gallery 50/Music Makers, 50 West Main Street, Waynesboro:

Andrea Finch, Afinchsong Creation Textile Art. Once a traditional flat quilter, Andrea’s work has left the surface to become sculptures that taunt the viewer to reach out and touch. 

Marti Yeager, Oil Painting. Marti strives to create work that is visually exciting and expressive. Because she doesn’t like to limit her options for artistic expression, her style varies widely, from fairly “realistic” to completely abstract.

Sheila Druist, Acrylic Paintings. Sheila’s artwork is a celebration of vibrant color to inspire mental well-being. Her primary medium is acrylic, though lately, she has been incorporating gel printing and collage into her process.

Leslie McEntire, Oil Painting, Leslie finds creating artwork to be mentally challenging, totally engaging, and most of all—fun.

Anne St. John, Oil Painting. Anne uses botanicals, fruit, leaves, and plant life as a vehicle to express bold color and compelling form presenting them in a close-up view.

Kimberly Cois, Watercolor. Kim began her career as a caricature artist, and this early experience with cartoon imagery still informs her approach to artwork. Line is a very important element for her, and she is drawn to simplified and stylized forms.

Don & Edie Druktenis, Pottery and Woodworking. Don and Edie create one-of-a-kind, simple and useful pottery and woodworking items for folks to enjoy and use in their homes or to give as gifts.

Carolyn Seibert-Drager, The Farmer’s Daughter’s Flowers Photography. Carolyn’s photography is infused with her love of flowers and bright colors, sprinkled with an affection for poster and pop art.

Annamarie Poole, Blue Mist Pottery. Annamarie loves making pieces that enrich people’s lives as they use them, and she loves the endless creative options that clay, glaze, and fire offer her.

Gallery 50 is owned and operated by the nonprofit Arts Alliance of Greater Waynesboro and spotlights fine art and high-quality crafts from local artists and artisans. Arts Alliance of Greater Waynesboro presents free live music and visual arts shows every weekend year-round at Gallery 50 and Music Makers in Waynesboro, PA, and sponsors and helps support artists, art organizations, and art venues throughout the Waynesboro area.

The Greater Waynesboro Art Studio Tour will be held Saturday, Nov. 1, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.