Elizabeth Fraser, Organizer of the Annual East End Open S tudios Tour, This Afternoon.

Kylie Smithline Exhibits her Pottery at Today’s Tour on Munjoy Hill for the First Time.

Barbara Colby, Owner of Little Island Lampshades, Creates Lampshades to Order.

The Sixteenth Annual East End Open Studios Tour returned to Munjoy HIll following a pandemic pause of about three years.  “It’s about community.  It helps bring the community back together after being largely separated by the pandemic,” said Elizabeth Fraser, organizer of the event this afternoon.  “Congress Street is so festive with artists displaying their art work and hoping to find a market for it,” she said. Fraser is a self-taught artist who owns a studio at 81 Congress Street.

There were eleven studios open with about nineteen artists exhibitig their work at them.  Several studios provided space for artists without studios in the area so they could participate.  About eight of the artists were exhibiting for the first time in this Tour.  Barbara Colby, Owner of Little Island Lampshades, was talking to prospective customers in the backyard of her home on St. Lawrence Street.  She restores old shades as well.

Another new exhibitor was Starr Jordan Moore of New Hampshire.  She had an impressive exhibit of her quilts on display at 81 Congress Street, in the front yard of Elizabeth Fraser’s studio.  The price of her quilts ranges from $100.00 to $1,000. depending largely on the quilts’ size.  Moore has been creating quilts for about 25 years.

Two other first time exhibitors were Deb Freedman who restores faded clothing with botanicals.  She gives new life to clothing – some of it is donated to her and other clothing she gets from consignment shops and Goodwill stores.  For more information, please visit thefourthworld.net..

At another exhibit near the St. Lawrence Arts Center, Kyie Smithline was displaying her ceramics.  She showed a wide variety of trays, mugs and much more – all under the umbrella of Ki Ceramics.  From the Pacific North West, her ceramics are her efforts to recreate the naaaaatural occuring textures and patterns thadt she often saw at home in the Seattle, Washington area. For more information, please visit kyliesmithine.com.

Fraser is also the organizer of the annual “Art on the Hill” craft fair show held at the East End Community School, 195 North Street, on Munjoy Hill. It’s an early December event timed for holiday shopping.  Please visit post herein dated December 3, 2021 for more information.

For background information on this annual Tour, please visit post herein dated July 7, 2019 – the last Tour prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Please also visit wwwseaportland.org for more information.