The 14th annual Foothills Artists studio tour will be held November 20 and 21, the weekend before Thanksgiving, at five locations in and around the western Adams County (PA) communities of Fairfield and Cashtown. Eleven artists and artisans will open their homes and studios in a special pre-holiday show and sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. All of the tour sites are in or adjacent to historic homes.
The ten Foothills Artists are excited to welcome guest artist Laurie McKelvie of Shippensburg, this year. The five studio locations will feature original paintings, pottery, sculpture, furniture, woodworking, photography, printmaking, pastels, fabric arts, enamels, and jewelry. See first-hand where the artists create their work and have the opportunity to buy directly from them. For those interested in making purchases, checks and cash are welcome. Credit cards are accepted by most, but not all, of the artists.
The tour is self-guided and may be completed in any order. The website, www.foothillsartists.net, includes a map of each studio’s location and street address, as well as links to each artist’s individual website. It also includes biographies and artwork examples for each artist. In consideration of others and in accordance with current CDC guidelines, the Foothills Artists ask that visitors please wear face masks inside the studios and homes.
The artists:
Geoff Grant – Eden Farm, 378 Topper Road, Fairfield. Geoff is a fine art photographer whose subjects include color landscape, candid portraits, architectural, and street photography in the U.S. and overseas. His favorite styles of photography include soft, painterly images and Black and White. His work has appeared in several shows, including the Delaplaine and NOMA galleries in Frederick, MD and the ACAC in Gettysburg.
Jóh Ricci — showing with Geoff Grant, Fairfield. Jóh is a fiber artist, creating sculptural vessels, wearable fiber art & tapestries. Exhibiting at invitational and juried art shows, she is nationally recognized for her fiber art and has received numerous awards. Her work is in private collections and included in a variety of publications. Self-taught in hand beadweaving and recycled paper techniques, she creates unique jewelry, as well as paintings in oils and acrylics. Jóh sells her work through local venues and prestigious galleries throughout the country and teaches at various art education centers in PA and MD.
Jack Handshaw – 1575 Mount Hope Road, Fairfield. An active artist for over 35 years, Jack is a potter working in all forms of clay, particularly reduction fired glazed porcelains, and has returned recently to doing raku. Additionally, he will be offering redware for this year’s tour. He is a juried member of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, and has been accepted into numerous juried shows and received many awards. He also shares his art through teaching and demonstrations.
Michael A McCullough – 1720 Hilltown Road, Cashtown. Michael is a visual artist of abstract paintings, whose work has been featured in exhibitions in various galleries and museums. His work is held in national and international collections.
Sharon Pierce McCullough – 1720 Hilltown Road, Cashtown. A painter and sculptor of abstract and minimalist work, Sharon is also an internationally recognized artist and children’s book author and illustrator. Her sculptures have recently been recipients of several major awards, and her work is held in private and public collections.
Ann Ruppert – Windborne Farm Studio, 489 Crum Road, Fairfield. Ann designs and creates jewelry and works in two-dimensional media including pastels, oils, watercolors and colored pencil. She has been accepted into the Adams County, PA Arts Council juried show and has earned awards in the Franklin Co. Art Alliance annual show and the Chambersburg Council for the Arts miniature show.
Anne Finucane — showing with Ann Ruppert, Fairfield. Anne works in a variety of printmaking and other fine art media, and will be showing her etchings and linocuts on the tour. A long-time organizer for arts organizations in the Chambersburg area, her work has been accepted into juried exhibitions in Gettysburg, Hagerstown, Baltimore, Washington DC and New York City. She has been honored with one-person shows throughout Franklin County and her work is held in permanent collections in Chambersburg, Gettysburg and Hagerstown, MD.
Laurie McKelvie, guest artist — showing with Ann Ruppert, Fairfield. Laurie paints the light and color of the world around her in pastels. Her work has been shown in galleries and juried shows locally and nationally.
Judy Pyle — showing with Ann Ruppert, Fairfield. Judy makes jewelry in hand-fabricated silver, torch-fired enamels on copper and fine silver. Her new enamel pieces are wearable sculptures. She has been a life-long art educator, as well as a practicing artist. Her most recent small sculptures — enameled items and other found objects — have been juried into national exhibits.
Rod Stabler – showing with Ann Ruppert, Fairfield. Rod , a fifth-generation woodworker and retired cabinet maker, creates useful and practical woodcraft “with a flair”. Each piece is one of a kind. He strives to make objects of utility which are also objects of beauty.
Geoffrey Thulin – Blue Orchard Studio, 1013 Old Route 30, Cashtown. Geoffrey is a painter specializing in bold animal imagery, landscapes and abstracts. He works primarily in watercolor and gouache. His award-winning work explores color, pattern and rhythm, and their connection to the spiritual aspect of nature. This year he has been working on a series of zodiac paintings, all of which will be on display. Enter a complete description of your announcement including names, dates, and times.