The crisp scent of fall in the air doesn't just mean that the Cal Bears' football season has begun; that redolence of promise also indicates that it's time for ArtSpan's 33rd annual Open Studios.  The event takes place over the next four weekends, beginning October 4 with the Private Preview Gala, and concluding November 1 & 2 with the crowd favorite, Hunters Point Shipyard artist colony. This is your chance to emulate a modern day de Medici and become the patron of a working local artist.

33rd Annual ArtSpan San Francisco Open Studios
Weekend 1: Saturday, October 4 Private Preview Gala, Sunday, October 5 Exhibition Opening
All Weekend 2-5 events: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Weekend 2: October 11-12 Western SF
Weekend 3: October 18-19 Central SF
Weekend 4: October 25-26 Eastern SF
Weekend 5: November 1-2 Hunters Point Shipyard

This may be your last chance to see the historic artist colony in its historic superfund-site condition.  Since non-binding Prop G passed last year, developer Lennar Corporation has promised to refurbish main digs, Building 101, and to replace the six smaller buildings with one new building.  Planned redevelopment of the former Navy base also includes toxic clean up, retail space, affordable housing, regular condos, and maybe a new stadium for the 49ers- we can hope.

However, the Private Preview Gala will be the chance to see at least one first: Alan Bamberger standing still.  The art appraiser known for his super hero-like ability to be in more than one place at once, as he visits and photographs the opening receptions of up to a dozen gallery exhibitions every night for his website Art Business, is also a juror for the opening night show.

Why Open Studios?
Contacting artists directly who have dealer representation is a no-no.  Even if you do get an invitation to a studio visit, business terms require that you pay the gallery price.  With the artists participating in Open Studios, you don't have to worry about those politics. 

ArtSpan provides an invaluable service to its members: marketing.  Young artists who are recent graduates from one of the prestigious Bay Area MFA programs are assured of fanfare through well-publicized exhibitions featuring their thesis projects.  For artists who didn't come up in San Francisco, were called to their craft after the bloom of youth, or are still painting decades after graduating from art school, ArtSpan provides an invaluable service by drawing attention to this pocket of the art community, mostly independent artists working without gallery representation.  San Francisco's open studios event is the oldest of its size in the country, and other cities look to ArtSpan as a model, asking for and receiving advice on how to run their own.

For a seasoned artist, participating in Open Studios means coming in contact with loyal fans and collectors.  This is your chance to see that artist's lesser known work, or new work in progress that may not yet be fully realized. 

For a new artist, the experience is a lot different.  Unlike participating in just another exhibition, newly practicing artists may be surprised by the workaday rigor associated with registering for the program, preparing the studio, cataloging the work,  pricing the work, and manning the studio for fourteen hours over two weekend days, with varying attendance.  Buying the work of one of these artists (mostly under $1000, less than a designer handbag & doesn't go out of style) could give them the confidence they need to continue their practice.

The Guide
It's worth picking up the ArtSpan Guide to Open Studios this year just for Ray Beldner's article ("What Matters" p. 24), which includes a pithy history of Bay Area art since the 50s and covers the current renaissance of exciting artist-run and alternative spaces from an insider's perspective.  Beldner should know.  The SF native and award-winning artist has taught at SFAI, CCA, and is currently teaching at St. Mary's.  He runs his own alternative art space called Bernal Bubbles, where on the first Saturday of every month at 10 p.m., the laundromat transforms into a mini Commonwealth Club.  On top of all that, Belder is married to Catharine Clark, whose eponymous gallery is highly respected for its program which addresses social and political issues head-on. 

Spotlight on a Few Weekend 3 Participating Artists
Paul Madonna, best known for All Over Coffee, his weekly contribution to the San Francisco Chronicle's Pink Section, opens his home studio for the fifth year in a row.  Madonna's a headliner in this event, and he typically receives 200 visitors over the course of the weekend.  Paul's body of work is more than cartoons, and includes portraits, artist books, and large scale drawings, but his fans come expecting to see what they're familiar with and he doesn't disappoint.  Paul enjoys this annual opportunity to meet his fans in person, and in fact met his wife Joen through a fan letter she wrote in 2000.

Prudy Kohler, principal of Art for Lunch, is a practicing artist who works mainly in photographic transfer media. She teaches her methods in group settings through her portable art making workshop, which revolutionizes the tired business-world custom of team-building.  Prudy is not only an artist and small business owner, she helps make this city's arts non-profit world tick.  Among her many contributions to the local art community, Prudy is currently a consultant to organizations such as the San Francisco Arts Commission, the Getty Foundation, and the Bay Area Arts Town Hall. (Note: her studio will be open all weekend 3 long, but she's only able to be there on Sunday.)

Liz Hickok (MFA Photography, Mills '05), known for her trademark jello sculptures of Bay Area landscapes and photographs of same, is not listed in the print guide, but is participating and can be found in the ArtSpan database.  Liz is in the middle of a prestigious five week Headlands Center for the Arts project space residency, but she'll return home to her space at 1890 Bryant for her Open Studios weekend and will have a jello model set up for viewing!  (Eat first.)

How To
Stark Guide's perennial recommendations for simplifying the process of picking which of the 800+ artists you'll visit:

1. Narrow it down. Attend the October 4 Private Preview Party at SomArts Gallery.  Tickets start at $50 but buy the VIP level admission for $100 and get first pick on the donated works for sale in the exhibition (most under $300).  This is an organized way to survey the work of many of the participating artists, allowing you to quickly see what appeals to you.  If you can't make it to the party, you can visit the gallery later on to survey the scene.  SomArts Gallery, 934 Brannan Street at 8th, October 8-26 Wednesday-Friday Noon-4pm, Saturday & Sunday 10am-4pm. (Also Sunday afternoon, October 5, 4-7p.m.)

2. Get the guide. If you can't make it to SomArts, go to the ArtSpan website to find out where you can pick up a copy near you. It's a beautiful glossy magazine-style book with an example of each artist's work and clear mapping and scheduling information.

3. Do a little homework. Don't just peruse the guide. Spend some time looking at the websites of the artists you have decided you like. Plot out who you will see each weekend.

4. Hire a car service. PlanetTran eco-friendly hybrid car service costs $60 per hour. Avoiding parking drama makes the investment a bargain. (Invite two friends and divide by three.)

5. Bring your checkbook. These guys do not take credit cards. Open Studios' artists run the gamut from gallery-represented types to newly minted, just-quit-my-job-to-paint-full-time artists who have barely managed to scrape together the $175 fee to participate in the program.

6. Do not haggle. These prices are already low. IF you are buying more than one piece from a single artist then it is acceptable to ask if he or she would consider giving you a discount on your second purchase.

7. Don't dawdle. If you walk in the door and don't care for what you see, two minutes and a pleasant "thank you" is enough.

8. Sign the guest book. Get on the mailing list and follow his career!