§ THE STUDIO · 2 MIN READ
How to Walk Into a Studio
Open studios and first Fridays are free, everybody is welcome, and most people never go because they are afraid of not knowing what to say. Here is what to say.
By Culture
THE SHORT VERSION
Open studios and first Friday events are free and open to the public, and artists attend them specifically to meet people. Useful questions focus on process and decisions rather than meaning, and asking directly about price and payment plans is normal rather than rude.
There is a free event happening in most cities every month where working artists open their doors, and the main reason people do not go is a fear of being exposed as somebody who does not know about art.
Nobody is testing you. Here is how it actually goes.
Open studios are days when a building full of artists unlocks their workspaces. First Friday and similar evenings are gallery and studio walks, usually monthly. Both are free, both are public, and artists are present specifically to meet people.
That last part is the bit to internalise. An artist standing in their studio on an open day has chosen to spend the day talking to strangers. You are not interrupting.
"Hi, I just came to look, is that alright?" is a complete and correct opening. Then look at the work for a minute before talking.
When you do talk, ask about process and decisions, because those are the questions artists actually enjoy:
That last one is the best question in the room and it almost always produces the most interesting five minutes of the visit.
"What does it mean?" is the question everybody reaches for and it is the hardest one to answer, because if it could be said in a sentence the artist would have written the sentence instead.
Also skip "how long did that really take" in a tone implying it looks easy, and avoid comparing somebody's work to a more famous artist unless you mean it as praise and can say why.
“Nobody is going to ask you what you think of the composition. Look, ask how it was made, and be a person.”
Asking the price is not rude. It is the most normal thing that happens in a studio.
"What does something like this go for?" is fine. So is "do you ever do payment plans?", which many artists do and almost nobody is asked about. So is "what is the smallest thing you have?", which is how most first purchases happen.
If it is out of range, say so plainly and ask whether they make prints. Nobody is offended, and "I love this and cannot afford it this year" is a sentence artists hear with pleasure rather than disappointment.
Follow them. Then actually turn up to the next thing.
Artists notice repeat faces to a degree that would surprise you, because most attention is one-off. Being somebody who came back twice is how people end up with a first commission, an invitation, or a friendship.
Locally: Max Sansing and Quiana Lewis both work here and both take commissions, the exhibits are open, and what is on this week lists the rest. The murals along Long Beach Boulevard are a free two-hour walk with a map.
- Are open studios free to attend?
- Yes. Open studios and first Friday gallery walks are free and open to the public, and artists attend specifically to meet people. Turning up to look is exactly what they are for.
- What should I ask an artist in their studio?
- Ask about process and decisions: how long it takes, what it is made of, what they were working on before, how they decided where to stop, whether it is part of a series, and which piece they would not sell. Those are the questions artists enjoy answering.
- Is it rude to ask how much a piece costs?
- No, it is completely normal. So is asking about payment plans, which many artists offer and are rarely asked about, and asking what the smallest or most affordable work is.
- What question should I avoid?
- What does it mean. It is the hardest question to answer, because if the work could be summarised in a sentence the artist would likely have written the sentence instead of making the work.
