Life feels more creative than ever at Bell-ans as head into the beautiful Autumn season. Baby chicks arrived last week, and this week there is a palpable feeling of excitement as artists getting ready for our third annual Open Studios event this coming Saturday.

The moment we placed postcards for the Open Studios into the front lobby, they were gone! We are so grateful for the enthusiasm of our community of fine artists and for the energy they are putting into this year’s event, welcoming the community into the spaces that are usually quiet and contemplative, perfect for creation.

It’s been exciting for me to see works I’ve never seen before. Alison Hoffman, for one, amazed me with collage works set in imaginative frames.

Our new dog, Willie, loves to sneak into everyone’s studio, and none of our artists seem to mind. Even Willie feels the excitement in the air. There’s a shift in the energy, and a sense of newness even as James and I snuck away like to kids getting lost in the mystery of the history of Bell-ans, when he took me into the attic for the first time to see the pill making machines.

Look for a small surprise in the lobby when we open up our doors and share the magic of Bell-ans with everybody on Saturday, with a new twist in 2016 as Matt and Jeanne host the first Open Barn.

Everyone can check out the disco exhibit in the Volition gallery, on display for its last week before we reimagine the space with “Restoration,” showing works from the Bluefield artists organization, with 30% of proceeds of the sale of pieces going to the restoration of the John Green House in Nyack.

Please join us! Our house is your house, our studios are your studios, our community is your community.

Love and gratitude,

Phyllis