Everything You Need to Know to Become a Block Island Open Studios Partipant
Block Island Open Studios is a service for you if:
you live on Block Island.
you are a BI Arts Council Artist / Maker Member.
have original work to present to the public.
How Open Studios Work:
If you decide to participate, your studio will be posted on the Island wide virtual Block Island Open Studios Map.
Dates and times when you are open will be posted. If you want your location to be removed from the virtual map when you are not open, that can be done. You must let us know your intended dates by the beginning of the membership year.
You are encouraged to make it possible for those with mobility issues to see your work. If you are truly handicap accessible, that can be posted at your studio location on the map.
Island wide, open studio tours will be widely advertised on our website, and in the paper. You will be given signage to post on your property when your studio is open. There is a 3? 5? day tour planned for ___ weekend, culminating in our Artists’ and Makers’ Festival.
Cards to Advertise Open Studios at the Chamber and Other Locations
Open Studio Signage
There will be a reasonable charge for open studio participation. This will be only what is needed for advertising, programming and signage.
Requirements:
You must be an artist / maker member of the Block Island Arts Council , must own or rent a full time or full summer studio or residence on Block Island (or have an arrangement with someone who does). That person must also be an artist / maker member of the Block Island Arts Council and must be showing their own work as well.
You are encouraged to attend our annual (virtual) meeting on Sunday, _____.
You must send an email to our Open Studio Coordinator, to express interest and agree to our Code of Conduct.
You must tell the Open Studio Coordinator by the Open Studio Annual Meeting when you intend to be open, must place your own studio and open studio signage when you are open and remove it when you are not.
You must provide us with an email address so that we can contact you. You must check it regularly and must respond in a timely manner.
You must agree to show your own original work, although calendars, cards, books and other products that you create are also fine as an addition to your original work.
·You may at your choice, form a group with other artist and maker members of our community to encourage each other in your craft. If you want this group be open to other artists and makers let us know and we’ll post it on our programs page.
Code of Conduct Annual Agreement
I _____ agree:
to be open when I have said I will open,
to provide a welcoming, safe environment for visitors. This includes COVID safe practices. (That means you provide a visitor’s log, provide hand sanitizer, wear a mask and require visitors to do the same, maintain social distancing and make arrangements for people to view your work without touching it, unless they are making a purchase.)
to be a good neighbor, complying with town requirements regarding numbers of visitors, parking, frequency and timing of open studios.
to personally obtain and be responsible for any insurance or liabilities as required,
to post and remove my Open Studio location signage, corresponding to your scheduled open times,
to promote Block Island Open Studios on any of my websites, or social media accounts,
to support and encourage the work of other artists and makers in OIC.
to show original work that I myself have made.
To agree, copy and paste this language into an email and send to the open studio coordinator by clicking this link: BI Arts Council Open Studio Coordinator.
Insurance Information
Check with your own insurance agent as some homeowners’ policies have studio insurance riders.
This is not an endorsement - it’s only here for your information. But, one insurance provider we have found that offers separate insurance for occasional or year round open studios and artists or makers events can be found here. (Link).
This provider also offers professional insurance for people offering workshops in their homes.
A Note on Town Zoning Requirements
We have to discuss this with the town, but it would be good, perhaps to point out we want the good will of neighbors and the community in general, so we need to be sensitive about timing / privacy. These studios can’t be “shops”, open all the time and with the exception of periodic island open studio tours, can’t be open to a lot of people at once.