The 22nd Annual Artists Alliance Studio Tour

By Over 50 Hamptons Artists to Open Their Studios to the Public

For over two decades, the annual Artists Alliance Studio Tour has provided art lovers and collectors with the unique opportunity to view the creative work spaces of the artists who practice their craft on the South Fork of Long Island. The annual Summer Tour, an eagerly anticipated highlight of the Hamptons' art scene and long recognized as the best art event of the year, will take place this year Thursday, July 12 to Saturday, July 14 from 10am to 5pm each day.

A special advance Preview Exhibition and Reception showcasing the works of all participating artists will take place Friday, July 6, 5pm to 8pm at the historic Ashawagh Hall where Jackson Pollock, Ibram Lassaw, Willem de Kooning and Lee Krasner exhibited at 780 Springs Fireplace Road, East Hampton. The artworks will be on view and available for sale throughout the week.

The Summer Studio Tour is a self-guided, convenient excursion across the bucolic landscapes that have inspired artists for decades. The tour will take attendees into the work spaces of artists living from Southampton to Shelter Island to East Hampton where they will meet the artists in their studios, discuss their work and find unique original art available for purchase. With one ticket Studio Tour goers can go at their own pace, for one day, or all three, check out the studios of most interest and in any order that is convenient. Studios open each day 10am to 5pm.

This year's Tour will also feature a special focus on Shelter Island where 14 studios will be open to visitors. Shelter Island Studios are open Friday and Saturday only. Special discount fares are available from the Shelter Island ferry for Tour Goers.

"For our 2007 Summer Tour, we have many returning favorites with new work developing in the Studio. But just as importantly, there will be a number of artists whose studios have never, or rarely, been open to the public before," notes Rich MacDonald, Chair of this year's Tour. "Finally, we are also excited to have a thrilling number of Studios from the growing Art Scene on Shelter Island".

A highlight of the week's activities will be the Sizzling Salsa! a festive mid-Tour cocktail party also at Ashawagh Hall, Friday, July 13th, 5:30-8:00PM, exclusively for artists and patrons. The Latin beat of Mambo Loco will heat up the evening to benefit the Artists Alliance of East Hampton. The sunset affair includes Tapas-style hors d'ouevres, complimentary cocktail and a special performance of a new work by Pat Oleszko, a ribald performance artist whose work charms as it disarms using satire, subversion and unabashed silliness. Artists Alliance member Lynn Matsuoka will also do Quick Portraits of guests.

In a new collaboration with the Parrish Art Museum, the Artists Alliance Studio Tour will also include a talk by Alicia Longwell, The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Chief Curator, Art and Education on The Parish's acclaimed current exhibition "Studio as Muse" Sunday July 15, 2pm. The talk plus admission to the Museum for a week following is included with the Studio Tour Ticket.

Among the artists from Southampton to Amagansett who are participating in the Tour are: Ruth Rogers Altman, Ted Asnis, Rosalind Brenner, Hal Buckner, Michael Cardacino, Casey Chalem Anderson, Marilyn Church, Rolande Cicurel, Stephen Clarke, Judy Clifford, James DelGrosso, Daria Deshuk, Ellen Dooley, Joe Eschenberg, Tapp Francke, Alexander Gianis, Barbara Groot, Mary Stern Grossman, Salvatore Gulla, Phyllis Hammond, Jana Hayden, Jim Hayden, Scott Hewett, Phyllis Hirschberg, Arthur Jacobson, Ursula Jacobson, James Kennedy, Michael Knigin, Joan Kraisky, Rick Krieger, Lynn Matsuoka, Norman Mercer, Nova Mihai Popa, Mark Mulholland, Carol Saxe, Christine C. Smith, Frank Sofo, Lounah Starr, Tom Steele, Linda Stein, Elizabeth Sloane Tyler, J.J. Veronis, Margaret Weissbach, Athos Zacharias

The Shelter Island studios open for the Tour are those of: Jacquelyn Black, Rafael Bueno, Janet Culbertson, Richard F. Denning, Roz Dimon, Victor Friedman, Margaret Garrett, Jerry Glassberg, John Pagliaro, Olive Reich, Eric Slayton Gavin Zeigler, Mike Zisser.

Sponsors for this year's Artists Alliance Studio Tour are: Boltax Gallery, Mixed Media Artists Materials, Sylvester & Co at Home, Applied Arts, Hamptons L&A Builders, Onshore Restaurant, Effects Of Color, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Hamptons Luxury Liner and Plum TV.

"The Tour, which has a number of innovations, is an important fundraiser for the Artist Alliance and the tax-deductible ticket helps fund art classes and scholarships for local students among other good causes" said Tom Steele, President of the Artists Alliance. "It is also a perfect way to discover and enjoy the beauty of the Hamptons".

The Artists Alliance of East Hampton was formed in 1984 as the Jimmy Ernst Artists Alliance by close friends of Jimmy Ernst, the internationally acclaimed abstract painter. It was formed in memory of Jimmy Ernst to carry on his vision of an artists' community. Its mission is to strengthen and support the interests of the creative community living and working on the East End of Long Island. The Artists Alliance accomplishes this through networking opportunities for artists, artist lectures and presentations. The Artists's Alliance Business of Art programs address practical issues for working artists and its community outreach programs include high school scholarship programs and art workshops for middle school. The membership of the Artists Alliance is primarily professional working artists. It is a registered 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation supported through community and business contributions, membership dues, fundraisers and State, County, and Local grants.

Tickets are $100 for the Studio Tour and Sizzling Salsa! Individual tickets for Studio Tour are $65.00 and $45.00 for the Sizzling Salsa Party. Buy Tickets Online! Learn About the Artists. Find Ticket Locations.

For further information, you may contact Artists Alliance of East Hampton, P.O. Box 2242, East Hampton, N.Y. 11937, Tel 631-324-2225, Fax 631-324-1922 or for a complete list of artists go to www.ArtistStudioTour.org.