It's The Little Things...(Small Wonders Opening, 6/8 @ ODAS!)

It's time we all acknowledged the truth: Things that are awesome, are made awesom-er when they are small.
To convince you of this Scientific Fact*, I present to you exhibits A through E:

Exhibit A: Candy

Good.**

BETTER. (Look- fun is in it's name)

Exhibit B: Octopi

Beautiful, and slightly terrifying 

Beautiful and SO WEE.
BETTER.

Exhibit C: Antipasto plates

Normal size: A delicious and savory way to begin a meal

Tiny Size: inedible, but completely adorable.
BETTER.

Exhibit C: Even things that are already small are better when they're smaller

You can hold it in your hands!

YOU CAN HOLD 30 OF THEM IN YOUR IN YOUR HANDS
WAY BETTER.

Exhibit D: Art

What a big and impressive piece of art!

Smaller, but SO MUCH BETTER!

The really great news is that if you are a fan of small art (and with all the above evidence you'd be foolish not to be) you'll have a chance to check out over 100 miniature (no larger than 12"x 12"x 12")  paintings, drawings, sculptures, even fiber art at Open Door's Small Wonders, opening this Saturday, June 8th, from 5p to 7p.

But wait! There's more!

Small Wonders is a collaborative exhibition featuring artists from Open Door Art Studio and Cincinnati’s Visionaries and Voices. The show will be up through July, but with Father's Day, Graduation gifts and Happy 'It's No Longer Ohio Winter!' celebrations coming up, these wonderful and affordable works of are will be flying off the walls. Plus our openings have great snacks. 

Please join us for this big night of small works!  

*disclaimer: not real science
**All pictures, except for the last one, belong to someone else and have been linked to where I found them.
They are used purely for fun and hilarity, not for profit.

Wallace Peck- Opening Tomorrow @ the Lindsay Gallery

It's not a secret that Wallace is an amazing artist, and a total rock star. The past year has been a big one for Wallace- he was chosen as an emerging artist for the 2012 Columbus Arts Fest, he was part of a three person show at Open Door, and he made lots of new friends.

because who wouldn't want to be friends with this smile?

2013 is also proving to be a big year for Wallace- He was featured in our second annual This Inspired That exhibition AND this week he opens his first ever solo show at a major Columbus Gallery. (!!!) We are all so proud of Wallace and can't wait to celebrate with him at the opening, this Friday, May 31 from 6pm to 9pm at the Lindsay Gallery.  

Come on out and meet the man, the myth, the legend, Mr. Wallace Peck himself.

Mother's Day is Coming- Are You Ready?

Ah, Mother's Day- The day to celebrate mother's, maternal bonds, the influence of motherhood in society, and all the ladies who've raised or help raise new humans into functional adults. It's the one day out of the year to show your mother (or mothering person) just how grateful you are for them, the one day on which we pause to say thank-you for everything they've done for us. It's also in two days, so if you haven't gotten an appropriately awesome gift for that awesome person, you'd better get moving. No pressure.

Whistler's Mother. Tell me this lady doesn't look like she deserves more than just a scented candle?

Good news! Just in time for this crazy important holiday, Open Door Art Studio is having a BIG SPRING FLING SALE, this Saturday, May 11 from 12pm to 5pm

"But Cat, are you sure I'll be able to find the right gift for my mother?

Yes. Yes I am.*

And to prove it, below are just a few of the literally hundreds of pieces of art we have for sale, any of which would make excellent Mother's Day Gifts:

Old School Vacuum, Rex Lynch

Okay, so everyone knows; don't get your mom/wife/significant other who cleans up your messes a tool with which to clean said messes. But an amazing, original watercolor drawing of an Old School Vacuum? Totally cool.

Splat, Marty Freireich 

Speaking of cleaning up messes, here's a Splat so beautiful your mother won't want to clean it up!**

And Baby Makes Three, Margaret Stromire

Don't have time to get a family portrait taken? No worries, get your mom a family portrait- With Elephants!

Linda Carter as Wonder Woman, Jenny DeBrier

Taking a messy, loud ball of emotions and impulses and transforming it into a functioning adult? If that's not a superpower I don't know what is. Celebrate your mother's inner Super Heroine with this lovely painting. 

Rosy Disposition, Linda Hoffman

Flowers are always a safe bet, but you know what doesn't last forever? Flowers. You know what does? Paintings of flowers. You tell me which one makes a better gift.

Cutie Koala, Carolyn Morgan

And if by some chance your mom doesn't like superheroes, flowers, non-objective paintings or elephants, there's no way she won't love a koala. They're scientifically proven to be the Outback's cutest animal***

So there you have it! Just a tiny sample of the amazing work we have available. Double plus bonus: Every work of art is one-of-a-kind (so no worries about a copy-cat sibling getting her the same thing) and directly benefits our artists and the studio.

Your mother would be proud.

*Full disclosure- I am not a mother, but I've been someone's kid for most of my life and feel like I've got a pretty good idea of what makes a successful Mother's Day gifting experience.

**(Which is good. Because it's a painting. And permanent.) 

***this is not real science. But it is true. 

Back in Time for Daffodils- It's the Open Door Exhibition Season!!

Greetings and Salutations! Happy Springtime! 

I love cocoa and holidays and big fuzzy sweaters as much as the next person, but around mid-February I hit my limit and start seriously considering hibernation as an alternative to Ohio winter.

This is a koala yawning. Your argument is invalid. 

Another late-winter bummer is the absence of exhibitions and openings in our gallery space. True, it's nice to give ourselves time to catch our breath and stock up on new art and ideas. True, it's usually too gross out for anyone to come out to a chilly, evening opening. Still- I missed seeing you guys!

Though things have been quiet around the ol' blog, we at Open Door have been busy as Christmas elves- plotting plots and scheming schemes- all in preparation for our SHINY! SPARKLY!
2013 EXHIBITION SEASON
here just in time for sunshine and violets and baby animals!

"But Cat! I can't wait! I've waited all winter and I need Visionary Art and I need it NOWZA!"

Well then, you're in luck because our first show of the season, This Inspired That, opens this Saturday, April 6th from 5pm to 7pm. 

"OMG YES!"

This Inspired That is a collaborative exhibit featuring Open Door Art Studio and artists from Creative Arts of Women (CAW). For this exhibit each CAW artist selected a piece of art made by an artist from Open Door that inspired them and then used that spark to create a companion piece. Both works are displayed side-by-side in this engaging and exciting exhibit.


Click here for more information about the show and to RSVP!
(If over 100 people RSVP by this Saturday I will attempt a cartwheel. In public. You know you want to see that)