State of the Arts

BY LOTUS ABRAMS

As cofounder of Marin Open Studios (MOS), Kay Carlson has worked tirelessly to ensure this annual event promoting local artists’ work has survived — and thrived. A talented artist in her own right, Carlson is a landscape painter who finds inspiration in Marin’s many scenic locales.

What can we expect at this year’s event? We’re excited to present the opportunity to see more than 250 artists in many diverse media and styles. The big surprise is that MOS has a new location for our gallery, formerly at the Corte Madera Town Center. This year we’re being hosted by the new Sausalito Center for the Arts (SCA), opening April 29 at 750 Bridgeway. Visitors can plan their adventure with our tour guide, distributed in this issue of Marin Magazine. You can also pick it up at SCA. Go to marinopenstudios.org to learn about the featured artists. These artists’ studios will be open for the first two weekends in May, countywide.

Are there any new artists participating that we should keep a look out for?

There are 40 new artists in this year’s Marin Open Studios to discover. We’re showcasing Aya Okawa, an environmental artist, and Laura Kimpton, a legendary Burning Man artist. Both are internationally known.

Tell us about your own art. I’m a California colorist working en plein air (outdoors) and in the studio with layers of washes and thick brushstrokes. I bring a vibrant palette to the canvas and am passionate about how light transforms color.

Where are your favorite places to paint? I love walking on the edge of the water in Sausalito behind my studio in the late afternoon with views of Mount Tamalpais from nearly every direction and constantly changing light and clouds. I set up my outdoor easel and then take the small study I do indoors to create paintings, abstracting elements of floating boats and expressing life on the water.

What resources does Marin Open Studios provide for artists? MOS’ yearround website (created by future-bright. com) provides a profile page for each artist, where they can post images of their art, bio and events. We offer a robust social media campaign, email newsletters, an artist Facebook resources page and free workshops on how to promote their work.

How does Marin Open Studios ensure diversity, equity and inclusion? We began formally supporting diversity in 2018 with scholarships to create a 60-foot mural in the lobby of Canal Alliance with Storek Studio Architecture. Now these artists have become professionals, creating three other murals with more coming. Six Canal Alliance artists are exhibiting this year at the Bay Model. They’re also at the Marin Multicultural Center, on our map in the tour guide.

In 2020, director Oshalla Marcus opened the Marin City Art Gallery, and we supported the gallery with lights and supplies. Now their artists exhibit in the MOS gallery, and we plan to collaborate on more projects.