New Bern Artists Studio Tour

On Saturday, November 5th, artists from all over New Bern will open the doors to their studios and give people a glimpse of how they create their work. The tour is self-guided – you can stop by as many studios as you want, and it’s completely free and family-friendly. It runs from 10:00am to 5:00pm. 

Fifty artists – painters, potters, photographers, quilters, welders, jewelers, plus those who work with glass, leather, textiles, and wood – will have their works on display. Many will also be doing demos and showing works in progress. Rarely does the public have a chance to see behind the curtain and have one-to-one conversations about the artist’s process. Some of the artists represented show their work nationally, but not always locally, so this is the once-a-year chance to discover new talents and treasures. 

Some participants will be creating works specifically for the tour, such as gifts and prints with holiday shoppers in mind. Mixed media artist Carol More states she’ll be showcasing “more affordable artistic ‘experiments’ based on the visitor feedback from last year’s success, including my mini-clay sculptures known as ‘Crabby Critters’”. 

Many artists, who spend much of their creative time in solitude, welcome the opportunity to interact with visitors. Plein air painter Susan Cheatham, who will be at the CAGS Annex on Middle Street, notes that last year, “it was so wonderful meeting new art lovers especially because our five studios are hidden in the back of the Kress Mall.” 

Still others use the tour to give back. Shelley Mathiot, a potter with Bear Hands Art Factory, will be working on her wheel but also selling seconds, “pots that are still functional but have a small flaw, at drastically reduced prices. All of the proceeds from the seconds will be donated to True Justice, an organization that fights human trafficking.”

It’s easy to plan your route. At the website newbernartists.com, you can learn more about each artist, download a printable map, or link to the navigable Google map.  In late October, a free full-color brochure with the map inside will be available at the Bank of the Arts, the History Center, and other downtown locations.  On the day of the tour, signs will help direct visitors to each studio door.

2022 New Bern Studio Tour Artists

• Leslie Anthony, oil painter 
• Annalee Ash, landscape artist 
• Shawn Bradley, furniture designer
• Sandy Bruno, painter & pyrographer
• Floyd Bullock, quilter
• Chris Carroll, portrait artist 
• Susan Cheatham, plein air painter 
• Sherry Clark, animal portraiture
• Shop Class, wood and mixed media
• Beth Conley, mixed-media artist
• Audrey Cushman, plein air painter 
• Jill Eberle, figurative oil painter 
• Brenda Gear, mixed-media artist 
• William Gehlert, outdoor painter 
• Gary Gowans, figurative/landscape artist
• Paula Hissett, weaver 
• Donna Hodgins, nature photographer
• Ann Marie Hodrick, jewelry artist 
• Jane Horner, painting & sculptor
• Cory Hunter, sea-glass jeweler 
• George Hunter, landscape/ still life painter
• Noreen Jekel, painter & photographer
• Wendy Johnson, lampwork artist 
• Karla Kulp, gourd artist
• Julie Larick, oil painter 
• Ben Lindemann, aerial photographer 
• Heide Lock, oil painter
• Shelly Mathiot, potter 
• Eleanor McArver, impressionistic painter
• Scotty McCarty, jewelry artist 
• Carol More, collage artist
• Cindy Polo, plein air painter 
• Christine Provard, watercolor artist
• Karen Rawson, oil painter
• Karen Noll Schaaf, watercolor artist 
• Belinda Scheber, watercolor artist 
• Jeffrey Sherman, photographer
• Donna Slade, colored pencil artist 
• David Slyck, mixed media artist
• Patty Smithwick, silverplate jeweler
• Elizabeth Spencer, wood sculptor 
• Joyce Stratton, mixed-media artist 
• Linda Sura, weaver
• Sally Sutton, landscape painter 
• Pat Tenza, potter
• Catherine Thornton, sculptor & painter 
• Vicki Vitale, miniature painter 
• Michaelé Rose Watson, glass & clay artist
• Ginger Wernersbach, oil painter 
• Martha Williams, mixed-media artist