Local artists will be throwing open their studios to the public for the Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Art Studio Tour.
More than 80 artists will be taking part in the 26th annual event.
It will be spread out over 26 stops, where participants can meander through both communities on a self-guided tour and visit the various studios and galleries and meet the local artists in person.
Artists will feature ceramics, fibre arts, floristry, glass work, illustration, jewelry, painting, photography, sculpture, textiles, and woodworking.
Mark Tigges, a self-taught potter, will have his studio pen to the public for the tour.
Tigges has spent the last thirty years making thrown vessels and exploring different firing methods.
He quickly developed an interest in ash glazes and explored porcelain at cone six in oxidation at his first studio in North Vancouver. After taking part in a wood firing at the Shadbolt Centre, he fell in love with the craft.
Then, in September 2011, he purchased a rural property in Maple Ridge, and a year later began construction of a kiln, a manabigama, a modern interpretation of an anagama, which is a kiln built in the shape of a teardrop up the side of a hill.
“I decided I wanted to fire with wood,” said Tigges online about his move to Maple Ridge.
Tigges’ kiln has the fire built in the front section, below the flat ware chamber which is slightly elevated. The flame travels through the pots marking them before rising out the chimney.
A manabigama can be fired in a day, he explained, while most wood kilns need more than two.
“The beauty of a wood fired pot is on the surface, the pot has a story to tell on how the flame marked it, where it carried ash on to the surface, how the flame licked around it, and how the smoke darkened it,” he explained.
Tigges is Studio #22 and can be found at 11614 246 St., Maple Ridge.
The woodworking duo at K & K Custom Creations will also be opening up their shop.
Owners Kerry and Katie Tucker operate a live edge creations, epoxy, woodworking, and supplies shop that provides and supports the local maker and artist community.
They also create their own high-quality hardwood furniture, home decor pieces, charcuterie, cutting and cribbage boards, and so much more.
The materials they use are all urban salvaged and ethically sourced from Canada, and each piece they make, from small charcuterie boards to full-sized dining and conference tables, is individually handcrafted, ensuring each piece is made to their standard and is truly a one-of-a-kind piece.
They are Studio #12 on the tour and can be found at unit 11, 22935 Lougheed Hwy., Maple Ridge.
The Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Art Studio Tour runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 9 and 10, Mother’s Day weekend.
Admission is free and everyone is welcome.
The Art Studio Tour is operated by the Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Art Studio Tour Society, a non-profit, volunteer-
based organization established in 1998 to connect artists and the community.
For more information or a map of the studios taking part go to: www.artstudiotour.ca