How to Studio Visit 101
Exploring an artist’s studio offers an insider look at their practice and process, and gets collectors and art enthusiasts closer to understanding their work. It can be a deeply intimate experience and one that can create profound connections and deep relationships.
In Miami, one of the easiest ways to visit artists’ studios is through artistsopen.miami, an initiative by Fountainhead Residency & Studios to create access for locals to 250+ artists studios throughout the county. In preparation for this special event and for studio visits more generally, Commissioner has partnered with Fountainhead to present “Studio Visits 101” with collector Teresa Enriquez and artists Leyden Rodriguez-Casanova and Frances Trombly of Dimensions Variable. Together, we’ll cover everything from setting up a visit and studio etiquette, to purchasing work and questions to ask.
The Panelists
Teresa Enriquez is a local attorney and a passionate contemporary art collector. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Fountainhead Residency, which provides artists with an inspirational environment in which to create, while they attend openings and talks, visit museums and galleries, and receive vital feedback from art professionals through one-on-one studio visits and public open houses. Teresa lectures on various art law topics and provides pro bono legal support to artists. In an effort to introduce young Miami-Dade Public School students to contemporary art, she recently presented on the topic of Kerry James Marshall & His Impact on the Contemporary Art World.
Frances Trombly received a Bachelors of Fine Arts from Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD. She has exhibited nationally and internationally, including a solo project Frances Trombly: Over and Under at Locust Projects, Miami; Americana: Formalizing Craft at the Perez Art Museum Miami and united states at the The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, CT.Her work has been featured in various publications including The New York Times, Art Papers, Sculpture Magazine, Surface Design Journal, and The Los Angeles Times. Trombly’s work is in the permanent collection of the Perez Art Museum, Miami and NSU Art Museum, Ft. Lauderdale, among others. She co-directs Dimensions Variable, an exhibition space in Miami, Florida. The artist is represented by Emerson Dorsch, Miami, FL and Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
Leyden Rodriguez Casanova was born in 1973 in Havana, Cuba and is a visual artist currently living and working in Miami, Florida. He is currently one of the directors of Dimensions Variable (DV), a nonprofit art-led exhibition space. Leyden’s work has been exhibited at Perez Art Museum Miami, The Miami Center for Architecture and Design, Factoria Habana, Alejandra von Hartz gallery, Bass Museum of Art, and Locust Projects, among others. His work has been featured in the New York Times, ARTnews, Art in America, and more.
Overview
The panelists, experienced as collectors, curators, and in some cases, artists themselves, will discuss a wide range of things related to the pre- and post-studio visit, including the suggested research to do beforehand, identifying the artist(s) to speak with, and knowing what questions to ask.
During a studio visit, there is also a suggested etiquette to follow; similar to being at someone’s home, ask before you touch something, listen and dedicate time for a proper discourse. Questions about process, materials, and subject matter are typically good routes to conversation about an artist’s work.
Like anything, a studio visit can open a door to so many opportunities for both an artist and a collector. In this case, it’s on the collector to explore the best ways to carry that connection forward.
Artists Open on may 8
Artists Open is a Miami-Dade County open studios event offering the public access to over 250 artists studios across the county held on May 8, 2021 from 11 AM to 6 PM ET. Fountainhead’s mission is to elevate the voices, visibility, and value of artists in our society. Artists Open is the only event of its kind offering locals an opportunity to engage with artists in their studios.
The map here includes active participants, and to make each location easy to find, studios will be clearly marked with an Artists Open pink banner. Learn more about the event and RSVP on the website at artistsopen.miami.
Please keep in mind that to protect artists and attendees, social distance protocols and a mask requirement will be in place. We all have a role to play in our collective health and safety.
Thumbnail image: Season One commissioned artist Kelly Breez working in her studio. Courtesy of the artist.