seattle sampling

Seattle Sampling, Seattle’s oldest and largest holiday arts and crafts tour continues with its 21st year, featuring 48 of the city’s finest craftspeople opening shows at twelve locations throughout the Seattle area. This self guided tour of artists’ studios and homes on Friday, December 4th from 4-9 pm, continues through Saturday and Sunday December 4th, 5th and 6th 10am-5pm, in sites from Ballard to Madrona, Northgate to Burien. A map and complete listing of artists and locations is available for download at www.seattlesampling.com, or by calling 206-783-8090. Some of the sales also have additional hours.

History of Seattle Sampling

In February of 1987, ten artists who had been hosting independent shows, met at the home of jeweler Judith Starbuck to discuss the creation of a coordinated studio tour by pooling energies and contact lists. On the first weekend of December, eleven studios opened their holiday shows and the first Seattle Sampling tour was launched. Shoppers had opportunities to meet the artists, to visit artist studios and homes, while shopping for holiday gifts in a low-key pace.

Six of the artist at that first meeting, continue to show with the group: Gay Jensen (fiber), Loretta Werner and Joan Bazaz (glass), and Paddy McNeely, Ginny Conrow and Paul Lewing (clay). Coincidentally, these three clay studios are also the three studios that have remained in the same locations. Although about half of the tours artists have participated for over ten years, each year new faces and new places keep the tour fresh.

New faces in 2008 will include Charlie Bigger (ceramics and mixed media), Regnor Reinholdsten (high- fire pottery, and Allison Trowbridge (contemporary sterling silver jewelry) at Ballard’s Salty Dog Studios. Aki Sogabe (paper cutting originals, prints and cards) and Greg Musick (bags and toys in Kasuri and Yukata fabric) will return to Paddy McNeely’s studio. Sarah Leonard (handcast sterling jewelry) has changed studios this year and will be showing at Blowing Sands Studio in Ballard.

This holiday season, Seattle Sampling invites you to avoid the malls and support local artists. These seasoned professional artists have thrived in their profession over the years, their work growing and changing. They invite you to visit their studios, have some treats, and see some of the finest arts and crafts in the area.