Twenty years of studio tours

The White Rock Artists Studio Tour started 20 years ago, when pals Marty Ray and Michael Obranovich decided to have studio openings on the same weekend. At the time, Ray was an art teacher at Bryan Adams High School, and she wanted her students to be able to see where artists worked. Obranovich is a potter who had taught Ray at East Field College, and they asked their mutual friend, sculptor David Hickman, to open his home and studio as well. There were only four studios on that first tour. This year, there are 39. “There are so many that most people don’t get to see them all in one year,” says Lottie Minnick, whose studio has been on the tour for many years. “You have to pick your spots and use your time wisely.” Hickman’s studio, and the home he shares with wife Linda, is the “preeminent” stop on the annual tour, Ray says. And it is easy to see why. The Hickmans bought their house about 30 years ago, and they added David’s studio a few years later. Over the years, the home has become a showcase for David’s sculptures and their extensive art collection. “We call it ‘Nasher lite,’ ” David says of the garden. Linda is the gardener, and a few years ago, David built her a greenhouse entirely out of discarded doors. Everywhere you look, there is some clever thing, some beautiful creation. “You get to see where the artists work, and you also get to see where you live,” Ray says. “Many times, you even get to see them at work.” Minnick says the tour always falls on her birthday weekend, and it’s her favorite weekend of the year. “To me, it’s a party. It’s a big, two-day party,” she says. “My backyard is full of people, and we have a great time.”

—Rachel Stone

THE WHITE ROCK ARTISTSSTUDIO TOUR is from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 13-14. It is a free, self-guided tour. Maps are available at whiterockartists.com, the Bath House Cultural Center, the Creative Arts Center and other neighborhood businesses.

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See more studios on the tour. Visit lakewood.advocatemag.com/photos