HippoPress -- The Hippo -- Guide to Manchester and Nashua NH

The artists of Goffstown are once again presenting an Open Studio Tour, Oct. 1 and 2. Like Manchester’s Open Doors Tour and Nashua’s Art Walk, the Open Studio event is a way for the town’s businesses and arts community to work together to expose residents to talented individuals in their very own backyard.

Last year’s inaugural event was successful beyond expectations, according to artist and event co-organizer Randy Knowles. A Goffstown resident, Knowles is a member of the Manchester Artists Association and a member artist at the East Colony Fine Arts gallery at Langer Place. He and fellow artist Ann Trainor Domingue have been spreading the word about the event throughout the greater Manchester area.

“Artists with in-home studios in the downtown Goffstown area have gotten together with other artists who are displaying their work at downtown businesses,” Knowles said. “It’s a chance for the public to have a behind-the-scenes look at how artwork is created, and a chance to meet the artists and hear their stories.”

The tour is self-guided, with no transportation provided from venue to venue, so visitors are free to travel at their own pace. Organizers created a comprehensive map of the downtown area complete with venues and the names of participating artists. Attendees should expect to drive to some of the venues, as they are not all within walking distance.

Participating artists include Knowles and Domingue, along with potter Susan Babine; wildlife painter Rosemary Conroy; multimedia artist Nina Duval; decorative painter Nancy Gamache; doll artist Tammy Gross; doll artist and fiber artist Pat LaBrecque; painter and colored pencil artist Jeanne LaChance; painter Judy McLean; painter Richard Morin; potter Rob Roy; painter and illustrator Diane Ryan; ceramic artist Paul Schill; fiber artist Maggie Sudderth; painter Mary Upton; painter and interior designer Alyssa Van Guilder; and collage artist Alison Williams.

The Open Studio event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. For a copy of the tour map, go to www.goffstownmainst.org.