TVAST Frequently Asked Questions

 What is an open studio tour?

An Open Studio Tour is an event where artists come together, most often in groups that have small home studios, and in buildings that contain multiple studios such as the Bothwell Arts Center in Livermore. During this event, artists will show and sell their work and provide demos and discussions. The public gets to see their actual workspace, talk with them about their creative pursuits and methods and inspirations. It’s a much greater personal and intimate relationship that one can develop with the artist, much more so than purchasing from a gallery. Many of the artists in this event are long time working professionals whose art is available in galleries. High-quality work is available, very accessible and by purchasing it from the artist one can do so at a much lower price while getting to learn about the processes and inspirations that made it happen. It’s a very intimate event.

Do I need an appointment or ticket?

No appointment or ticket needed. This is a completely free event.

How do I find the different venues?

There is an interactive GPS map of all the venues on our site. You can use that but there is also have a printable version of the map to download to your smart device or home computer. You can pick up a copy of this printed map at any of the venues during the event as long as supplies last. There will be a small supply of them provided at some of our art "hubs" - The Bothwell Arts Center in Livermore, Way Up Art and Frame in Livermore, The Bankhead Theater in Livermore and The Frame Company and Art Gallery in Dublin.

What if I am coming from out of town?

If you need a place to stay the Hawthorne suites in Livermore is providing a discount for those folks coming to visit TVAST. See our website for details.We are open three days. Friday from 5 to 8 PM at nine select venues. And all venues are open Saturday and Sunday, May 4 and 5 from 10 AM to 5 PM.

Are the artists professionals?

While the word professional can mean many things, we think you will be impressed at the variety of the work and the quality of the work you will see during TVAST. The vast majority of artists in the world are not showing their work in galleries… if that is your idea of a working professional. But yes, many of the people showing their work during TVAST are also showing in galleries around California and elsewhere. With the rise of social media, artists and art lovers have an enormous array of creative material produced and displayed online. Galleries take fully 50% of the cost one pays for a work of art, making it tough for artists to make a living at their work unless they become one of the few that rise to the level where their work is valued in the thousands of dollars. An open studio tour like TVAST is an opportunity for the public to view and purchase works that are wonderful, but simply aren’t in a gallery at this time.

Some of the studios are open on Friday evening, why is that? Why not all of the studios?

We wanted to place an emphasis on the where only one to three artists would be showing. You will get a chance to see their intimate creative space and ask questions about their use of that space. During the weekend it is sometimes tempting for the public to travel to the larger venues where there will be many artists. The original and still our main idea in having Open Studios is for the public to interact at the most basic level with the creatives - in their personal space - you will see living rooms, garage studios, backyard studios and some very small spaces. It should be inspiring to see that you already have what it takes to establish your own creative space no matter the size of your living area.

Will all the art be for sale?

Most of the art will be available for purchase. There will be some artwork that is shown by the artist to give you an idea of what they are capable of creating in case you are interested in having something similar made for yourself on commission. Speak with the artist you are most interested in working with to see if they do in fact work on commission. You’ll find a tremendous price range throughout the studio tour. And these price ranges are for the most part, listed on the website. And don’t be afraid to ask the artist if they are willing to accept a little less money for the piece you are interested in. It never hurts to ask - you won’t offend the artist.

Will there be Demonstrations or Talks, etc?

Yes, you can see our page on the website titled Artist Demo Schedule to find out where and when and what type of demonstration or talk is being given on any of the three days.