More than 170 artists will be opening their studio doors to display their work at the 50-acre Hunters Point Shipyard in celebration of Open Studios’ 30th anniversary on Oct. 29 and 30, with an auction on Sunday.

After entering the gates of the shipyard, guests can speak with artists, view and possibly purchase an assortment of colorful, concrete and conceptual pieces including - but not limited to – recycled metal work, sculptures, photographs, jewelry, paintings, furniture, ceramics and glass throughout the six buildings at the shipyard.

Open Studios is considered the country’s largest, longest-running free visual arts event presented by ArtSpan, a non-profit organization dedicated to building connections within San Francisco’s visual arts community and between artists and the general public.

Artists at the Point open their studios for this visually stimulating event twice each year during the fall and spring.

San Francisco’s Open Studios program was founded in 1975 by a small group of enterprising artists who wanted to make artwork accessible to the public.

ArtSpan began Open Studios to provide emerging and well-established San Francisco artists the opportunity to invite the public into their work spaces, sell their artwork, build mailing lists and gain exposure.

The program is also a unique and fun way for the public to meet artists, see where artwork is created, explore San Francisco’s diverse neighborhoods and build collections, and even allow “visitors to know that it is my working studio, not just (a place where) I sell arts for the weekend,” said Kay Kang, a graduate with a master’s degree in printmaking from SF State.

Kang, 58, a 13-year veteran at the Point who participates in Open Studios each year, will display approximately 30 pieces “mostly paintings, some drawings (and) prints with mixed media,” in her studio.

Artists Paul Gralen, Claudia Kussano – both SF State graduates - Dominique Caron, and Audrey Welch among others, said they hope visitors will enjoy what they see and have a good time at the Point.
Gralen, 45, has participated in every Open Studios event since spring 1998. Though Gralen has no expectations when displaying his work at his studio, he said he will “undoubtedly meet some interesting people, many of them children.”

He received his single subject art teaching credential in 2005, and will be presenting approximately 10 welded steel sculptures and 10 small pieces of furniture in which Estelle Akamine, SF State visiting professor of beginning textiles, describes them as “metal sculptor whose medium-sized architectural works looks like charming little buildings.”

Kussano got her hands on fine arts while studying and teaching art in Brazil. Kussano received her degree in metal arts and jewelry in 1994 and said that “through my exploration of various art forms, I was drawn to metal arts and ultimately jewelry design.”

French-born Caron has also had her work exhibited in more than 30 galleries in the U.S. and internationally, and will feature media paintings with classical themes interpreted with layers of materials which are “still life and allegorical portraits” at Open Studios.

The artist anticipates visitors to see that there is an “incredible number and variety of art made here, from beginner artists to famous professionals.”

Welch, 39, began “painting because I found graphic design not to be creatively inspirational.”

Though she hopes to make contact with new collectors and sell some of her paintings, she ultimately wants visitors to “have a visually inspiring day” while viewing the various types of art that will be featured at Open Studios at the Point.