A rtist Parinaz Ziai Bahadori displays her acrylic on canvas work "Too Darn Hot" in her home studio, a renovated barn. Paranaz donates ten percent of the purchase price to refugees. She is joined by Guiti Shahabadi of McLean and Mae Villacortes of Fairfax. Photo by Mercia Hobson.
Meralee Fredenburgh, the new executive director of The Arts of Great Falls, reported the studio broke records left and right during the Great Falls Studio, among them single-day attendance.
"On Saturday, day two of the tour, we had 318 visitors, a record 20 percent increase," she said.
Activity choices during the tour proved abundant. They ranged from wood carving, metalsmithing, painting, and quilting demonstrations to participatory activities such as wheel-throwing pottery and painting with wine on paper. Visitors chatted with the diverse group of painters, potters, photographers, jewelry makers, fiber artists, sculptors, and others representing a variety of media. They participated in raffles for original works and made purchases of art.
Longtime photographer Walt Lawrence broke the record for the number of pieces sold, selling 18 works. Lawrence is retiring this year after choosing for years to concentrate his photographic works on Great Falls and the Potomac River areas.
https://www.greatfallsstudios.com/