Eastworks
Reminder Publishing file photo
EASTHAMPTON — The greater Easthampton community is once again invited to the Eastworks building the weekend of Nov. 7-8 for its annual Open Studios event, where local artists, makers, performers, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs will open their doors to the public.
The two-day celebration runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day and offers an opportunity for the public to experience the vibrant, creative community within Eastworks and see firsthand the people and spaces behind the destination.
Over 40 participating studios will showcase an eclectic mix of skills from drawing, painting, printmaking, photography and mixed media to pottery, stained glass, jewelry and textiles. Attendees can meet celebrated creators, learn about their process, view works in progress, participate in hands-on workshops, shop for one-of-a-kind items and discover new businesses.
“Whether you’re an art enthusiast, a curious community member, or just looking for a fun, inspiring way to spend the weekend, Eastworks Open Studios is for you,” said Brittany Arita, a member of the Eastworks Open Studios Committee, the volunteer group of tenants who organize the event each year.
The 500,000-square-foot revitalized textile mill sits in the heart of Easthampton’s Mill District. Easthampton Skate Club owner Noah Halpern-McManus and Printed Mass owner Drew Romeo, who both serve on the Eastworks Open Studios Committee, told Reminder Publishing that the Eastworks collective is unique and a great appeal for entrepreneurs and artists to bring their work to the building.
“Everyone supports one another however they can and in a lot of ways it’s almost like a mall but instead, all of these individual stores, there’s much more of a unifying sense of everyone being Eastworks tenants and being here and part of this community,” said Halpern-McManus. “Something like Open Studios is that one weekend a year where everyone can kind of celebrate each other, see each other’s customers and see each other’s community bases and things like that.”
Romeo added that a majority of those in the building know each other which leads to strong community ties and opportunities for cross promotion of one another, only reinforcing the strength of the ecosystem established at Eastworks.
“Aside from the committee that we’re on for Open Studios, I think a natural part of being in this building is you get to know everybody, and you get to know what they do, and everybody kind of helps everybody else when they can,” Romeo said.
Romeo explained that every tenant sees great benefits through the visibility that Open Studios brings to the community inside the building.
“We’re on a tricky side of the town where most of the traffic coming in and out of town aren’t coming to this side of town, so I think Open Studios has definitely helped in that regard to show so many people in and outside the community that we’re here, and what a great building this is. The old architecture, the charm of an old factory building that’s been turned into something new,” he added. “I think it’s definitely helped as far as bringing that to light that ‘hey, we’re over here, there’s a lot going on not just in this building but the other mill buildings that are over here.’”
In addition to the on-site restaurants within the building – Nourish, Local Burger, Beveridges and Daily Operation – Eastworks will also host a variety of food trucks during Open Studios, providing a selection of culinary options. Halpern-McManus added that between the different dining options available and the showcase of all the other great happenings inside the Eastworks Building, Open Studios will offer something for everyone, whether they are already familiar with the spaces inside the building or are getting exposed for the first time.
“It’s just a really cool vibrant community, and the energy in the building over the weekend is great from all the people who are blown away by the building itself and everything happening in it,” Halpern-McManus said.
Romeo said that the Open Studios weekend also marks the official move to a new spot within the building for Printed Mass, and Halpern-McManus added that Easthampton Skate Park will celebrate three years in Eastworks.
Eastworks is located at 116 Pleasant St., in Easthampton and free on-site parking is available in the front and back of the building, along with accessible entrances and two elevators. For more information about studios taking part in this year’s event, including a visitor’s guidebook to use in preparation for navigating the building during Open Studios, visit eastworksopenstudios.com.
“I think a lot of people get excited to come because on any given day, aside from the businesses, depending on if some of the artists’ studios have open door time or not, this is a chance for people to get to see truly the amount of artists that we have in this area that most people wouldn’t even know are in this building most of the time and they get to experience what they do and their spaces a little bit,” Romeo said.
Halpern-McManus added, “It’s a time to highlight new things and new beginnings.”
