Arts & Entertainment Community

Take a peek inside the artists’ studios this weekend

Posted on September 18th, 2025 By: Charlee Glock-Jackson

For more than three decades, artists in the area have opened their studios during the annual Open Studio Tour to offer a glimpse into their creative worlds. This year’s tour takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Sept 19, 20 and 21.

Eight Gig Harbor and Olalla artists, led by the late Al Johnsen, founded the tour in 1992. Johnsen had created a similar tour in Santa Cruz, Calif., where he taught pottery and painting at University of California Santa Cruz.

After he retired from teaching, Johnsen and his wife moved to Gig Harbor, where he set up a new studio. His goals in starting the Gig Harbor studio tour were three-fold: To show the community that there are people who make a living from art, to give art lovers an opportunity to meet artists in their work environments and educate visitors about the creative processes.

The free, self-guided tour grew each year. This year, 54 artists in 23 studios are participating. They work in a variety of mediums, including oil, acrylic and watercolor paint; wood, clay, steel and stone; glass; encaustic; mosaics; fiber and photography.

A painting by Open Studio Tour participant Ann Stockdale.

Dan and Miriam Barnett

Dan and Miriam Barnett are the old-timers in the tour, having participated for 20 years. Miriam Barnett creates jewelry; Dan has made pottery full time for at least 50 years. He finds inspiration in the natural environment and incorporates aspects of nature in many of his pieces, whether they’re totem-fountains or more utilitarian objects like plates and bowls.

Potter Dan Barnett will have birdbaths and utilitarian pottery in his studio at this weekend’s Open Studio Tour.

Miriam calls making jewelry her “therapy” from her stressful day job serving domestic violence victims and their families.

The Barnetts joined the tour to be part of the artist community and the greater community. “We were new in the area and we were looking for a way to showcase our work,” Miriam Barnett recalled. “It’s a joy to share our creative processes and educate and inspire others, because the arts enrich communities and bring value though beauty. We’ve watched the tour expand with new artists and old friends every year.”

The Barnetts’ studio is located on 46^th Ave. NW in Gig Harbor.

Jewelry designer Miriam Barnett will show and sell her work during this weekend’s Open Studio Tour.

Barbara Henderson

First-timer Barbara Henderson works in mosaics – tiny pieces of colored glass fitted together to make a design or a picture. She joined the tour because she wants to see art and creativity promoted in the community, and because the tour “highlights the artist’s process. Art is part of who we are,” she said. “Visitors have a unique opportunity to step inside artists’ studios, ask questions and not just see what we make, but learn why and how we make it.”

In addition, the tour “reminds people that artists aren’t distant or separate, we’re neighbors, often balancing our art with other roles.”

Mosaic artist Barbara Henderson will participate in this weekend’s Open Studio Tour.

Just about anything can become a canvas for Henderson’s mosaic work – bird baths, stepping stones, wall hangings, mirrors, pendants – even mailboxes.

Several other artists – mixed media artist Jessica Almeida, painter-printmaker Katie Weaver and Copper enameling artist Meg Norris – will also show their work in Henderson’s Gig Harbor studio.

Other first-time participants include Kathy Barrett who works in fused glass, woodworker Brad Powers, and stone sculptor Stephenie Cardinal.

Rebecca Stansbury

This is the Rebeca Stansbury’s fourth year in the tour. Her Olalla studio is filled with marvelous ceramic creatures and functional porcelain items. The animal characters are inspired by memories and perceptions from her childhood and from current news, she said.

Rebecca Stansbury’s fanciful ceramic creations will be available for sale in her studio during this weekend’s Open Studio Tour.

She joined the tour to connect with people in the Olalla area and beyond, and that connection “is what keeps me doing this every year,” she said. In addition to keeping that connection going, one of the most important aspects of the tour is that it’s free.

“It’s a prime opportunity for community residents to get a glimpse of the great variety of local artists and craftsmen that live right in our area,” she said. “That’s something to celebrate.”

Woodworker Dawn Weaver, encaustic artist Evy Halvorsen, Zack Cross – polymer clay, and Passiko True – jewelry, will be also showing and selling their work in Stansbury’s studio.

Bill Wachtler

It’s worth the trip to Fox Island to see Bill Wachtler’s paintings and photographs. He’s been part of the tour for six years, encouraged to join by several existing participants.

“I thought it would be a great opportunity to show a wide variety of my work and be able to expose my art to a larger local audience,” he said. He continues to participate because “it’s a lot of fun,” and also because it’s profitable. “You find out right away what the public likes and what they don’t like, and what they’re looking for in a work of fine art, so you get ideas for your next work of art or maybe even a commission,” he said.

Wood worker Dale McDaniels will join Watchler in his studio.

Bill Wachtler’s photographs and paintings like this one will be featured in his studio during this weekend’s Open Studio Tour.

Other artists

Other artists who are participating in this weekend’s studio tour include:

Sharon Feeney – stone sculpture
Jody Coulson – oil and acrylic paintings
Pierre Mollinet – stone sculpture
Jani Freimann – drawing and painting
Andrew DeGoede — oil and charcoal
Patra Voght – metal
Ray Hammar – metal
Cindy Duvall – fused glass
Delores Weir – jewelry
Anna Hoey – pastel, oil and watercolor
Craig Richmond – ceramics
Beth Owen – Watercolor
Elizabeth VanDuine – cut paper
Janice Taylor – mixed media
Jessica Almeida – clay
Meg Norris – copper enameling
Chelain Stocker – acrylic and resin
Stephen Lemons – ceramics
Kate Pearce – watercolor, oil, pastel
Meg Street – ceramics, cyanotype
Dana Seeger – encaustic and printmaking
Kendyl Chasco – ceramics
Elizabeth Garver – wearable fiber
Cathie Johnson – watercolor
Maureen Reilly – alpaca fiber
Lisa Sweo Eul – mixed media
Barbara Bleich – abstract painting
Gayle Beard – acrylic
Paulette Hoflin – bead jewelry
Claudia Ann Wild – jewelry
Shannon Kruger – textiles
Ann Stockdale – oil painting
Rebecca Ledger – watercolor
Judy Bush – beaded stakes
Robin Hominiuk – ceramics
Gail Heymann – ceramics
Alixandra Mullins – mixed media
Jennifer McCreight – clay sculpture
Dixie Armfield – fused glass
George Brooks – wood
Dale McDaniels – wood

Click here for information and to download a tour map.