About the Orange County Artists Guild
The Orange County Artists Guild is an inclusive, non-profit organization of “artists supporting artists,” seeking to increase the visibility and recognition of area artists and craftspeople. The Guild was begun in 2000 by a group of diverse artists who participated in the Orange County Open Studio Tour, a popular annual event in the county since 1995. The group is primarily made up of professional visual artists with considerable experience and dedication, but is open to emerging artists who want more understanding of what it means to produce and exhibit their work. The Guild does not place any restrictions on member’s art or craft media, content, or style of work.
The Guild was the first participant in the Orange County Arts Commissions arts incubation program, which aids local arts groups to become self-sustaining over a three-year period. In 2003 the Guild became an independent non-profit organization, with a Board of nine artist members serving two-year terms.
Exhibitions
The annual Orange County Open Studio Tour, held the first two weekends in November, is the primary project of the Guild. Only Guild members may participate and over half of the membership chooses to do so in any given year. The event itself is free to attend and open to the public.
This annual exhibition requires considerable organization and expense throughout the year, and is funded primarily by Guild members fees and donations from the community.
Meetings
General business meetings of the Guild are held 4 times per year. All members and prospective members are invited to attend any general meeting. The OCAG committees: Exhibitions, Applications, Publicity, Brochure, Fundraising, Jury, Website, and Distribution and others meet separately as needed to fulfill their functions. Tour participants are required to contribute by serving on one of the committees each year.
Contact
Please direct all inquiries about the Guild or Exhibitions to the Artists’ Liaison, Maya Barton.
The Orange County Artist’s Guild is supported by the Orange County Arts Commission.
The Orange County Artist’s Guild is supported by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.