We encourage new artists to apply to the Gig Harbor Open Studio Tour!
The Gig Harbor Open Studio Tour is a unique educational and marketing opportunity for professional and emerging artists in the Gig Harbor area. Artists in the tour are screened for the quality of their work, their ability to showcase their work, and their commitment to supporting the tour by working on a committee.
FAQ’s
When is the tour? The tour is a three-day studio art tour on the third weekend in September: Friday the 19th, Saturday the 20th and Sunday the 21st, 10am-5pm.
What are the requirements?
Due by 2/9/25: You must apply using the online New Artist Application and then be screened in to participate. There is no fee for the application or screening process.
If you are hoping to include your own studio on this tour, it must be within the GHOST Tour Map Boundaries attached at the end of this page. If it is outside these boundaries, you will be sharing studio space with someone else.
2/16/25: Screening date (location to be announced.) Bring your UBI form to the screening.
Due by 3/2/25: If accepted onto the tour, you are required to sign the annual Artist Contract (we will send you the link for that), pay the required fee, participate in a committee and attend all 3 general member planning meetings. You will be selecting your committee responsibility, based on your strengths and interests, within the contract.
GHOST is a collaborative effort among all participating artists, and everyone will have a volunteer job as part of this effort.
Educating the public about how art is made is a priority for this tour. You will be required to demonstrate your art process to the public during the tour. This can be as simple as a display board with photos of the stages of your process for producing art.
What do I need to bring to screen? Bring in three gallery-ready pieces of your art for screening as well as the completed application and your UBI. Wall art frames should be clean, with secure glass and wiring. If gallery wrapped canvas, they should be clean and finished. 3-d art should be well constructed and finished with no sharp edges.
How is my art judged? The screening committee will judge artwork on the following four criteria: Gallery Ready/Presentation, Concept and Originality, Creativity and Consistency and Master of Medium.
What are the costs to the artist? If you are accepted onto the tour, there is a $225 Artist Fee, payable online with your contract. There is no jury fee or commission on sold art. Fees are used for advertising and to support the event, including our brochures, posters, studio signs, general advertising signs and banners, website and the assorted odds and ends required for running a high-quality studio tour.
Do I have to reapply for admission to the tour every year? No. Once you have been accepted to the tour you do not have to reapply, unless you miss two consecutive years of the tour. However, If you want to show in a medium that you were not previously screened for, you will need to reapply.
Do I have to fill out an Artist Contract every year? Yes, this is done every year. This is separate from the New Artist Application and is required to participate.
Questions? If you still have questions after reading the New Artist Application form, then you may email Van Degoede, Screening Committee chairman at degoede@aol.com.
Boundary Lines for Studios Within the Gig Harbor Open Studio Tour (GHOST)
Area 1 Gig Harbor zip codes 98332, 98333, and 98335.
Area 2 - Key Peninsula North zip code 98329.
Area 3 - That portion of zip code 98367 which is East of Highway 16 and South of Sedgwick Rd.
Area 4 - That portion of zip code 98367 which is West of Highway 16 and East of the lines drawn by the following roads as annotated on the map below: From Hwy 16, west along Sedgwick Rd to Sydney Rd SW, south to Pine Rd, West to Glenwood Rd SW, south to the Pierce County Line.
