Annual studio tour lets local artisans show off their work

By GABRIELLE LEWIS

glewis@newspost.com

More than a dozen artisans in the Middletown and Pleasant Valley area opened up their studios to the public on Sunday, inviting visitors in to glimpse at how they make their handmade products and artwork during the Valley Craft Network’s annual studio tour.

The Valley Craft Network, established in 1981, is an association of professional artists and craftspeople in central Maryland. This year marked the network’s 43rd studio tour, which attracted visitors from Frederick County and other places, including Washington, D.C., Virginia and West Virginia.

There were 14 stops on the tour, which ran on Saturday and Sunday, featuring the work of 16 different artisans.

Some of the network members had tools and pieces of their work spread (See STUDIOS A10)

Jayme Marshall, left, talks with Dennis Diehl, right-center, at the studio for Jayme Marshall Jewelry during the 43rd Annual Valley Craft Network Studio Tour on Sunday.

Staff photos by Katina Zentz

Griffin Yourick, left, and his mother, Lynne Yourick, look through kaleidoscopes made by woodturner Dave Swiger at Contentment Turnings.

(STUDIOS from A1) around their studio spaces for visitors to observe.

Other artisans were making pieces during the tour so people could see the different creative processes that go into hand-making products.

Network members include a kombucha brewery, several ceramic and clay pottery makers, a clothing maker and jewelry designers.

Alice Orzechowski, owner of Caprikorn Farms just outside Frederick County, has participated in the studio tour for the last decade.

Caprikorn Farms is a dairy goat farm that raises saanen dairy goats and produces goat cheeses and handmade goat milk soap.

The soap comes in a range of scents, including green tea, earl grey, gingerbread, apple and balsam cedar.

During the studio tour, signs were displayed around the barn directing visitors to different areas, where they could see baby animals, and where and how Caprikorn Farms makes its soap.

Visitors could also sample the barn’s goat cheese.

Orzechowski loves meeting customers and introducing them to the farm. She said she participates in events such as Catoctin Colorfest, but to her, the studio tour is better than events where visitors only get to see products displayed on a table.

Through the tour, she said, “you get to see where the art is being created.”

Another artisan on the network tour, Jayme Marshall, said the tour has allowed her to gather feedback from customers on what products they enjoy the most, and to network with other artists.

Marshall owns Jayme Marshall Jewelry in Burkittsville. She creates silver and gemstone jewelry, and she also carries products from other local artists that were on display on Sunday.

She said this is her first time participating in the tour, and she decided to apply for it to try and bring more publicity to her business and get to know other artists.

Marshall was surprised by how many people came for the tour, as well as the fact that some people have been coming year after year as a tradition. She said she had met a couple who’d been coming to the tour for 40 years.

“I think it just really helps this micro-creative economy here in the valley,” she said. “... This has been a fantastic weekend; we did really well, and [we’ve heard] lots of feedback.”

Some visitors came out for specific artists whose products and designs they’ve continued to enjoy over time.

Kathy Buchanan of Shepherdstown, West Virginia, and Judy Yolles of Falls Church, Virginia, first attended the network’s studio tour last year specifically to see pottery from Jenny Bernhard Hatfield in Frederick.

The two came back this year for Hatfield’s work, as well as to see other artists they liked from the 2023 tour, such as a clothing maker in Boonsboro.

Buchanan said she was surprised that the tour has been going on for so many decades, and said it’s a unique event.

Yolles enjoys the intimate atomsphere of the tour compared to other artisan showcase events that might be more crowded and high-energy.

“Instead of being ... very crowded, this is nice,” Yolles said. “You can come to their studios and see how they work, their homes, and relax.”

Paul Armentano, left, purchases items while talking with woodturner Dave Swiger, center, and his wife Brenda Swiger, at Contentment Turnings during the 43rd Annual Valley Craft Network Studio Tour on Sunday.

Staff photos by Katina Zentz

Jayme Marshall at her work station during the tour.

Items on display at the studio for Jayme Marshall Jewelry.