Mark Your Calendar: East Bay Open Studios

Just a head's up that this Saturday and Sunday, June 9 and 10, is the final weekend for the East Bay Open Studios.

More than 400 painters, illustrators, photographers, ceramicists, sculptors, and other artists in Oakland, Emeryville, Berkeley, and beyond will open their homes and studios to showcase and sell their work. The event is produced by Pro Arts, a nonprofit community arts organization.

Download a directory of open studios here -- and preview the exhibiting artists (organized by location) here.

A (small) sampling of some of the participating artists' work:
Kate Van Der Riet, Oakland

Robin Kibby, Oakland (Update: Robin will actually be at Berkeley's Live Oak Park Fair this weekend -- not at Oakland's Cricket Engine, as listed on the EBOS directory.)

Heather Chou Photography, Berkeley

Shari Arai DeBoer, Alameda

Mark Your Calendar: Heath Ceramics Open Studio

Though it's been in operation since 1948, Heath Ceramics has enjoyed major buzz lately as new owners Robin Petravic and Catherine Bailey work to bring founder Edith Heath's elegantly earthy midcentury tableware and tile designs to a whole new audience.

Handcraftsmanship is a hallmark of the Heath aesthetic, and this weekend you can see it up close when the historic Heath factory in Sausalito opens its doors for tours, tile glazing, and BBQing. During the open studio, everything in the factory store is 15% off. The hours are Saturday, May 5, from 10-6 or Sunday, May 6, from 10-5. The factory is located at 400 Gate Five Rd. in Sausalito.