An annual springtime art event returns to full force this weekend after the pandemic. Kellen McIntyre said the quirky name of the event identifies the area where you’ll find it.
“The On and Off Fredericksburg Road Studio Tour is a self-guided tour of artists, studios on and off Fredericksburg Road here in San Antonio,” she said.
McIntyre owns Bihl Haus Arts and manages the On and Off Fred event every year. It’s an event which pulls back the metaphorical curtain and allows viewers to see artists’ creative processes.
“It's getting into their intimate spaces. You get to see how they live and look at their influences and see what other artists they're collecting,” McIntyre said. “You meet the kids, the cats, the dogs, everybody's there.”
She said the artists at the event include several kinds of sculptors, painters, fabric artists, printmakers and ceramists and more.
“In terms of price ranges, there's something for everybody from, $25, $35, $45 all the way up into the thousands,” she said. “So if you've got a little money, this is a great time to buy because you're buying directly from the artists.”
She says the 55 artists playing hosts will make you feel welcome.
“Oh yeah, most of the studios will have food and drink. Some have wine and beer. At Bihl Haus, we have everything,” she said.
And in fact, the kickoff party for the two-weekend event is at Bihl Haus Arts.
“It's called the On and Fred Autograph Party. It's Friday night from 5:30 to 8:30 at Bihl Haus Arts,” McIntyre said. “We're at 2803 Fredericksburg Road. We have music by Los Nahualatos, they're our house band. They are a Latin fusion band.”
There’s no charge for the tour itself, but Bihl Haus creates a $10 catalog of all the artists and their studios so you can find them. That catalog also gets you into the kick-off party at Bihl Haus.
“Everything is on our OnAndOffFred.org website,” she said.
You can find more details on additional special events within the main event at that website.
