At 31364 Peterson Road, among ceramic bowls, mugs and vases, artist and Oregon State University alumni Greg Nicol welcomes guests into his personal art studio. In this workspace, he has created every one of his own pieces for the past 5 years.
The Philomath Open Studio Tour provides a unique opportunity for guests to explore art studios and vendor stations all throughout Philomath, Oregon, while personally interacting with the artists themselves. The tour began on Oct. 19 and will resume on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
Nicol is one of the featured artists on the self-guided tour. He prides himself on mixing each glaze himself and creating minimalist ceramics. Nicol specializes in functional objects, particularly cookware.
“If you end up getting one of my pieces, I hope that you use it,” Nicol said.
Alongside Nicol is woodworker Afon Blinov, who occasionally works within the other half of Nicol’s studio. Sometimes, the two friends will combine their individual specialties into a collaborative creation. For example, Blinov has created a set of wooden chopsticks to go along with a ramen bowl sculpted by Nicol.
Beyond just working with one another, Nicol and Blinov are eager to expand during the Philomath Open Studio Tour.
“I’m a Philomath local now, so I feel like this is a good opportunity to engage in the art community. It’s an opportunity for me also to connect with other artists,” Nicol said.
These other artists are located all throughout different locations in town. At Philomath Scout Lodge, Pat Spark, an artist, author, and former instructor at OSU sits behind a display of her textiles.
Spark has been working with felt for 50 years, but expects that the pieces she is currently displaying will be some of her last of this kind. Since creating felt pieces is very labor-intensive, she is beginning to return to creating scarves and prints.
Regardless of the medium, Spark hopes to convey a consistent message in her art pieces: renewal. After her husband of 45 years passed in 2022, Spark found it difficult to produce artwork that wasn’t fueled by negative emotions. Slowly, she has begun reconnecting with who she was once.
“I called my daughter-in-law and I said, ‘I feel like I’m me. Not just a grieving me, not just a lonely me, but a real me,’” Spark said.
Art has allowed Spark to work through her pain and finally express the rejuvenating energy she is beginning to feel again. She has even found a way to repurpose the artwork she created while grieving.
“I ended up tearing up those pieces that I didn’t like and some of it’s in (my new piece).”
Outside of the tour, Spark can be found within Gallery Calapooia, along with Linda Herd, who creates unique jewelry pieces out of salvaged metal scraps and is also displaying her work during the Philomath Open Studio Tour. 
“Art is in every inch of your life,” Herd said.
Despite being discouraged from creating artwork in her early years, taking different classes and working hands-on with metals has allowed Herd to reconnect with her passion.
“Don’t lose that passion and don’t stop painting or don’t stop whatever it is that you do that makes you happy,” Herd said.
Now, Herd makes a strong effort to connect with those who appreciate her jewelry. She strikes up conversations with guests and even alters the jewelry structure to their liking, by lengthening or shortening the chains on necklaces.
Local community members are eagerly welcomed and appreciated throughout artist studios on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. at the Philomath Open Studio Tour.
