Almost two decades ago, in the winter of 2004, South Coast Artists (SCA) hosted their first Open Studio Tour. The event featured eleven local artists and was an immediate success. Over the next few years, the group continued to grow, until it seemed only reasonable to establish it as an official organization. Since 2010, it has qualified as a federally approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that aims to nurture local artists and promote a vital creative network in the South Coast region of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Today, SCA supports more than 150 members and serves as a multifaceted, educational resource in the community.

The organization relies on the efforts and skills of many to run smoothly. The volunteer-run Board of Directors and member volunteers work together to plan the summer Open Studios and member events. During the Open Studio Tour, the public is invited to view the spaces in which local artists operate and gain insight into their creative processes. Not only does the tour illuminate the intensive and challenging work implicit in any artistic career; it also demonstrates that making a living as an artist is indeed possible. Whereas a gallery exhibits only the finished product, SCA’s open studio tour allows viewers to see the artist at work and observe how a blank canvas becomes a finished painting, or how a lump of clay is shaped into a sculpture. 

Members of SCA work in a broad variety of mediums and exist at various stages in their careers as artists. Some members are just starting their artistic journey and seeking direction or guidance, while others are well-established or have been making art for decades. The kind of art they engage in ranges from painting, sculpture, ceramics, and portrait drawing to interior design, metalwork, stone carving, marble sculpture and more. There are currently 168 members, with up to 75 members participating in the four-day Open Studio Tour. The tour takes place in four towns: Tiverton and Little Compton, Rhode Island, and Dartmouth and Westport, Massachusetts. However, members reside in all parts of the country, ranging from Florida to Colorado to Maine. Anyone can be a member—SCA is inclusive and accessible to anyone who has a passion for the arts, and has been charging an annual membership fee of thirty-five dollars ever since it started. Through that membership, artists gain a built-in creative community and access to a wealth of information. 

SCA arranges monthly meetings for its member artists, with a pause in July and August when studio tours occur. Meetings typically feature a guest artist speaker or highlight an educational or professional topic, such as navigating business or marketing as an artist. The meetings also build and strengthen community by connecting those who may be secluded in their studios, offering opportunities for them to meet fellow artists in the area. In the spring and winter, SCA hosts two exhibitions to which any member can register and show their artwork. 

Besides its yearly events, SCA hosts pop-up events and workshops on marketing, social media, and other relevant topics. Artists participating in the summer Open Studio Tour also have the opportunity to submit to SCA’s juried Annual Art Contest. To support the future of artmaking in the community, SCA encourages emerging artists through its Memorial Education Fund Youth Grant Program. The grant awards $1,000 to a local high school student, which is to be applied towards an artistic project or goal. Through these initiatives and endeavors, SCA aims to foster artists of all backgrounds and levels of experience. 

It is amazing how many people have committed their efforts to the organization since its inception, and to what an incredible extent. Surely, this speaks to SCA’s sustained and vibrant engagement with artists and the broader community, and its efforts to foster greater appreciation and participation in the arts throughout the South Coast region.