Art Studio Tour: Decades-Long Tradition Celebrating One-of-a-Kind Treasures Continues Nov. 17–19

Since 1993, the Stones River Craft Association has hosted its annual Art Studio Tour around Murfreesboro and the surrounding area. The Art Studio Tour fosters a medium for local artists to showcase their eclectic works and for the community to visit their home studios and gain exposure to a variety of creators and their respective styles. The 2023 Art Studio Tour will take place Friday through Sunday, Nov. 17–19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

The four participating studios this year are Jonathan Griffith Pottery, Blue Pony Studio, Red Oak Pottery and Hickerson Woodworks. Each studio hosts additional guest artists working in painting, woodworking, soap making, pottery, weaving and other media. Guests can drop by any of the studios at their leisure over the Art Studio Tour weekend.

RJ Hadle is a talented weaver and spinner with 45 years of practice under her belt. She will be at Blue Pony Studio selling her vibrant and textured tote bags, scarves, shawls and other items.

Hadle raises her own little family of angora goats; she now actually has three generations of goats. The crafter shears them to create mohair—a durable, luxurious and hypoallergenic fiber—and dyes it in rainbows of colors.

Most of her creations utilize her own yarn, though she also catches herself purchasing brilliant colors when they catch her eye from time to time, too, she says. When she combines her yarn with other yarn in projects, she feels her yarn’s texture augments the piece and takes it a step further to really give it the “wow” factor.

“I find my art to be calming and I love how when people see it they generally smile,” Hadle said, beaming. “It really is fun stuff. I mean, people say ‘Oh man, I can’t believe you made that’ or ‘I absolutely love that,’ but whatever their reaction is, they smile and I love that.”

Come by Blue Pony Art Studio in Readyville to meet Hadle during the Art Studio Tour and keep up with her fiber endeavors on her Facebook page under RJ Hadle. Every Tuesday, she encourages others to “toot their own horn” and share their work on her page as a moment of recognition and support.

Hadle has participated in multiple Art Studio Tours, but this will be Frank Baugh’s first year. Find him and his artwork at Jonathan Griffith’s studio on Meadowland Drive in Murfreesboro.

Skilled in music, painting and drawing with a gift for teaching, Baugh is an adept artist and educator who has cultivated creativity in his life.

He has taught for 18 years and currently teaches visual art at a local high school. Baugh and his students inspire each other, which keeps him constantly engaged in brainstorming new projects and ideas. A focal point in his teaching is his practice of sharing his unique life experiences in the art world with his students.

“I think having my own artistic practice is incredibly important. I want students to know that I am staying active in my own creative pursuits and I try to model how an artist perceives the world in their own unique and valuable way,” Baugh said. “I talk a lot about the creative process in my classes and I like to share things that have worked for me when coming up with ideas or refining different artistic processes.”

Baugh specializes in oil painting and says he prefers heavier brush strokes. In 2021, he showcased his artwork in an exhibit called “Common Mystery” in The Washington Theatre at the Patterson Park Community Center.

Though he is curious about how his art will be received in the Art Studio Tours, he is excited to be a part of it and looks forward to a fun opportunity to share his work in a new environment. Find his artwork, links to his music, and contact information at frankbaugh.net.

Like the other Art Studio Tours before, attending this event is completely free, but local folks can take advantage of the opportunity to purchase artwork to enjoy themselves or for Christmas gifts for others. The artists encourage everyone to explore the impeccable local artistry at all of the studios.

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2023 Art Studio Tour
Nov. 17–19
10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Red Oak Pottery
2925 Spain Hill Rd., Lascassas