There is, contained at the working space of every artist, writer, painter, sculptor, woodworker, photographer, sculptor and artisan an energy that is both delicious and intoxicating.  

Areas like this are typically wedged as an afterthought into the side pocket of an artist’s home with little fanfare. They are often scruffy with the residue of trial-and-error ideas, serving as incubators of self-doubt and vestibules for the eureka breakthroughs that happen when no one else is there. 

In Landenberg, there are many studios and many artists who bury themselves there in separate acts of creation, but this weekend, eight of them will fling open the doors to their homes and the places they work and share all that intoxicating deliciousness with the entire Landenberg community. 

The first Artists of Landenberg Studio Tour – which will be held on Oct. 14 and 15 – will invite the public to an open, self-guided tour that will showcase the work of eight prominent local artists and introduce visitors to ten other artists whose work is regularly showcased at several artisan shows throughout Chester County and beyond.   

 “Like a lot of the artists in this group, I have hosted open studios on my own, and many of us have also done it as part of the Chester County Artists Studio Tour, but we have such a great community of artists here in Landenberg, why don’t we all have our homes open on the same weekend?” said event organizer and watercolor artist Kathy Ruck, who will be one of eight hosts at the event. “This way, our neighbors and patrons can get to all our studios within a few miles of each other, and along the way, see the work of our guest artists.” 

Ruck then began calling around to some of her artistic colleagues to gauge their ideas of creating a Landenberg-only studio tour, “and keep it within the 19350 area code,” she said.  

The response was immediate and positive, and slowly, Ruck and other hosts began to put together a roster of other Landenberg artists, but the idea was shut down for two years due to COVID-19. 

“When 2023 came around and restrictions were lifted, I thought, ‘This is the year to do it,” Ruck said. 

While the inaugural Artists of Landenberg Studio Tour will serve as a showcase for 18 artists, it will also firmly solidify Landenberg’s place on the artistic map of Chester County. In contrast to this year’s Chester County Studio Tour in May – which featured 200 artists at 79 studios throughout the county, the Artists of Landenberg Studio Tour will be far more intimate, with each studio only a few miles from the next. 

If the first event is successful, Ruck said that it may pave the way for future studio tours that will feature new Landenberg-based artists.  

“This is the first of our tours, and it’s a great opportunity for people in our community and just beyond to get to know all these artists,” Ruck said. “I think people will really like to get to know them and be able to buy local, because we’re not just artists, we’re also small business owners. I am most looking forward to community involvement – the people in Landenberg and in surrounding communities -- recognizing Landenberg as an artistic hub.” 

The Artists of Landenberg Studio Tour will take place on Oct. 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Oct. 15 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. The self-guided tour is free and each studio/home is located within minutes of each other. To learn more and see the tour map, visit “The Artists of Landenberg Studio Tour” on Facebook. 

The Artists of Landenberg Studio Tour and Guest Artists 

• Midge Diener, 316 Glen Road (Britni Doughten-Fiscus) 

• Kathy Ruck, 113 Stoney Ridge Road (Rachel Ruck, Nancy Wickes, Creekside Coffee) 

• Caryn Hetherston, 111 Chesterville Road (Chad Cortez Everett) 

• Mindy Hadley Dole, 526 Newark Road  

• Frank DePietro, 5 Springbenny Turn (Dragonfly Leathrum) 

• Estelle Lukoff, 283 Reynolds Road (Elaine Brooks, Mary Coleman, Brenda Kingham, Jar’d by Gail Brennan) 

• Debbie Huff, 10 Wilkinson Drive (Jenny Wood) 

• Nanci Hersh, 9 Okie Drive (Megan Flachier, Scout & Cellar Wines)  

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email [email protected].