2021 marks the twentieth year of programming at A Studio in the Woods! To celebrate this milestone, we will be bringing you reflections throughout the year, looking back on our programs, the artists and scholars who have shaped them, and the inspiring new works that have resulted. In this edition we’re reflecting on FORESTival, our annual celebration of art and nature.

Back in the 1990’s, our founders Joe and Lucianne Carmichael would host an annual holiday ceramic sale featuring work by their artist friends and Lucianne. When A Studio in the Woods was founded in 2001, these popular holiday sales morphed into periodic open houses and the focus shifted to highlighting the work of the Studio and its residents. Because of the nature of a residency program, most of the time the Studio is closed to the public to protect artists’ work time. However, we believe the Woods should be experienced by more than just the resident artists and from this intention these open houses began. They started simply, a few snacks and artistic offerings, but over the years they grew and by 2010 it seemed natural that the open houses become a festival, thus FORESTival was born!

The first FORESTival was held on June 5, 2010 (a festival in June!? yes, we’ve learned some things over the years). The event was smaller, but you can see the bones of our current fest in that first program:

FORESTival has continued to evolve since, featuring dozens of artists, musicians, scholars, and activities over the last 11 years. As it has grown, the event has continued to showcase the core of our program – the work of resident artists and scholars and of course the Woods. FORESTival is truly a “Celebration of Art and Nature” and is the one time we are able to really throw open our gates and welcome everyone in. We hope you can join us on November 13, 2021 for our 11^th annual FORESTival, where we will offer presentations from current and former residents and walks in the Woods, just like at the first FORESTival, but with more music, food, and fun than we initially dreamed of.

Enjoy these images from past FORESTivals:

1. Rain at the first FORESTival
2. Panorama Jazz Band performs at in 2011
3. Environmental Curator David Baker starts a tour of the Woods in 2012
4. Sarah Quintana performs in 2013
5. Building a Clay Forest in 2015
6. Jackie Ehle Inglefield’s installation in 2016
7. FORESTival tote bags designed by Pippin Frisbie-Calder
8. Punica Granatum Collective performs in the Woods in 2017
9. Jonathan Mayers reads poetry from a pirogue in the pond in 2018
10. The Crebisse-Monstre parades into FORESTival in 2019