Chris Foster wants you to join her in the basement. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * Chris Foster wants you to join her in the basement. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? Chris Foster wants you to join her in the basement.
In some houses, the subterranean storey is the messiest and most neglected, but for Foster, the basement is an inviting space — an underground studio where the self-taught painter has spent the bulk of her spare time since retiring four years ago. Foster is one of 20 artists opening their doors this weekend as part of the hARTe Studio Trail, established in 2018 by the Charleswood Art Group to give community members a glimpse into their basements, garages and backyards, where they demonstrate techniques, discuss their artistic process and sell pieces from their personal collections. This year’s event runs Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.
m. to 4 p.m.
With 18 locations situated around the Harte Trail, featuring clusters in Charleswood and Headingley and one outlier in Wolseley, the studio trail was devised in 2018 to give people a chance to seek out new and emerging artists while inspiring a bit of self-guided urban exploration. At the first stop, visitors are given a passport, which they can get stamped at each creative space along the residential trade route. “It’s almost like a Folklorama for art,” says Foster, who adds that 18 stamps earn guests a shot at $4.