The Chester County Studio Tour, which highlights the work of local artists, will take place on Saturday, May 15, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, May 16, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. As part of the tour, which is free and open to the public, the community is invited to view the artwork of 148 artists, which will be on display in 59 studios around Chester County.

Nancy Fuhrman of Coatesville, one of the artists on the tour, explained that the public can visit the event website and map out their stops at the various artists' studios at their own pace. "There are potters, printmakers, watercolorists, woodworkers and people who work in glass (featured on the tour)," said Fuhrman. "It's a chance for us to show our stuff and (for visitors) to know who we are."

Artisans are required to be in their studios during the tour to answer questions from the public, and many of the participants will do live demonstrations. Artwork will also be available for sale.

Fuhrman said that the tour is always held in May but because of the pandemic, last year's event was moved to September with safety precautions in place. This year's tour will also feature special COVID protocols.

"We all wear masks and have hand sanitizer. The hosts or hostesses make sure there are not a lot of people in (a studio) at one time," Fuhrman said. "We are following all the COVID precautions."

Those who visit Fuhrman's studio in her home will be able to view paintings of historical buildings from Downingtown, Coatesville and West Chester. She said the work was inspired during a blizzard in November of 2019.

"As I sat in snarled traffic in the historic section of Downingtown, I made use of my time traveling nowhere by sketching gorgeous buildings, visible through the snow and sleet, to my right and left," she recalled. "Nearly all the Downingtown paintings, from churches, banks and homes, are snow scenes painted using oil paint and a cold wax medium." She explained that adding the cold wax mixture to the paint allows the paintings to have texture.

Her historic building paintings also include the Lukens Building and Graystone Mansion, as well as churches and private homes in Coatesville.

"I became intrigued by the splendor of these magnificent buildings," she added. "West Chester was the next stop with paintings of buildings on High, Market, Miner, Church Street and more."

Fuhrman is both a printmaker who creates etchings and a painter, and she will have both mediums on display during the tour.

For more details about the tour, to read biographies of the artists and to view photos of their work, visit http://www.countystudiotour.com. More information about the tour is also available by searching for "County Studio Tour" on Facebook.