The ability to adapt is an important skill for any person in a changing environment. This year has certainly called on all of us to use that skill. Everyone had to adapt to stay healthy, to generate income, and to stay connected with family, friends, and community.
16 Hands started their studio tour in Floyd over twenty years ago. They welcomed people into their studios to see where and how they did their work. Thousands of conversations have happened, and even more homemade goodies were shared within those studios over so many years. However, in the spring of 2020, it became clear that foregoing our traditional studio tour would be in the best interest of everyone’s health.
The 16 Hands crew set about adapting their annual tour to make it physically distant but still socially connected. As artisans, it was very important for 16 Hands, not only to generate sales, but to also stay in contact with their customers. They wanted to create a new way for family, friends, and others to enjoy the studio tour in 2020. The solution was 16 Hands’ first ever Virtual Studio Tour.
All members of 16 Hands created a short video highlighting their studio and their work, as well as a newly discovered creativity in the making of the videos. The videos allowed each of the makers to offer conversations and connections from previous studio tours. In addition to making videos, each member of 16 Hands either updated existing online stores or created them from scratch! And, of course, they have all been busy creating a bunch of new work!
During the buildup to the Virtual Studio Tour, there was a flurry of activity on the group’s phones, their computers, and in the studios as they learned and prepared for the event. Silvie Granatelli reflects on that time. “I’m sure missing people stopping by my studio gallery, and the many conversations that go along with those visits. I miss the 16 Hands Studio Tour, which offers a platform for customers to view my work in an environment that is festive and live. On the pandemic side of life, studio life goes on daily making pots and completing cycles of firing kilns. There are virtual sales from an online shopping site to process. Life is full but quieter. I have learned more technical language and processes than I thought possible. It’s good to keep learning, right?”
On May 2nd, after hundreds of hours of planning and preparation, the website was updated, the shops were opened, and boxes with packing material were ready to go. Visitors to 16Hands.com were then able to tour the studios from the comfort of their own home; viewing the shops and videos with a flexibility and immediacy that didn’t exist before. The virtual tour was also a great opportunity for those who had not been able to attend in the past.
“The weekend of the virtual tour was a different experience of activity,” said Wendy Wrenn Werstlein. “My studio didn’t get the deep clean it normally does. I missed making soup, cookies, and other treats for everyone stopping by the gallery. And I missed being able to talk with them about the work in my studio, and then helping them find the shortest route to the next studio.” Wendy went on to say, “There was still the shuffling of bags and boxes and paper as I started packing up orders to be mailed out on Monday and through the following week. Getting those new baby pots off to their new homes, I was deeply grateful for each new order.”
When the tour was done, the 16 Hands group asked for and received some great feedback from those who attended. The learning curve was steep. As they move forward into Fall, they will be incorporating their ideas for improvements, as well as considering the recommendations of others.
16 Hands member, Sarah McCarthy, sums up the experience. “This is a challenging time for so many of us, including those of us in the handmade world. A good part of my work involves being out in the world seeing and connecting with people, sharing stories. That can never be replicated. However, as creatives, we are being challenged to see things differently and do things differently. Artists and crafters are looking at how to connect to our audience in new ways. I never thought I would sell my work online; it seemed too impersonal, too difficult. It turns out, selling online has been very successful for me and I am learning so much. My customers, some who can only see me once a year, have a greater opportunity to see new work and to make purchases throughout the year. So many of us artists thrive on experimentation and change. I suppose it’s time to bring some of that excitement into this new reality, however long this lasts!”
16 Hands is planning another virtual studio tour in Fall of 2020. They will have guest artists, new videos, new work, and a renewed appreciation for the ability to adapt and create. They would like to express a huge thank you to all who have supported 16 Hands in the past, who are supporting them in the present, and who will continue to support them into the future. As member, Josh Copus, says, “Since the artists of 16 Hands have studios at home, we have been fortunate to be able to continue working and we have all been very productive in our studios during shelter in place. However, without a way to share our work, without people to appreciate and support the work, the artists can’t survive financially or emotionally.”
The Fall virtual studio tour for 16 Hands will begin at noon (EST) on Thanksgiving weekend, November 27th. “This year, we will enter the weekend filled with gratitude for the newfound ways we connect with and support each other.”

16 Hands Studio Tour
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