The eighth annual Maui Open Studios Event is now seeking artists to participate in the 2018 event.

All artists working in any visual medium, at any level of their career, are invited to participate in the upcoming Maui Open Studios Event that takes place each weekend in February.

Artist registration is available until Nov. 1. Artists can learn more about the specific dates, weekend assignments and benefits of participation, as well as register for the event, at www.MauiOpenStudios.com.

Guest artists from other islands and other parts of the world are also invited to participate. Rental spaces for artists are available and are listed with details on the website.

The event was created eight years ago by Carolyn Quan, a former Maui artist who now resides in the San Francisco Bay area. The 2018 event is scheduled for four weekends in February.

It follows a model that has been very successful on the Mainland for decades: artists and artisans open up their studios and exhibition spaces to show and sell their work to the public as well as “talk story,” connect and inspire visitors through one-on-one interactions and in some cases, live demonstrations. The entire event is free to the public.

The mission of MOS is to connect the art community directly with art lovers on Maui. Since its inception, the event has featured over 80 artists every year and generated over 8,000 individual studio visits by art collectors and enthusiasts each year. About $100,000 in art sales made directly between art collectors and artists have been generated by the event each year since its creation.

The event offers a great way for art-loving locals and tourists to experience unique opportunities to connect with local Maui artists.

During the MOS event, visitors are invited to join many of the artists at the Opening Celebration/Preview Exhibition, where they can enjoy food and beverage options for purchase, listen to live music, preview a few pieces of the artists’ work, connect with the artists and pick up a copy of the MOS Guidebook containing an artist directory and maps directing them to different studios and exhibition spaces around the island. Guidebooks are available in January and then throughout the duration of the event at various locations around the island, which will be listed on www.MauiOpenStudios.com.

Visitors then design their own self-guided tours for each weekend of the month, either by referring to their printed guidebook or the online artist directories at www.MauiOpenStudios.com.