Artist Ciarra Cumiskey is with some of her paintings in oil and acrylic. Photo courtesy of Ciara Cumiskey

RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - The Mills Station Arts and Culture Center (MACC) is hosting an Open Studios event as part of the Verge Center for the Arts “Sac Open Studios.” 

The first two days of the Sacramento and Yolo County event were on Sept. 13 and 14. The MACC has its preview party from 7 to 9 p.m. Sept. 19 and is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 20 and 21. Come to the MACC and talk to the artists in person.

Sac Open Studios is a self-guided tour of home studios of more than 200 artists in Sacramento and Yolo counties. This 20th anniversary of the event is expected to attract about 30,000 attendees over the two weekends.

Photographer Todd Damiano is with the “Wall of my work at the Gold Country Artist Gallery in Placerville.”  Photo courtesy of Todd Damiano

“This is the MACC’s fifth year of participating in Open Studios,” said Cheryl Gleason, MACC event coordinator/curator. “A lot of our artists don’t have a studio for people to go to. They do their art at the kitchen table and then that all gets put away and it’s a kitchen table again.” 

The MACC is one of four satellite locations showing artists’ works.

The 17 artists with “studios” at the MACC are Kim Brownell, Carol Clark, Ciara Cumiskey, Todd Damiano, Fabienne Sowa Dobkowski, Johyne Geran, Gleason, Judy Gustafson, Ron Hall, Deborah Kelly, Christine Kerr, David Peterson, Susan Pine, Annette Schachner, Hildie Spautz, Donine Wellman, and Sid Wellman.

Damiano is a photographer. As a child in Seattle, he accompanied his father to the racetrack and took Polaroid photos with which he filled up a scrapbook. Later on, Damiano said, “My passion was in the darkroom; I just thoroughly enjoyed the darkroom with papers and chemistry and all that.”  Damiano has been in MACC and Art at City Hall shows in Rancho Cordova and won Best of Show at Sacramento Fine Arts Center in Carmichael in 2024.

Although jewelry is her main focus, Susan Pine also paints. Here, she stands next to “Morning Glory, Glory” (on the  left) and “View from My Back Window,” both painted in acrylic. Photo courtesy of Susan Pine

While Pine does some painting, her focus is jewelry. Pine works mostly in silver, with some copper and brass work as well.

Fused glass is Clark’s medium.

“There’s something magical about the entire process . . . It’s Christmas morning every time I open the kiln,” Clark said.

Hall is a frequent contributor to Rancho Cordova art shows. He retired from firefighting in 2014, working a total of 27 years. His father and father-in-law were also firefighters.

“I found art as an escape from firefighting. If firefighting had any impact on my art, I’d have to say it would be in the ability to problem solve and look at things from multiple perspectives,” Hall said.

Textile artist Geran said, “My (whole) house is my studio.” 

Ron Hall won third place at the Vacaville Art Center 2025 Annual Juried Show, with “The Love Is Ours to Make” acrylic on canvas  Photo courtesy of Ron Hall

At MACC Open Studios, Geran has a coat stand for quilted tote bags and baskets for quilted gift cards and bowl holders. Larger quilts hang from the ceiling.

“We’re very fortunate at the MACC because they’re brilliant at hanging everything,” Geran said.

The MACC is at 10191 Mills Station Road, Rancho Cordova. A blue stand outside the MACC door holds the Open Studios magazine that shows all the artists and studio locations.