House Tour participants will see the spaces local artists live and work in. This image shows both recently completed work and a work-in-progress in the home studio of a painter on the tour.

by Stephanie Bruneau

For the 10th consecutive year, Historic Germantown and Mt. Airy Learning Tree are teaming up to open the doors of some of the area’s most notable private homes. This year’s tour, “Artists At Home in the Old German Township,” features a very special array of private artists’ residences in Germantown, Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill.

All of the homes on the tour offer a window into the uniquely creative ways buildings have been adapted to serve as artists’ homes. The artists include Chris Ward, Gina Michaels, Elfie Harris and Karen Singer among others, and work in a variety of mediums, which is reflected in the way they have uniquely adapted their homes. The tour will take place on Sunday, Oct. 27, 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

“We are delighted to offer this 10th anniversary tour highlighting Northwest Philadelphia’s hidden architectural gems,” said Tuomi Joshua Forrest, Executive Director of Historic Germantown. “Taking part in the tour is a great way to experience these treasures, to meet old and new friends and to support our work of community-building.”

This House Tour is a great way to spend a day. You’ll get a rare view inside some of our community’s most interesting homes and see how accomplished artists adapt their homes to accommodate an artist’s workspace and unique sensibility.

The Old Germantown Township House Tour is curated and researched by Historic Germantown. Proceeds from the tour will benefit Historic Germantown, a partnership of 18 historical houses, destinations and museums in Northwest Philadelphia, and Mt. Airy Learning Tree, a community service organization founded in 1980 to enrich Mt. Airy and the broader Northwest Philadelphia community.

Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 on the day, and are available by visiting the MALT website, calling 215-843-6333 or purchasing on the day of the tour at Mt. Airy Learning Tree, 6601 Greene St.

Stephanie Bruneau is Executive Director of the Mt. Airy Learning Tree, which offers over 250 classes in fall, winter and spring terms, ranging from Tai Chi, yoga, drawing, knitting, cooking, computers, How To classes and many more for all ages, backgrounds and skills. Classes are held in over 50 locations in Northwest Philadelphia. MALT features over 200 faculty members each term and draws 5,000 students from the Delaware Valley.