Sausalito Presents ICB Artists Open Studios

Visitors take self-guided tour to artists' studio galleries and workshops. Original works of art are on display, for sale and by commission, directly from artists. The annual Sausalito ICB Artists Spring Open House is a unique viewing, education and purchase opportunity for art buyers, collectors, local art enthusiasts. On view is a wide range of styles and subject matter with a variety of approaches from realist, traditional, experimental, fantasy, abstract, spiritualist, and expressionist.

The ICB is the largest and longest running, art studio building in Marin county and is acclaimed as the best open studio event in the Bay Area. For the 40th year, local artists transform their studios to galleries to show their original works. Studios are spread over three floors with wheelchair access and the ICB is ADA compliant. Additionally, the ICB Building has extensive free on-site parking.

Now home to what a recent article in the Marinscope called "the most artistically vital group in Sausalito," the ICB was born in the Spring of 1942, out of the pressing needs of the War effort. Because of the urgency, what was one of the least congested but viable San Francisco Bay waterfront properties rapidly became a center of ship building called "Marinship".

In less than a year, the newly built facility began launching much needed EC-2 cargo vessels and tankers that were known as "Liberty ships" such as the historic Jeremiah O'Brien — the last of her kind – currently open to the public at San Francisco's waterfront. ICB was completed on September 15, 1942. By December 7 of that year, only nine months after building began, six Liberty ships had been launched. Eventually, contracts for 100 ships were awarded to the Marinship facilities. But, by the middle of 1945, with military needs for shipping filled, seven orders were cancelled. The last Marinship launching was "No. 93" on October 29, 1945.

Throughout this heroic effort, the approximately 110,000 square foot building that would become known as "the ICB" (Industrial Center Building) served as the Yard Office and Mold Loft Building for what is now one of Northern California's largest artist associations. Because of its generous and flexible industrial style spaces, the ICB has become the creative and commercial home for more than 100 artists of all kinds including painters, sculptors, fabric artists, jewelers, photographers, multimedia producers, sound studios and much more. -- www.icbbuilding.com