By KATE SNYDER

Community Arts Center

Inspired by the success of last year’s event, the Community Arts Center is once again curating a hand-crafted holiday shopping experience this season. The 2018 Holiday Market will open to the public today, Nov. 16-Dec. 22. The market will feature handcrafted gift items from more than forty local and regional artists, including many new participants this year.

“As word of last year’s market spread, we had new artists reach out to us about participating,” explains Executive Director Niki Kinkade. “We’re very excited to create new connections with artists and to introduce new artists to our community through the Holiday Market.”

One new participant is Lisa Hagan of Louisville. Hagan creates beeswax luminaries that incorporate locally sourced pressed flowers into the exterior design. Her father was a bee-keeper and both of her grandmothers made soap during the Great Depression. While raising three young children at home, Hagan needed a creative outlet and ultimately turned to soap-making and beeswax creations. 

Another newcomer to the Holiday Market is jewelry artist Jennifer Trombino, who creates earrings, necklaces and rings out of repurposed items including buttons, paper and vintage beads. Trombino describes her work as “whimsical and eclectic” and says her jewelry tends to be “conversation pieces.”

The Holiday Market’s jewelry selection will also include watercolor paper jewelry, recycled paper bead necklaces, handmade beaded earrings, crystal Christmas tree earrings and wire-wrapped stone pendants.

“In making our selections for the Holiday Market this year, we really set ‘giftable’ as our goal,” explains Kinkade. “The items that sold best last year were unique, beautiful, and priced under $50. Our artists really took that data to heart when crafting their submissions for this year and I think the community is going to be delighted by their gift options.”

Kinkade notes that hand-made pottery pieces were some of the most popular items last year and that many of those artists will be returning in 2018. Holiday Market shoppers will be able to choose from a variety of mugs, vases, dining ware, bowls, flower pots, piggy banks, figurines, and more.

“As our Ceramics Studio Membership program has grown over the past year, we have even more potters participating in the Holiday Market this year, each with a unique and identifiable style.”

Community members looking for fine art will also not be disappointed, says Kinkade. Many members of the Gathering Artists and Plein Air Artists of Central Kentucky will be featured in the Holiday Market, with selections ranging from bold abstract paintings to delicate nature watercolors.

The Community Arts Center will host an opening reception for the Holiday Market on Friday, Nov. 16 with live music, holiday snacks, and beer and wine for sale. Many of the featured artists in the Holiday Market will be on-hand to discuss their work. The opening reception also celebrates the opening of two new exhibits: “Growing Perspectives” by Matthew Klooster and “Visual Puns” by Milton Scarborough.