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Skip the box of chocolate this year and give your sweetie something handmade for Valentine’s Day. Art makes the perfect gift and can be a reasonable alternative to dinner out and boxes of candy that will only last a few days.

Choose a gift that your loved one will cherish for years to come, and make part of their collection! In this segment, the Art Lady will feature local galleries and businesses who have affordable and beautiful art pieces that are ready to go home with you.

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Tune in on Thursday morning December 10 during the 8AM hour – on your television or online at:

https://gooddaysacramento.cbslocal.com/video/5024543-the-toy-show-at-archival-gallery/

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The Art Lady discusses 11 large light-up Santas and one snow man in the display.

From the Art Lady

The largest Santa is an artist-made Santa (with real eyeglasses) that stood in front of a Hardware store in Rancho Cordova (owned by the father of the late Eric Dahlin). The artist gifted it to the gallery from his father’s estate.

Vintage blow mold Santas (so named because the factories heated plastic then it was blown into a mold and then painted) are becoming rare and hard to find. Most of these factories have long closed (though reproductions from overseas are showing up) and storing and maintaining them is challenging (extreme cold cracks the plastic). This makes them pricey in antique stores.

The first two I puchased are “the twins” – the small identical Santas I bought while I was in high school. They were found at a yard sale and I put them in my bedroom window in Arkansas in 1978.

The most recent addition is the snowman and matching Santa which until last year lived at my friend Patty Langdon’s mother’s home. Many of these have come from loving homes and the children of the original owners enjoy seeing them once a year.

The largest Blown plastic Santa was from a house in the bay area next to my father-in-law’s home. It was in a side yard in February so my father-in-law wandered over and the neighbors gave it to him (about 10 years ago). Each year I send a box of candy to the address with a card from “Plastic Santa”.

After such a trying year I think this holiday season will reflect more family and less office, more home made and less store bought and certainly more hand crafted and less mass produced gifts under many Christmas trees this year!

Art has always been a tricky thing to purchase as a gift (unless of course your friend or loved one happens to collect a certain artist) – it’s such a personal choice and sometimes comes with big price tag. The good news is that many galleries have what I call “Small Treasures” exhibitions that feature small, lower priced works and art objects by favorite artists. Many galleries also feature artistic and functional items this time of year – bowls, lovely glassware and Christmas themed works.

Some of the Galleries participating in gift themed exhibitions this year are The Elk Grove Fine Arts Center, The Atrium in Old Sacramento (including the Sebridge’s gallery that features blown glass) and my gallery, the Archival Gallery.

Other places to pick up one of a kind gifts are at the Artist’s Collaborative in Old Sacramento (featuring fabric and wood pieces year round) and the Crocker Art Museum Gift Shop (though the Museum is currently closed the online store is open) and the Blue Line Arts Gallery in Roseville.

The galleries are all practicing safe shopping – masks and social distancing are required, and many Museum stores and artists have websites and are happy to ship. Be sure to visit their websites or call to make sure hours have not changed due to COVID-19 precautions. Online gallery stores are a great and safe place to explore as well.

This is the year to support your local artists and find a one of a kind, special gift that will celebrate the true art of gift giving!

Here are some of the exciting art happenings going on this month.

Coming soon to the Axis Gallery, the 15th National Juried Exhibition (juried by Marcela Pardo Ariza). Show runs August 8 – 29, 2020 and features over 25 contributing artists.

ARTHOUSE on R Gallery and Studios is accepting applications for their Artist Studio for Rent. Click Here for information on the submission process.

This month I was honored to be the judge for the Elk Grove Fine Arts Center’s “Figurative Expressions” show which opens August 1 and runs through August 28. Click here to view the virtual tour.

There’s a lot going on at Verge Center for the Arts including Online Classes, Kids Summer Camps, plus free art activities you can download for young people to enjoy.

Learn about Sacramento’s Creative Edge Initiative – a program to gather priorities, expectations, and needs regarding the arts, culture, and creative economy in our region.

As many of you know, I’m a huge fan of Frida Kahlo. Her work is truly inspiring and groundbreaking, and I just found a virtual gallery tour you can take to see some of her work.

This summer, and showing through November 15, the Crocker Art Museum has received an installation of Al Farrow’s “The White House” – a sculpture made from guns, gun parts, shell casings, and steel measuring 69 x 77 x 36.

For more Art News plus the latest stories and videos, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and here at artladysacramento.com

Here are some of the exciting art happenings going on this month.

Axis Gallery: 15th National Juried Exhibition

The team at Axis Gallery invites artists to submit work to their 15th National Juried Exhibition, featuring juror Marcela Pardo Ariza. The exhibition is open to artists in all media. Click through to learn more about the submission process – deadline is June 1.

The history of the Federal Art Project

An interesting read on the history of the Federal Art Project and the challenges that artists of today are now facing to have their work seen and funded.

Online Art Classes with the Verge

The team over at Verge Center for the Arts has put together some online art classes to keep you busy during shelter-in-place. You can access virtual Verge Education courses in your own home through Zoom. Click through to see a list of upcoming classes and registration information!

Call For Artists: EV Charger Station Wraps in Sacramento

The City of Sacramento is looking for artists to design vinyl wraps for EV charger stations in midtown Sacramento. If you are interested in the requirements and process for this invitation, please click through to visit the website and submit your entry!

Put Your Life in a Picture Frame

Here are some of the exciting art happenings going on this month.

WASH 2020 Member Show Walk Through

The Watercolor Artists of Sacramento Horizons present a juried show April 7 through May 17, presented virtually in this video.

The Art-Filled Home of Tony Natsoulas

If you’ve ever wanted to see inside the home of local sculptor Tony Natsoulas, now’s your chance. His mid-century modern home was featured in a September 2019 article from Apartment Therapy. Enjoy today’s virtual art tour of Tony Natsoulas’ home.

Artist Relief

Here’s a resource that visual artists may find useful. This is a national resource that is providing grant opportunities to artists who are impacted by the quarantine. www.artistrelief.org/crisis

Virtual Tours of Frank Lloyd Wright Buildings

When you think architecture, you think Frank Lloyd Wright. His designs were true works of art that integrated into their natural surroundings. Here’s a great virtual tour you can take right now. Click through for The Spaces.