The holidays are all about tradition, and I'd like to share one of mine.
While most of the shopping public participated in the Black Friday holiday tradition of wrestling their fellow shoppers for the last video game on the shelf at Best Buy or Walmart, I have plotted my own shopping excursion. Even on a slow day, the malls and big box stores give me the heebie-jeebies, so I have pledged to do my gifting from locally owned galleries and stores. And I will start by wandering through the winter wonderland of LeMoyne Center for the Visual Arts' annual Holiday Show, which traditionally opens to the public on the day after Thanksgiving.
This year, LeMoyne executive director Ann Kozeliski wanted to emphasize ornaments and affordable works of art created by local and regional artists. Around 100 artists responded by producing a delightful array of holiday-themed items. As Kozeliski told the Tallahassee Democrat for a story in last Friday's Limelight, "You can come here and buy something that's hanging on a tree that could wind up hanging on your wall for years to come. You can easily buy an original piece of artwork to give as a gift of have as a keepsake."
It has become my holiday tradition to buy quirky ornaments from LeMoyne's holiday show to give to friends and family, and hope they think of me when they hang them on the tree each year. But the real gift for me is knowing that I'm supporting local artists and a local gallery that's been an integral part of the Tallahassee cultural community for decades. And a stroll through the LeMoyne wonderland always helps kick-start my holiday spirit. The theme of this year's show is "It's a Jolly Holiday, Be Merry!" and I'm I'll be humming a seasonal song as I wrap my purchases.
I will also be patronizing other local merchants and galleries. My itinerary as it stands now includes Two Moon Trees and other shops on Gaines Street, Quarter Moon at Lake Ella and the funky and fabulous venues at Railroad Square Art Park, including the 621 Gallery, which just opened its spiffy new gift gallery.
LeMoyne's holiday show will be up through Dec. 31. The gallery is located at 125 N. Gadsden St. and holiday hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $3 for non-members, $7 for families and free for members (another great gift idea - a LeMoyne membership!). Call 222-8800 to find out more.
Tags: Art, Christmas, Gaines Street, Gifts, LeMoyne, Quarter Moon, Tallahassee, Two Moon Trees
Kati SchardlKati Schardl is the Features Editor for the Tallahassee Democrat. She’s a true North Florida native – born in Panama City and raised in Marianna. She came to Tallahassee to attend FSU and earned a social work degree before yielding to the scruffy allure of journalism and joining the staff of the Florida Flambeau. Her cultural credentials include a stint as backup singer for legendary local band Cold Water Army (now, alas, defunct) and founding membership in the SPACE arts collective in Railroad Square Art Park. After more than a decade of serving as office manager and chief research assistant/go-fer for the St. Petersburg Times capital bureau, Kati joined the staff of the Democrat as music writer and theater critic. In 2006, she was awarded an NEA Fellowship that enabled her to spend 10 days in Los Angeles seeing plays and attending writing workshops hosted by the USC Annenberg School of Journalism. Kati lives in Midtown West and loves its eclectic funkitude and its proximity to her favorite cultural hotspots.
