Holiday craft shows help ring in season

Thu., Dec. 1, 2005

By Julianne Crane juliannec@spokesman.com (509) 927-2158

Holiday art shows

Holiday art shows and open studio sales scheduled over the next two weeks include:

“Donald Clegg's "Open Studio 2005," transparent still life watercolors, Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 6 p.m., 1527 W. 13th Ave. (www.donaldclegg.com, 747-3249).

“John Jankovsky joins L.R. and Carole Montgomery for their Christmas Open House, Friday, 5 to 10 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., 428 E. 21st Ave. (www.LRMontgomery.com, 624-0261).

“Glassblower Steve Adams' "Annual Holiday Studio Sale," free hot apple cider and munchies, Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 4 p.m., 1102 S. Spruce St. (www.adamsglassworks.com, 838-2279).

“"South Perry Neighborhood Arts Show and Sale," featuring jewelry and jewelry boxes, soap, knit wearables, textiles, woodblock prints, photography and leather accessories, Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Liberty Park Florist, Eighth Avenue and Perry Street (www.southperry.com, 534-6697).

“Appaloosa Museum's "Holiday Open House," Santa rides in on an Appaloosa horse at 10:15 a.m., with children's art activities and music, Saturday, 10 a.m. to noon, 2720 W. Pullman Road, Moscow, Idaho (www.appaloosamuseum .org, 208-882-5578, ext. 279).

“Clay Arts Guild of North Idaho's annual Christmas Pottery Show and Sale, Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Old Church Cultural Center, Fourth Avenue and William Street, Post Falls (http://cagni.org, 208-651-5222).

“"Alternative Gift Fair," benefit for local and national charities, Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Church, 4340 W. Fort George Wright Dr. (475-1376)

“Moses Lake Museum and Art Center, "Free Family Saturday," create handmade peppermint candy frame for holiday gifts, Saturday, noon to 2 p.m., 228 W. Third Ave., Moses Lake (509-766-9395).

“Shoshana Israel's "Tenth Annual Holiday Show," featuring a wide variety of crafts, Dec. 8, 3 to 7 p.m.; Dec. 9 and 10, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Dec. 11, noon to 4 p.m., 616 South Ave., Northport, Wash. (www.northcountryartisttrails.com, 509-732-8863).

“Whitworth College "Winterfest Arts and Crafts Sale," Dec. 9, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Hixson Union Building, 300 W. Hawthorne Road (www.whitworth.edu, 777-3258).

“Painter Mari Anne Figgins' holiday open studio, realistic watercolors of animals, greeting cards and limited-edition lithograph prints, Dec. 9, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Dec. 10, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Dec. 11, noon to 4 p.m., 10217 S. Hangman Valley Road (448-7119).

“Painter Stan Miller's holiday home show, paintings of Trinidad, Ireland and Venice, landscapes and portraits in watercolor and egg tempera, limited-edition lithograph prints, light refreshments, Dec. 9, 5 to 9 p.m.; Dec. 10, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Dec. 12, noon to 4 p.m., 3138 E. 17th Ave. (www.stanmiller.net, 535-5257).

A dozen festive holiday fine craft shows and artists’ open studios help ratchet up the Christmas spirit this weekend and next.

New on the schedule this season is the “South Perry Neighborhood Arts Show” on Saturday at Liberty Park Florist.

“This art show is in conjunction with ‘Girls’ Day Out,’ a one-day shopping event highlighting the small neighborhood business districts around Spokane,” says jewelry maker Amy Mickelson, one of the organizers. “We figured it was a perfect fit because the South Perry area is home to many Spokane artisans.”

For the second year, as many as 26 potters from around the region plan to show their work at the Clay Arts Guild of North Idaho’s annual Christmas Pottery Sale on Saturday.

Returning with holiday open studios are such longtime Spokane artists as glassblower Steve Adams, sculptor John Jankovsky and painters MariAnne Figgins, Stan Miller and L.R. Montgomery.

Montgomery is showcasing a recent series of watercolor landscapes, “Why We Live in the Northwest – Places People Love,” this weekend.

He’ll be joined by Jankovsky, who is moving to Mexico soon and is selling a large selection of his own sculpture along with works from his extensive collection of Pacific Northwest artists.

Adams is introducing new handblown glass vessel forms and colorful Christmas ornaments. “I’m also going to have frequent ‘Blue Light’ specials during the weekend,” he says.

Celebrating 25 years as an artist, Clegg is showing his newest transparent watercolor still lifes.

During the weekend of Dec. 9, Figgins, a realistic watercolorist, is unveiling the latest addition to her popular St. Nicholas series, while egg tempera and watercolor painter Miller is showing paintings created during a summer trip to Trinidad.

“That area of the Caribbean is a very relaxing place to be – so simple, so peaceful and warm in a world that seems complicated and dangerous at times,” he says.

Along with the artwork, visitors to these open studios will find such enticements as hot apple cider and homemade cookies.