The Okotoks Art Gallery is getting into the holiday spirit this weekend.
For the 11th year running, the OAG’s Spirit of Christmas market opens for Light Up Okotoks on Nov. 17, running through to Dec. 22.
“It’s all locally created; there’s paintings, there’s pottery, there’s jewellery, wood carvings, all sorts of stuff,” said gallery assistant Katrina Lougheed.
Everything in the sale was crafted by approximately 50 of the OAG artist membership and is priced under $250.
“Everything is handcrafted and it’s by local artists,” said Lougheed. “It’s a nice alternative to some of the markets where you end up with a lot of commercially produced things.
“We have a lot of customers that come back every year and make it a point to come early and try to get their Christmas shopping done here, to support the local economy.”
At the centre of the festive display is the Tree of Warmth, where the gallery is accepting gift donations on behalf of Magic of Christmas, which takes community referrals for families in need and assembles bags of presents to be given out closer to Christmas.
“It actually started at the museum maybe 15 years ago,” Lougheed said. “It started as hats and scarves and things to share the warmth of the season, and we’ve expanded in recent years to toys and gifts for adults, gift cards for teenagers.
“It’s all brand new items and it all gets given to the Magic of Christmas and they distribute it to families that have been referred to them in the community as needing some extra help this year.”
One area of particular need this year includes gifts specifically for teenagers.
“They kind of get left out. We love getting toys, but it’s easy to buy toys for kids, and harder to buy for teenagers, understandably, so anything someone thinks a teenager might like, we would love to get those,” Lougheed explained. “There’s also a lot of need for gifts for older women, so if anyone has anything like bath, self-care items, home décor, restaurant gift cards, anything that a lady might enjoy.”
The Tree of Warmth will remain up and open for donations until Dec. 9; the gallery is happy to do a special drop for any straggling donations.
Next door at the Okotoks Museum and Archives, the Old-Fashioned Christmas exhibit opens Nov. 17 as well.
“The exhibit takes people back in time to earlier days,” said museum specialist Kathy Coutts. “Certainly for me, it kicks off the Christmas season, and putting up the Christmas tree is a tradition and I can’t wait to do it.”
Naturally, that tree will have LED lights, rather than the more-accurate flame candles of the day, but otherwise, all exhibit items are period pieces and artifacts from the town’s archives.
For more information about the Spirit of Christmas market, Tree of Warmth or the Old-Fashioned Christmas exhibit, visit OkotoksCulture.ca.
To learn more about the Magic of Christmas, visit TheMagicofChristmas.org/Foothills.
