The Okotoks Art Gallery will be abuzz with activity the next few weeks as visitors get into the spirit of Christmas with three festive events.
The gallery is hosting its Spirit of Christmas Art Show and Sale, Tree of Warmth and Gingerbread Station, all which kick off during Light Up Okotoks on Nov. 15 and wind down before Christmas.
Retired couple Maureen and Chris Grobler spent all year preparing for the art show, and will contribute about 300 lap quilts, Christmas ornaments, gift tags, jewelry and paintings to the sale.
“We got involved with it when we first came to Okotoks about six years ago, just because we were interested in the arts,” said Maureen. “We enjoy the show and we always volunteer on opening night and enjoy meeting the people and the other artists that are there.”
Maureen, who has been crafting for 30 years, said about half of what the couple brings into the show gets sold.
Maureen creates the craft items, including felt Christmas ornaments and crocheted necklaces, while Chris paints animals and caricatures on canvas, appealing to families with young children.
It’s a rewarding way to spend retirement for Chris.
“It’s not a moneymaker by any means, it just recovers the cost of my materials, but I feel I’ve achieved something at the end of the day,” he said. “This is something I do for fun. I find it very relaxing.”
Katrina Lougheed, gallery assistant, said the art show and sale invites local gallery members to sell holiday-themed artwork, ornaments and jewelry-priced under $200. About 20 artists signed up this year.
“It’s one of our busiest events of the year because it’s all local stuff and people like to come and shop local to buy their Christmas gifts,” said Lougheed. “We get a lot of smaller items that are great for stocking stuffers and secret Santa gifts.”
Having the items priced under $200 makes it more accessible to people, no matter their budget, said Lougheed.
“You can still shop local and get nice handmade things for not too much money,” she said. “It’s thoughtful to buy something someone spent a lot of time making by hand. It has a little bit more heart in it.”
During the art show, a Christmas tree will be in the centre of the large gallery for the public to decorate with new winter clothing including scarves, gloves, hats, socks and slippers. Items collected will be donated to local and regional charities. Past recipients have included Magic of Christmas, Baby It’s Cold Outside and the Salvation Army.
Lougheed said the gallery is accepting new family board games and baby items as well this year.
“These are things we haven’t really collected before, but are very useful to the people who need them,” she said. “The organizations are always extremely grateful for all of the donations and happy that they can help more people.”
Those touring through the gallery are invited to follow their noses into the small gallery to vote on their favourite gingerbread creation in the Gingerbread Station.
The Okotoks Art Gallery put out a challenge to residents young and old to create something out of gingerbread in this second annual event.
“I think it takes a lot of people back to their childhood,” said Lougheed. “A lot of adults really like it because it brings them back a little bit to their childhood. You can get the whole family around decorating a gingerbread house.”
Categories have been set for children, youth and adults, but this year’s eight entries are in the child and adult categories, said Lougheed. Last year’s competition had six public entries.
“We had some amazing ones last year,” she said. “The winner made a gingerbread carousel complete with candy horses. It was just amazing. We also had one child entrance build a ninja bread house and fighting ninjas.”
Prizes will be awarded for first and second place in each of the two categories. Voting will be open at the Okotoks Art Gallery until Dec. 7.
