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Arts Council Christmas Market features unique pieces by local artists

December 4, 2020   ·   0 Comments

You won’t have to go far to find that special Christmas gift for the upcoming holiday season.

The South Simcoe Arts Council held a grand opening of its Christmas Market: An Artisan Shopping Experience at its Victoria Street location in Alliston on November 20.

“This is our fifth year running our Christmas Market at this location,” said Arts Council Executive Director Suu Taylor. “The Market provides the community with a year-round opportunity to shop local, supporting local artists and the programs provided by the SSAC throughout the year.”

The store is bright and roomy and features a variety of unique gifts.

Everything from original paintings, pottery, photography, books, and wood carvings are available.

Because everything is created locally and by individual artists, each piece in the store is one-of-a-kind.

From hand carved and finished charcuterie boards to jewellery and clothing, local artists have created these works of art with their own personal touch.

“At this location we’re able to show and sell out member’s artwork on the main street of town,” Suu explained. “It’s very visible and gives us more to run our programs and our workshops. We have a place at the back where we run workshops either on the weekends or evenings. There’s so much talent in this area. Everything in the store is locally made. We have four or five different potters. We have wood carvers and charcuterie boards.

“This Christmas market features work by members of the Arts Council. It’s all local and hand made, so it’s all made by people in our community. The members themselves also volunteer here, so quite often when you come into the store you can actually meet the artist that made the work you are interested in. You can learn about the process, the materials, and the artist themselves. It’s very personal.”

The store is open year-round, however the holiday season is an extra special time for people looking for special gifts.

“In different belief systems, gift giving is very common during this season so we tried to bring in a really variety of things people would like to give or receive as gifts this time of year,” Suu explained. “We have metal – we have an artist that works in horse shoes. We have books by a lot of local authors. During these times, people are saying you should shop local, and we’re about as local as you can get. You are literally supporting your neighbours when you shop here.”

The South Simcoe Arts Council Christmas Market is located at 41 Victoria Street in Alliston.

The store is open Tuesdays to Saturdays, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

By Brian Lockhart
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

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