Cover Story: Sale! Sale! Sale!
Art shows target holiday shoppers
The holidays, once built for pure, unadulterated childish pleasure, now seem jerry-rigged to produce the maximum possible heart-racing, cold-sweat anxiety. Every trip to the mall is fraught with “will this be it?” tension as the quest for the elusive perfect gift inevitably collapses into frantic “this will have to do” insecurity.
Fortunately, there are options beyond the overpriced boutiques and soul-sucking malls that feast like hungry vampires on seasonal angst. Instead of filling the coffers of corporations, why not buy a one-of-a-kind holiday gift at any of the countless art sales offered around the holidays? Not only do you guarantee your gift won’t be duplicated, you support the local art scene and induce a warm, fuzzy feeling all around as the artist’s work is validated and your own cultural street cred is reasserted.
Swan Coach House Gallery
Some of the region’s best known artists contribute to this annual holiday Little Things Mean A Lot show through Jan. 15, including Marcus Kenney, Larry Walker and Grady Haugerud. Even the most cramped apartment or cubicle dweller on your gift list will be able to fit one of these no larger than 8-inch small wonders on his or her wall.
3130 Slaton Drive. www.swancoachhouse.com. 404-266-2636.
Fay Gold Gallery
High-end Fay Gold Gallery offering affordable art for the holidays?
The folks at Fay’s Shack-of-Values assert that it’s true. Through Dec. 23, shoppers can pick up some hot deals priced between $300 and $2,000 by gallery artists such as Michael Gibson, Tony Hernandez and Zoe Hersey.
764 Miami Circle. www.faygoldgallery.com. 404-233-3843.
Alcove Gallery
When shopping for the skate punk/indie rock/Juxtapoz reader, you couldn’t do better than Alcove, whose holiday show through Dec. 9 caters to the kind of iconoclastic people who would never dream of setting foot inside a mall.
2110 Peachtree Road (behind Mick’s). 404-663-0159.
MudFire Pottery Center and Gallery
If you can’t find anything suitably breakable at this annual holiday exhibit Nov. 26-Dec. 24, MudFire also offers gift certificates for studio time and pottery lessons. A lump of coal means you’ve been naughty, but a bag of clay means you’ve been nice: Through Christmas Eve, $99 will buy a trial month of studio time, up to four lessons a week and a bag of clay.
1441 Dresden Drive, Suite 250. www.mudfire.com. 404-969-3260.
Thomas Deans & Co. Fine Art Gallery
Like having your own personal shopper, charming gallery owner Thomas Deans will be available to help customers choose the best art gifts for friends and family from Dec. 3-Jan. 15. Best of all, the gallery will offer works on paper with an amazingly broad price point, from local work in the $100 range to signed Picassos for the mogul on your list.
Tula Arts Center, 75 Bennett St. www.britishwatercolors.com. 404-352-3778.
Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia
Affordable art is the theme of the third annual Off-the-Wall Pin-Up Show and Sale on Dec. 3, 6-9 p.m., featuring unframed work by hundreds of locals in the $100-$300 range with a portion of sales benefiting the Artist Resource Council of MOCA-GA.
1447 Peachtree St. www.mocaga.org. 404-881-1109.
Eyedrum
Another way to serve two causes at once is (Un)Silent Night on Dec. 4 (7-11 p.m.), an event to raise money for the alternative art space’s new performance area. A silent art auction, artist-run bake sale, photo portrait studio and gift shop assure that no human want will be left unaddressed.
290 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Suite 8. www.eyedrum.org. 404-522-0655.
The High Museum
How could anyone turn down the chance to contemplate Van Goghs and Mondrians at 3 a.m. while wearing pajamas? For Thanksgiving weekend, the High is staging an inspired Gogh All Night event where the museum will be open around the clock from 10 a.m., Fri., Nov. 26, until 5 p.m., Sat., Nov. 27, and anyone who wears their PJs gets to enjoy not only public ridicule but 10 percent off all museum shop purchases. Show up from midnight to 9 a.m. and you’re eligible for a $7 Red Eye Rate.
1280 Peachtree St. www.high.org. 404-733-4550.
Arts for All Gallery
When you purchase any of the arts and crafts at this Holiday Art Sale through Dec. 2, you are doing a doubly good deed, not only supporting local artists, but contributing money to the gallery’s mission of serving artists who are disabled and/or economically disadvantaged. Especially noteworthy this year is Minna Hong’s exquisite jewelry from $15-$150.
57 Forsyth St., Suite R-1. www.VSAartsGA.org. 404-221-1270.
Young Blood Gallery
This hepster-centric Grant Park gallery features a great boutique all year-round, carrying affordable pieces from a variety of local and national artists. But in December, the gallery is highlighting several holiday-relevant events. On Dec. 2, Kraftwork features handmade work by artists. In the past, Kraftwork has featured eclectic offerings from clothing to candles, scented oils to aprons. And Dec. 4, Young Blood hosts a special fine art craft show with ceramics, quilts and sundry homemade goodies from $20-$300.
629 Glenwood Ave. www.youngbloodgallery.com. 404-627-0393.
The Spruill Gallery
Winning top prize for most hyperbolic, this 11th annual Holiday Artist Market bills itself as “the most inclusive and least pricey show if its kind anywhere!” From Nov. 29-Dec. 23, this always-surprising gallery offers a broad window of opportunity to load up on all manner of crafts and fine art.
4681 Ashford Dunwoody Road. www.spruillarts.org. 770-394-4019.
Inman Park Studio 106
For nine years, working artists have opened their doors and encouraged visitors to return the favor by opening their pocketbooks at this holiday studio tour and sale. Textiles, clay works, garden art, jewelry and the mysterious genre of “tablescapes” will be offered at the sale Dec. 4-5, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Little Five Points Community Center, 1083 Austin Ave. 678-937-0265.