TUSCUMBIA-The Tennessee Valley Museum of Art is hosting its second annual Winter Art Market from Nov. 30 through Dec. 23. Featuring work from over 50 artists and artisans, the market offers a unique holiday shopping experience, with hundreds of one-of-a-kind pieces of art to choose from.
The Winter Art Market was launched in 2020 as a way to support artists who were struggling in the face of canceled festivals and exhibitions. The market was designed to allow for safer, more distanced shopping by spreading out the event throughout the holiday season.
“The Winter Art Market started last year as an experiment,” said Christi Britten, the executive director of the Tennessee Valley Art Association, which runs the museum. “Our staff was looking for a way to create some holiday joy in our community and to use our role as a regional art association to help artists sell their work during COVID.”
What began as an experiment became a huge success. “We realized quickly that we had the beginnings of a major regional art event,” said Britten.
The artists in this year’s Winter Art Market hail from across the Shoals, the state of Alabama, and even the country, with some participants sending work from as far as North Carolina and Idaho. The market has been carefully curated for maximum variety, with pieces including paintings, pottery, jewelry, textile accessories, wooden clocks and boxes, ornaments, baskets, toys, and household items. Prices range from under $10 to over $1000, so everyone can leave with the perfect gift for a loved one or great new piece of art for their own home.
The Winter Art Market is open during the Tennessee Valley Museum of Art’s normal hours of Tuesday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m and Saturday 10 a.m to 5 p.m, plus there will be evening shopping hours each Thursday until 7 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for students, and free for TVAA members and for education, healthcare, and first response workers. There will also be a free admission day on Saturday, Dec. 11 for the It’s a Dickens Christmas Y’all event in downtown Tuscumbia.
Members of the Tennessee Valley Art Association get first choice in the market at the members-only opening on Saturday, Nov. 27 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The opening will include early shopping, refreshments, and artist demonstrations throughout the day. Membership starts at just $25 a year, and people wanting to attend the opening can join on tennesseevalleyarts.org or at the door.
To learn more about the Tennessee Valley Art Association, which runs the Tennessee Valley Museum of Art and the Ritz Theatre, visit tennesseevalleyarts.org or call 256-383-0533.
Artists
Jamie Adams (ceramics mugs and more)
Elaine Augustine (pastels and oil paintings)
Cindy Aune (acrylic paintings)
Marian Baker (mixed media)
Martha Beadle (fiber art)
Tiavalya Befecadu (textile art)
Buddy Bernstein (wooden clocks and more)
Amita Bhakta (clay jewelry and sculptures)
Tim Blanton (watercolor paintings)
Tom Callos (linocut prints)
Laurens Cotten (wood boxes and more)
Ecomaniac Sustainable Jewelry by Amy Pieroni Designs (metal jewelry)
Meredith Edmonson (glass jewelry)
Garland Farwell (wooden wall art)
Helene Fielder (ceramics)
Diane Frates (embroidered stuffed animals)
Joanne Gamble (found object sculptures)
Barb Hendricks (printmaking)
Cynthia Infanger (fiber bowls, toys, and more)
George Jones, Jr. (brooms)
L+K Clay (polymer clay earrings)
Sandy Lockhart (jewelry and crochet)
David E. Lupton (wooden bowls)
Nadene Mairesse (textile clothing and accessories)
Susan Bennett Manno (textile ornaments and art)
Martha Marshall (watercolor paintings)
Keith McMurtrey (leather bracelets)
Benny Melton (oil paintings) Barbara Mitchell (fiber art)
Provie Musso (mixed media)
Tracie Noles-Ross (mixed media)
Miriam Omura (textile goods)
Nancy O’Neal (oil paintings)
Glenn Rikard (baskets and more)
Anna Robertson (photography)
Robin Rodgers (ceramic vases and more)
Brad Smith (blown glass)
Laura Stacy (batik purses)
Tim Stevenson (watercolors and drawings)
Cathy Talbot (enameled jewelry)
Michael Talbot (wooden shaker boxes)
Zack Underwood (oil paintings)
Janice Weinstein (jewelry and fiber)
Colleen Williams (ceramic vases and jewelry)
Marie Wright (crystalline-glazed ceramics)
Jane Zeff (woven coasters)
Artisan Food & Goods
3 Oak Lane (candles)
Hydrangea Soap Co. (soap and skin products)
Mothering Herbs (herbal products)
Sweetwater Bakery (baked goods)
Uncle G’s Gourmet Cookies (cookies)
