For the Love of Santa, Think Art!
It seems there are three things on everyone’s minds lately: getting holiday gifts, watching their budget and being in love. If you think artistically, then all of these needs and/or wants can be taken care of at the same time.
For the love of Santa, consider artistic and music-related gifts for the holidays. Instead of running out and getting a variety of mediocre gifts made in China by children who are worked too hard, consider buying original art locally. Taylor Gifts, at 226 Capitol St., has a fabulous selection of more than 20 artists and a variety of price ranges to fit every budget. The Callen McJunkin Gallery 221 Capitol St., and Gallery Eleven, 1033 Quarrier St., offer even more choices. You get a quality piece of art that someone can really enjoy, and you are helping keep the cheap prints that hang too profusely around town, at a minimum.
The Van Gogh Experience
If you’ve never experienced the joy of looking at original art, do a comparison. Charleston graphic designer and artist Mark Wolfe once said to me, “I always loved Van Gogh, but seeing the original was amazing compared to the copies in books. The color and texture was so vibrant… how people of his time did not see the greatness of his work, I don’t understand.”
Okay, so maybe you can’t afford a Van Gogh, but the idea is the same! Buying art, or even giving someone music lessons, is a value for your budget. One of my friends is getting a family member a ukelele for Christmas (I must be vague for obvious reasons). My oldest son and I are thinking of giving each other lessons - me the accordion and he the guitar. It’s a lot more fun than another pair of mittens.
Love of Art, Art of Love
At a recent FootMad dance, someone recently told Charly Jupiter Hamilton (artist and my blogging cohort) that living in Charleston is easier if you’re in love. Well, if you create art or take an interest in art, then you are always in love. Art is the wellspring of passion, and at all the gallery openings you’ll meet a lot of interesting people - you’ll find out more about someone chatting over a Peter Massing or Paula Clendenin piece of art than you will over a bottle of beer. Well, maybe that’s not completely true. But you get the idea… love is more sustainable if you can talk about art and music and creativity than if you just meet for a drink after work. There’s still plenty of time to get interesting art-related gifts… hurry!
