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Art collectors and holiday shoppers meet Nov. 9 for the grand opening of the Arts of the Holidays Show and Sale at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts. (Sun Sailor staff photo by Jason Jenkins)

Art collectors and holiday shoppers are converging at Minnetonka Center for the Arts in Wayzata for its Arts of the Holidays Show and Sale.

Each year, the nonprofit arts organization fills the Laura H. Miles Gallery with work from more than 100 artists, many of whom live in the Twin Cities and Lake Minnetonka area.

Roxanne Heaton, executive director of the arts center, said the holiday show is a departure from other exhibits at the gallery.

“The specific goal of this show is to present as many items as we can that are at a price point that makes them attractive for gift giving, so there are many more items than we have in our normal gallery exhibits,” Heaton said. “And it’s part of our mission to support the local arts community and our local artists.”

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Artist Judy Platt-Nelson, who has taken part in the Arts of the Holidays Show and Sale since 2009, has prepared another batch of mittens made from wool sweaters. (Sun Sailor staff photo by Jason Jenkins)

The juried collection of unique handmade art and fine craft items features a selection of pottery, glass, textiles, wood, photography, painting, sculptures, jewelry and more mediums.

The show and sale runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday, until Friday, Dec. 22.

And while there are plenty of Christmas-themed items to choose from, the sale offers many items that aren’t specific to the holidays. The wide selection has helped make the show the largest and one of the most well-attended annual events at the arts center.

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“Birch Trees,” a stained-glass mosaic by Minneapolis artist Lisa Arnold, is among the many pieces on display at Minnetonka Center for the Arts as part of this year’s Arts of the Holidays Show and Sale. (Sun Sailor staff photo by Jason Jenkins)

Among the many artists included in the year’s show is Lisa Arnold of Minneapolis, who has been a full-time stained-glass mosaic artist for the past 12 years. Her work has been exhibited locally, nationally and internationally.

Arnold also teaches the craft through visits to schools and participates in residencies across Minnesota.

“I go into a lot of rural communities, but I work a lot in the city as well,” Arnold said, adding that she’s also taught overseas in China and Jamaica.

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St. Paul artist Russell Scott’s Santa Claus woodcarvings are among the many Christmas-themed gift items on sale as part of this year’s Arts of the Holidays Show and Sale. (Sun Sailor staff photo by Jason Jenkins)

The artist also hosts community mosaic art projects, including the 60-square foot stained-glass mosaic that she and 1,500 other people worked to complete at the Minnesota Children’s Museum.

Carla Kennedy, another Minneapolis artist, made an assortment of terracotta clay pieces for her first time in the holiday arts show. The earthenware is crafted using a low-fire method that she’s been experimenting with in recent years.

“I’ve been working with clay for over 40 years. ... I was doing the traditional throwing with higher-fire glazes, but I found myself wanting to do something a little bit different, so I opened up into this world of terra sigillata, which lets me play more with the color,” she said. “No two pieces are exactly alike.”

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The Arts of the Holidays Show and Sale includes terracotta clay art pieces by Minneapolis artist Carla Kennedy. (Sun Sailor staff photo by Jason Jenkins)

Kennedy said she was invited to participate by Robert Bowman, the exhibits director for the center, when she was doing a show at St. Catherine University in St. Paul.

“I hadn’t been to the arts center in years,” said Kennedy, who has attended past workshops at the center. “I thought this was a great opportunity.”

If you go:

Arts of the Holidays Show and Sale

Where: Laura H. Miles Gallery at Minnetonka Center for the Arts, 2240 North Shore Dr., Wayzata

When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday, through Friday, Dec. 22

 

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