For its first exhibit of 2020, Capital Arts is celebrating the holiday season with the gift of art.
The Give the Gift of Art Exhibition will allow visitors to browse as well as purchase art from local artists. Capital Arts is hosting the event in collaboration with the Jefferson City Art Club.
Capital Arts President Holly Nunn said they do the exhibit each year during the holiday season to promote purchasing local art and encourage people to give it as a gift.
On its opening day Friday, the exhibit will be open 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
From then until Dec. 19, the exhibit will be open 3:30-6 p.m. Thursdays, 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays.
Capital Arts is located at 1203 Missouri Blvd. in Jefferson City.
Visitors will be able to peruse a variety of locally made art, from framed photos and paintings to handmade cards.
Two Christmas trees full of ornaments, handmade pottery bowls and a table of fused glass jewelry are also part of the collection. Some items, like potholders and trivets or a wooden pen holder, bring functionality to art.
Overall, visitors will be able to see art from about 15 local artists.
Faye Zumwalt is one of the artists featured. Some of her pastel paintings hang on the wall, and there is a rack of silk scarves in a rainbow of colors that she has created.
Using different methods, Zumwalt turns the silk into watercolor-type designs. Some are made by stretching the fabric taut and painting designs onto it. Others are marbled by dipping the silk into a large vat of water with paint floating on the surface. Unique designs can also be made using natural elements like leaves, fading from the sun or even pulling orange pigments from rusty metal.
Zumwalt said she and the other artists are excited for the opportunity to put their art in front of people and have a chance to display it.
"This is our first chance to show our work in a long time," Zumwalt said. "We've gotten some work done, but we haven't had any way to show it to people, other than online."
Other local artists whose work can be found in the exhibit include Janis Burgin, Sharon Gulick and Elaine Vanderveer, among others.
Nunn said, for the most part, any art purchased can go home with the buyer that day. Some of the art may need to stay until a certain date, but Nunn said they'll work with the buyer, especially if the art is a gift.
If the gallery needs to close due to concerns about the coronavirus, Nunn said they will make announcements on Facebook. They hope to have all of the available art listed on the Capital Arts website to allow shoppers to browse virtually.
Masks and hand sanitizer will be available in the gallery. A reception that would typically be held to kick off the exhibit was canceled.
Coming up, Capital Arts is planning an exhibit titled "Quarantine Expressions" - an "expression of creativity in the face of communal hardship." Dates for this exhibit have not been announced.
For more information about Capital Arts, visit its Facebook page or website.
Capital Arts is also currently looking for an executive director. If interested, reach out to [email protected].