A herd of friendly “deer” will welcome guests Nov. 24 to the annual Holiday Art Show at The Center in Palos Park.
The traditional log deer will grace the outdoors leading to the entrance of The Main Lodge and the log cabins where the art show will be held in typical holiday fashion.
“We put them all outside, so it’s actually really cute,” said Heather Young, art director of The Center.
Young said the reindeer, a popular fundraising item for the art program, are made from locally sourced trees and created by hand by volunteers and staff at The Center.
“They’re really kind of a folk art in themselves,” she said. “The men in our Pathway Program get together and make them along with our other coworkers, too, so that’s really pretty neat.”
The log deer are festively decorated with red ribbon and hearty greenery for the Christmas and winter season. Young said the antlers are made of sumac branches donated by a local resident each year, adding another layer of tradition to the handmade items.
Guests who want to purchase a log deer may choose their own from the herd, Young said.
“They all have a little personality,” she said.
Guests will have between noon and 4 p.m. to explore the artwork of about 30 artists, all of whom are among the students and teachers of the Log Cabin Center for the Arts program.
Among the items offered for purchase will be lapidary, jewelry, oil painting, water color painting, basket making, quilting, collage, folk art, wood carving and pottery.
Some of the work will be Christmas-oriented, but Young said most of the items displayed represents work created by artists through their classes.
Young said the artists will donate a portion of their sales to The Center’s fundraiser for the art program and also donate artwork to a donation table. Any items on the donation table not sold during the art show will become available for purchase in the Fellowcrafters Gift Shop, which will be open during the art show and during The Center’s regular weekly hours.
“Fellowcrafters Gift Shop is totally decked out for the holidays,” Young said.
She said a group of ladies make handmade items for purchase to support The Center throughout the year, changing items seasonally.
“For the holiday art show, they really go all out with the items that they have,” she said.
Admission is free and there will be complimentary coffee, punch and dessert items for the guests.
Young said, “It’s a good chance to do some holiday shopping for people and buy nice jewelry pieces or cards or original artwork, a really nice variety of things.”
The Center’s Annual Holiday Art Show
When: noon to 4 p.m. Nov. 24
Where: The Center, 12700 Southwest Hwy., Palos Park
Cost: Admission is free
Information: www.thecenterpalos.org or call 708-361-3650.
Ginger Brashinger is a freelancer for the Daily Southtown.
