So many New Ways to Say Happy Holiday

This year’s holiday gift sale at The Edge Center Gallery in Bigfork helps make giving different. Everything is handmade by over 20 local artists providing a way to give a gift that’s affordable and special. Special means that no one else will get the same thing, that someone local has made it, and that the person receiving it knows you care about what a gift says. There are many more affordable treasures than in the past and if your purchase early, it will include a discount coupon for the upcoming Edge production, “Love, Loss and What I Wore”. This 8th annual gift show is open in The Edge Center Art Gallery November 1 through December 16th on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday each week from 10AM to 4PM. The opening reception is November 2 at 5PM.

This year’s show is really full! You won’t be able to see everything in a quick pass though. And, you will be able to find a lot more that is priced to sell. Too bad the gallery is not bigger for this year’s event.  The following is just a part of the gift show's delights.  You will also see paintings, cards, wild rice, handmade soaps & bath products, knitted & sewn gifts, rustic arrangements and more.

Starting with decorating for the season, you can add a unique look with some really matchless items that can catch anyone’s attention. It is amazing how many ways one can make a wreath look beautiful.

Home made jellies and jams, handmade potholders and cards all can add a very personal and warm touch to saying “you are special” with a gift.

This wood burning took an artist’s talent and the plenty patience to turn ordinary wood into something superb to hang on a wall or stand-up on a table.

There are so many jewelry items in one case here that you will be hard-pressed to choose the one for your loved one or special friend. All hand-made they show a style and beauty that says “you are distinctive”.

These gems are hand knitted chatelaine purses with glass beads and take days or weeks to complete. Patience, skill and commitment go into each one. Certainly anyone who receives one of these will feel loved.

An art that goes back thousands of years is well represented here with colors and beauty that will decorate anything anywhere. The artist who did these certainly shows what this art form can represent.

If you make a purchase in time from the gift show this year you will get a discount coupon for a ticket to “Love, Loss and What I wore” being presented this month by The Edge Wild Players on stage at The Edge Center. The coupon is for $2 off of a $12 adult ticket or $1 off of a children’s ticket. The dates of the play are Friday November, 16 through Sunday, November 18. So come and buy your gifts early.

Here is a little bit about the play. The show is performed by a cast of five women. It is a scrapbook of 28 different stories, which usually have a strong emotional component and that seek to illuminate the female identity. The subject matter includes women's relationships, their wardrobes, and at times the interaction of the two; unfortu-nate prom dresses, the traumatic lighting in fitting rooms, high heels, short skirts and the existential state of having nothing to wear!

Edge Center Gallery wouldn't be possible without the help of our generous volunteers. Volunteer opportunities include: Gallery hosting, Opening Reception Assistance and Show Set-Up or Take-Down. This photo only shows some of the volunteers who set up this show over two days. Thanks to all the volunteers who work very hard all year to make visiting the gallery a special occasion.