First Friday Art Walk at the BPA Gallery to Feature THE SOCK MONKEY DIARIES, 12/6

Deck the halls with boughs of monkeys! Drop by the BPA Gallery December 6 for "The Sock Monkey Diaries." The First Fridays Art Walk serves up primate encounters to playfully balance the height of the holiday pandemonium. Join artist and author Sally Jo Martine's one-of-a-kind sock monkeys as they return to Bainbridge Island for a fun Christmas frolic, food, and friends beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the BPA Gallery, PLUS the opening night reception (beginning at 6:30 p.m.) for Bainbridge Performing Arts' The Santaland Diaries, the hilarious cult classic that chronicles David Sedaris' experience as Crumpet the Elf in Macy's Santaland display.

Martine's handmade original sock monkeys discover themselves somewhere between the assemblage of their body parts and subsequent adornment. Each monkey in the tribe has their own (often outlandish) story, yet they share a common purpose - to bring cuddly comfort, joy, laughter, and hope into the lives of others. The December exhibit includes goat, bunny, and dog monkeys,as well as Christmas-tree decorator and elf monkeys, a bad-ass antelope monkey, a binkie-loving infant monkey, breast-cancer survivor monkeys, and more.

Martine is the author of four books, "Peeling Back the Heart: Exposing the Soul," a loosely bound but intentional gathering of words that weaves a heart-based path through a passionate spiritual landscape, "Monkey Tales" and "Monkey Tales II," two whimsical character-based medleys of sock monkeys depicted in photographic and biographical format, and "Survivor Tales," a portrayal of the emotional twists and turns of two-dozen "sock monkey survivors," as inspired by the author's personal journey with breast cancer. Ten percent of net proceeds from the sale of this book will go to the Puget Sound Affiliate of Susan G. Komen.

Don't miss the First Fridays Art Walk December 6 @ 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. at Bainbridge Performing Arts. The exhibit runs throughout December at the BPA Gallery, 200 Madison Avenue North, Bainbridge Island, www.bainbridgeperformingarts.org.

The holiday season is the perfect time of year for meaning-filled giving, and Martine is pleased to launch a new service that adds inspiration and value to the gifts we give. Each PRIMATE PARTY WITH A PURPOSE conveys one or more sock monkeys into the arms of one or more recovering mastectomy patients. Martine carts her one-of-a-kind sock monkeys to the host's home or business for inspirational sharing and hands-on time with the tribe. Each fundraising party includes a hostess gift, a raffle for 50% off a monkey, book sales, adoption opportunities, and a delightful frolic with a band of colorful characters that will touch your heart, comfort your spirit, make you laugh, and tap into your wildest imaginings.

Follow the tribe at Beach Works, a virtual space where monkeys, masks, and poetry play house together: www.facebook.com/beachworks.net and www.beachworks.net. Email sally@beachworks.net to adopt a monkey or to book a PRIMATE PARTY WITH A PURPOSE. Purchase Martine's books at www.beachworks.net/books.