The Shop Local Movement Gets Creative at West Windsor Arts Council

With the 2020 holiday season just around the corner, West Windsor Arts Council invites you to shop safe, support local and celebrate the arts at its popular Off the Wall Holiday Market, now in its 10th year.

Traditionally, the two-day artisan market took place concurrently with the Off the Wall Juried Art Show, which featured works of art under $400. During that event, shoppers could purchase unique, carefully curated items, such as jewelry, pottery, sculpture, metal arts and textiles right on the spot. They could also purchase affordable artwork right "off the wall." They can still do both, with a few notable distinctions.

"This year, we are putting the entire artisan market and art show online, but we are also offering time periods for a limited number of people to safely view the market items and artwork at the arts center," explains Aylin Green, Executive Director of West Windsor Arts Council. "We understand that some people want to see artwork in person before they purchase it. For the safety of our community as well as the artisans, we adopted this hybrid approach along with the launch of a new online store."

The online market will open on November 7th and remain online through the end of the year.

"We're excited about the new online store and expect to keep it 'open' beyond the pandemic. Think of it as a museum store that primarily features the work of local artists and artisans, who really need our support right now," says Green.

In that same spirit, West Windsor Arts Council is among the more than 1,400 artists, local arts and other nonprofit organizations, and chambers of commerce that will be participating in "Artist Sunday" on November 29th. This Thanksgiving weekend shopping event was conceived to encourage consumers to shop for handcrafted art this holiday season.

This year's Off the Wall Holiday Market includes more than 80 works of art by almost 50 artists and artisans including:

Yun Li, who returns to the show with Autumn in the Sayen House and Gardens. "It was a pretty windy day despite the beautiful sky and the golden scene in front of me, so I did a relatively quick painting of this one with one sitting," she recalls.

Deborah Pey, who uses her own handmade papers in her work, Between the Lines. "Exploring and watching the unique unfolding of each piece," the mixed-media artist explains.

Marianne Resto of Scrumptious Scrubs & Soaps, who handcrafts all their soaps with natural ingredients. Look for scents such as French Lavender, Lemon Grass and the popular Elf's Farts.

Kristina Chadwick of Kristina's Handmade Ceramics & Jewelry, who creates beautiful necklaces, earrings and pendants using glass beads and Swarovski crystals.

Look for work from these and other artisans: Alice Lea Designs, CartaBooks, Christa Schneider Ceramics, Merry Madover Handcrafted Jewelry, Moxie Sorbet Designs, Scrumptious Scrubs & Soaps, The Bear Facts, The Little Charm Barn and Vinyasa Handmade.

For a complete list of artisans, or to start shopping, visit https://westwindsorarts.org.

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