ARTworks is taking a nostalgic look at the holidays this year, with 3 different events: a handmade gifts gallery and two different holiday-themed concerts. Managing Director, Laura Maxey says, “Everyone I talk to says that they miss the holidays they had growing up, with family meals around the table, exchanging gifts they made for each other, and great music. We can’t help out with the cooking, but we can help take you back to that time in other ways.”
The ARTworks holiday gift gallery has been open since mid-November and will stay open until December 23. It features crafts and small artworks from local artists. The unique offerings include hand knit or hand dyed scarves, art prints, note cards of pen and ink drawings, purses, wall hangings, glass ornaments, ceramic pieces, and scrimshaw style drawings on oyster shells.
The first holiday-themed concert that ARTworks will offer is a Holiday Music concert on Sunday, December 7, featuring popular holiday music from the 40s, 50s and 60s, such as “White Christmas”, “Baby It’s Cold Outside”, “Chestnuts Roasting”, and “Christmas in Dixie”. The show was produced by local jazz performer Terry Herron, who also performs as the lead male vocalist. Mr. Herron says that he envisioned the program as “a secular holiday show that everyone could enjoy. Many churches do concerts this time of the year, but it’s hard to find a fun, upbeat show with great music.”
Joining Herron onstage will be Penney Lynn Smith of the Sweetgrass Angels and Scott Gibbs, a renowned local Gospel soloist. The three performers will be backed by Rick Radcliff on piano-synthesizer and Randall Reese on Clarinet, Alto & Tenor Sax, and Flute. The performance will be a 3 p.m. matinee on December 7; tickets are $20.
On Friday, December 12 at 7:30 p.m., ARTworks will present A Celtic Christmas, with Carroll Brown and Harry O’Donoghue. Brown is well-known to local audiences as a singer/songwriter and acoustic guitarist who often hosts the popular “Writers In The Round” songwriters series at ARTworks. Back for a third year with “A Celtic Christmas”, he says, “The concert will be a lively program filled with spiritual, Celtic, and traditional seasonal songs, along with Irish-themed stories and humor.”
Harry O’Donoghue is a native of County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, who now resides in Savannah. He has been performing as a folksinger and master storyteller for over 30 years and co-produces and hosts the Green Island radio show for Georgia Public Broadcasting. The pair also lead annual tour groups of Americans through Ireland and Scotland, where they say that they are always on the search for new material to incorporate into their shows. Joining them again this year will be keyboard player Michael Murray. Tickets are $20.
For more information about ARTworks, call 843-379-2787 or www.beaufortcountyarts.com.
