CAZENOVIA — The first weekend of December, CazArts will celebrate the holiday season by sponsoring a three-day arts and crafts gift sale at the Carpenter’s Barn community arts hub on the southeast corner of Lakeland Park.
The “2024 Carpenter’s Barn Gift Sale” will feature the work of 10 Cazenovia area artisans selected by volunteer organizer Mary Beth Fiorentino, a contemporary jeweler, designer, and educator. All proceeds will go directly to each artist.
“Carpenter’s Barn is an intimate space, so I had no choice but to limit the number of participating artists,” said Fiorentino. “The application process was very simple — an e-mail expressing interest and a few images of [their work] for reference.”
The curated selection of items will include framed photography and mono-printed wall art; hand-fabricated sterling silver jewelry; felted ornaments; pottery with botanical impressions; soy candles and melts; small-scale paintings; photo books with hand-silkscreened Japanese paper; and colorful stained glass works.
“Everything is extremely well made and with the best materials,” said Fiorentino. “I thought it was important to have a variety of work represented.”
Shoppers will also be invited to peruse the five permanent artist studios adjacent to the barn’s main event space.
“I think it’s important for people to see an artist’s space to get a glimpse of the process of making art,” said Fiorentino. “A shopper may only see a finished piece and a price. What they don’t see is the birth of the ideas, the hours of planning and research, gathering just the right materials and tools, the tests that go awry, and the reassessment and redos that just aren’t quite right. Every artist goes through some form of this, and though I might be presumptuous in saying so, I’m pretty sure we all love it. I am excited for these artists to be able to share their work and talk with the community.”
The event will be held on Friday, Dec. 6, from 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Friday’s sale will run concurrently with the Annual Cazenovia Holiday Stroll and Village Tree Lighting downtown.
“Many stores along Albany Street will be open later into the evening,” said Fiorentino. “Carpenter’s Barn is a quick five-to-seven-minute walk from the tree lighting, and there are sidewalks along the entire path; just follow the black iron fence [along Lakeland Park], and it will lead you right to it. [On Saturday], there are two other events happening in Caz, so it is the perfect day to hang out in Cazenovia and do some last-minute shopping.”
Payment methods may vary depending on the participating artist. Anticipated methods include Venmo, PayPal, Apple Pay, credit cards, and personal checks.
CazArts is an alliance of artists, cultural organizations, and supporters dedicated to nurturing a community that promotes the creation and appreciation of the arts. For more information, visit cazarts.com.
