BAYarts Holiday Shop expands with food mart

Ceramics, jewelry, and decor are all available at the BAYarts Holiday Shop each year. 

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Each year, BAYarts opens up its doors wide for the holiday season. It all kicks off with the Holiday Shop Open House on Nov. 23 and continues through December.

Artistic Director Karen Petkovic loves the handmade and local aspects of the shop. "We are so proud of our Northeast Ohio artists and love that we have the ability to showcase them in our shop throughout the year and provide more space for them to do what they do for us during the holidays."  

This year, Kili Watson-Samad of My Turquoise Kitten will be offering whimsical jewelry like no other, featuring mini items made into earrings. Bringing in repurposed handbags and accessories is Girl's Best Trend, who finds that neckties work as the perfect purse strap. Petkovic says, "They're always original works, beautifully designed and executed." 

For wall art, Pam Gill creates small-scale framed paintings while Jackson Koch offers photographs of Cleveland landmarks. Other fine artists in the shop will include Mary Deutschman, Angela Oster, Misty Hughes, and Eileen Dorsey. The holiday shop wouldn't be complete without additional items like hand-crafted ceramics, lotions, soaps, candles, holiday decor and more.   

Petkovic says she can do all of her holiday shopping right at BAYarts. "The Holiday Shop is a great destination throughout the entire holiday season to find the perfect, locally crafted, original artwork for everyone on your list."  

On Saturday, Nov. 23, the opening day of the Holiday Shop, Creative Programming Director Pam Mills has organized a food mart from 1-3 p.m. "Food vendors from BAYarts' Farm & Art Market plus other interested vendors will be included," explains Mills. "The Holiday Food Mart will carry items that are food-related so that shoppers can buy separately or put together to create their own gift basket." (If interested in being a food vendor, please email pam@bayarts.net.)

Holiday Shop dates (all events are free):

• Saturday, Nov. 23 – Open House from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; food mart from 1-3 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 24 – Open House continues from noon-5 p.m. 
• Thursday, Dec. 12 – Holiday Trunk Show from 6-9 p.m. 
• Sunday, Dec. 15  – Kids' Shopping Afternoon & Polar Express Pajama Party Movie (shopping: 1-3 p.m., movie: 3-5 p.m.) 

Extended shopping is available from the open house weekend (Nov. 23-24) through December. Open Mondays-Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. As a bonus, Sundays are open from noon to 5 p.m.