By Sophie Foster
News Co-Editor
Chestertown RiverArts, a local organization that displays artworks and supports community artists, officially opened their annual holiday show and sale to the general public on Friday, Nov. 18.
The holiday display, which beckons in the winter months for RiverArts, features paintings, photography, jewelry, wreaths, and quilting, among other artistic works.
Items of this variety are available for purchase throughout the duration of the holiday show in the gift shop, which is open Wednesday through Sunday each week.
According to the RiverArts website, the “RiverArts annual holiday show is a great place to find wonderful handmade gifts crafted by our talented artisans. With over 46 artists selling [and] price points to fit every budget, [visitors can] come by the gallery to find the perfect gift and support both the arts and artists in our community.”
The exhibit is a recurring event for RiverArts, generating significant revenue and drawing in holiday shoppers, including those passing through during Chestertown seasonal events such as Dickens of a Christmas and the Festival of Trees.
According to their website, “a RiverArts member said recently, ‘the arts make people and communities whole.’ This is a perfect articulation of the belief underlying all of the programming, activities, and events at RiverArts. When you give to RiverArts, you are part of an exciting, growing organization, and a pillar of the vibrant Kent County arts scene. You give individuals and communities a place to create, learn, and grow through the arts.”
RiverArts defines itself as active and inclusive, maintaining the belief that creativity is a human instinct and a shared experience of emotion and compassion.
“Supporting RiverArts means supporting arts programming and activities that enrich Kent County and enhance the lives of locals, visitors, children, adults, artists, art lovers, and the art-curious on the Eastern Shore,” the website says.
To take part in the sale, those interested can visit RiverArts at 315 High Street #106. Their hours this season are extended until Dec. 31. RiverArts is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and open to visitors from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. It will be open until 8 p.m. on First Friday, Dec. 2, and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Anyone can also offer monetary support to RiverArts by donating at community.chestertownriverarts.org/donations.
Photo courtesy of Mia Snyder
Photo Caption: The RiverArts Holiday Show and Sale offers works from a vast variety of artistic genres and categories.