Rudy Panucci On Pop Culture

The PopCult Gift Guide: Local Edition

Holiday-Bazaar-2013-Logo-283x300For the ninth year, PopCult will present our Gift Guide. Today we’re going to concentrate on all the local opportunities you have to support Charleston area artists, musicians, crafters and merchants. Next week, we will bring you part two of our Gift Guide, which will focus mainly on cool pop culture mail order items. But today, it’s all about “shop local.”

In your quest to buy locally, you have three events that will aid you greatly. The Black Friday edition of ArtWalk starts tonight at 5 PM. There will be three special indoor editions of the East End Bazzar, held at the Clay Center. Next weekend brings us the 11th Annual River Arts Festival at UUC.

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First up we have the “Black Friday Edition” of the Downtown Charleston ArtWalk. Tonight from 5 PM to 8PM you can explore the art scene and buy up some great gifts in Charleston at the following galleries: Art Emporium Gallery, Charleston Ballet, Chet Lowther Studio, Delfine’s Jewelry, Gallery Eleven, The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation, Good News Mountaineer Garage Gallery, Hope Village Fair Trade Cooperative, Ivor’s Trunk, Mission Savvy, Modern by Design, Savvy Chic, Stray Dog Antiques, Taylor Books – Annex Gallery, Tony the Tailor, The Purple Moon, Visions Day Spa, White Oak Photography & GiGi’s and Uncork & Create.

For more information visit the ArtWalk website. Of special note tonight is the Beyond The Margin event, which will happen at Good News Mountaineer Garage and Apartment Earth. This is a great time to have fun, meet the artists and get unique and distinctive gifts for the people on your list.

The East End Bazaar moves indoors and mutates into The Holiday Bazaar at the Clay Center for the next three Saturdays from 10 AM to 3 PM.

Charleston East End Main Street has forged a new partnership that extends the Bazaar season into the Holiday season! They have joined forces with The Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences of West Virginia to bring you the East End Holiday Bazaar at the Clay Center. You can enjoy the unique, eclectic environment of the East End Bazaar inside of the beautiful Clay Center.

They will showcase 16 registered East End Bazaar vendors in the front lobby and lower level lobby of the Clay Center starting on Small Business Saturday (November 30) and continuing on December 7th and 14th from 10 AM – 3 PM. Various Bazaar artisans will showcase their one-of-a-kind wares, including locally made jewelry, bath soaps, clothing, visual art, and much more, providing wonderful and local gifting opportunities for the Holiday season. See more information at the Holiday Bazaar website.

Next weekend UUC presents the Eleventh Annual River Show and Sale at Universalist Unitarian Congregation, 520 Kanawha Boulevard, West, Charleston. This show will feature thirty WV Fine Artists, live music, an Artist Reception, on Saturday a Gourmet Lunch, plus door prizes and a featured artist raffle. The event runs Friday December 6th, 6:30-9:30 PM and Saturday December 7th, 10:00-5:00 PM.

This event offers the public a great variety of unique, locally created fine art and exquisite handcrafts and to meet and buy directly from the artist. Homaria Ahmed – Pottery, painting, Charly Jupiter Hamilton—sculpture, prints, Laura Moul – Photography, Regina Swim & Trisha Fox— pottery, Bob Fisher—stained glass; Kevin Stitzinger- Stone Sculpture, Connie McColley – Jewelry, Randy Selbe- Pottery, Christina Dolin & Dennise Roberts —jewelry, Al Peery – photography, Janice Summers Young – Mixed Media, Linda Stonestreet – abstract Oil paintings, Holly Becker – jewelry, Christopher Higgins—wreaths, woodcarvings, Tia Moseley—hand created scarves, Patty Wolford— ARTROX, fiber creations, Jessica Blalock—crocheted accessories, Jill Stucky – gemstone jewelry, Jo Anne Jacobs—cards and small canvases, Elaine Oliver – water color, Rose Bettis & Andrea Hoglund— jewelry, Don Ashworth—paintings, cards, calendars, Joe Lung – Jewelry, Brenda Pinnell – ornaments drawings, notecards, Ellie Marshall—stained glass and wooden art, and Jeff Pierson – paintings, photography.

On both days the show will feature live music from local artists whose CD’s will also be available to add to your music collection.Marium Bria – Jazz (Fri. 7:15 & Sat. 4:30), Burr Beard – Hammered Dulcimer (Fri. 8:15 & Sat. 1:30), Cathy Grant – Fiddle (Sat. 11;30),Concordia – Recorder (Sat. 10;30 & 12:30), Mike Foster – Blues (Sat. 2:30), Christopher ‘Qiet’ Harris (Sat. 3:30).

Friday Evening features an Artist Reception and a gourmet luncheon will be served on Saturday from 11:00 to 2:00 for $8.00. Each $2.00 admission includes a chance on a door prize, to be drawn every 90 minutes. Winner must be present.

Raffle Tickets for items donated by the featured artists will be available before and during the show for $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00. The winners will be drawn at the end of the show.Childcare for children under 7 will be provided on Saturday from 3:00 to 5:00pm.

Aside from the above events, you can always shop local and purchase gift certificates from cool area merchants like Collage, Stray Dog Antiques, The Purple Moon, Taylor Books, Sullivan’s Records, Budget Tapes & Records, Cornucopia, Lost Legion Comics & Gaming, Kid Country Toys and Dutch Streetwear & Skete Shop.

tricky_fish_logo_webIf you would prefer to treat your giftee to a nice meal, you can buy gift cards of certificates for Bluegrass Kitchen, Tricky Fish, Frutcake, Mission Savvy, Vandalia Grille, Pies & Pints, Lola’s, Bridge Road Bistro, Adelphia, Fazio’s, Mayberry’s and Taste of Asia. These are the stores that we know off the top of our heads offer gift certificates or cards. You might want to ask around to see if your favorite local restaurant also offers gift certificates. If they do, please feel free to tell us about it in the comments section.

226433-logoIf you want to treat your loved one to some professional tender loving care, we can recommend Amy Williams Wellness,  Visions Day Spa or Neu Asthetic. If your giftee is looking for some great indoor activity, you can’t go wrong with a gift certificate from Dunbar Lanes or iFITT24.If your chosen gifting target is a read, visit Woodland Press for an enormous selection of books by local authors.

Of course, I also have to recommend that you support the local music scene. Several bands have released great CD’s this year. QiET and Byzantine come to mind immediately, but if you know of other local artists with CD’s available to give as gifts, please list them in the comments below.

It may take a little more work on your part, but it’s very easy to keep the money local when giving gifts this holiday. Next week, we will bring you part two of the PopCult Gift Guide, which will not focus on local gift ideas, but which will be very cool indeed.

3 Comments

  1. Beverly Welsh

    I have a Jessica West of the Johnny West doll clan and am wondering where Jessica fit into the scheme of things. there are lots of Jane West dolls but I couldn’t find any Jessica West, other than the one I have. She must have been a minor figure???

  2. Beverly Welsh

    I sent an email regarding Jessica West and failed to check the “follow-up” box so am doing so now.

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