The Council of 101’s annual Festival of Trees will be themed “A Season of Celebration,” and will feature more than 50 designer-decorated trees as well as wreaths, gingerbread creations and tabletop displays. The event will be held at Orlando Museum of Art.
Candles? Check. Charcuterie boards? Absolutely. Original art and coffee-table books? Only the best. Whether you want to impress a party host or bestow a gift that warms up—or spices up—an interior space, look to local galleries, museum shops and artisans. (P.S.: No one is ever too old for dinosaurs.)
Host and Home
Emily Post, Miss Manners and Mom all agree: Never show up to an event empty-handed. Sure, you could offer a bottle of a favorite imbibable—again. No shame in that. But this year, why not aspire to stand out?
If an epicurean requests your presence at a dinner party, bring along a Season’s Eatings Recipes notebook ($30) from Jeanine Taylor Folk Art. Brightly bound and hand-embroidered, this slim volume contains 160 ruled blank pages for your favorite foodie friend to fill with his or her own favorite recipes. 211 East 1st Street, Sanford, 407.323.2774, jtfolkart.com
Speaking of food, how can a modern host possibly present a suitable charcuterie spread without a proper board? Handcrafted from oak by Selbrae House in Scotland, the boards available at The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art gift shop are beautifully engraved with a dragonfly and ideal for entertaining ($78).
Or, make a real splash as a guest by including Bourbon Curious: A Tasting Guide for the Savvy Drinker ($26) by Fred Minnick. And any host will appreciate the gift of candles, especially if they’re hand-poured and feature scents of the season and the ambiance of Winter Park.
Jeanine Taylor Folk Art, Season’s Eatings Recipes notebook with hand-embroidered cover ($30), jtfolkart.com.
Orlando Science Center, hand-carved from natural stone wax melter ($18–$70), osc.org.
A one-of-a-kind craft kit “Mending Kit and Zine” ($18).
Orlando Museum of Art, To Catch a Dream custom tea towel ($16).
Jeanine Taylor Folk Art, romantic brass township luminaries ($20–$64).
Orlando Science Center, scale-model dinosaur bookends ($115-$200); also available are dinosaur skulls and authentic fossil specimens (check for prices).
Pens, pins and watches made with authentic meteorite fragments ($90), osc.org.
Magnolia origami lantern ($32) inspired by Tiffany’s magnolia panels.
The Art Glass of Louis Comfort Tiffany by Paul E. Doros ($75), shown with a fluted trumpet vase ($405), morsemuseum.org.
Solana Fine Art, Ana Guzman’s Airport Reunion ($280)
Lorra Kurtz’s Fly By ($100)
Orlando Museum of Art, Museum Bums ($19.95) coffee-table book.
Festival of Trees, omart.org/events/festival-of-trees.
The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, handcrafted oak charcuterie board ($78) and Bourbon Curious: A Tasting Guide for the Savvy Drinker ($26).
Candles in scents of “Wind Song,” “Lake Osceola” and “Magnolia” ($35), morsemuseum.org.
Rollins Museum of Art, “To the Lighthouse” hand-poured soy candles ($15) and “Bloombury Blend” caffeine-free, elderberry wine loose-leaf tea ($16).
U.K.-made Hadley sketch/notebook ($14), rollins.edu/rma.
Colorful custom scarves based on various works of art ($16), omart.org.
Melissa Menzer and Darlene Allen’s collection of handcrafted holiday heirlooms (check for prices), jtfolkart.com.
Amethyst specimens mounted for display ($170-$240).
The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, glazed ceramic vase ($165) with a Trollbinde amethyst dragonfly pendant ($96).
Sketchbook reproduction of Meta Overbeck’s Designs for Louis C. Tiffany Art Jewelry ($75).
Solana Fine Art, Ana Guzman’s Blue Car in Havana ($225).
Heather Blanton’s Little Skiers ($295).
Pat Zalisko’s New Year’s Day on the Beach ($125), solanafineart.com.
Cezanne’s Terracotta Pots and Flowers 1,000-piece puzzle ($24.95), omart.org.
Festival of Trees, omart.org/events/festival-of-trees.
How to Keep Your Holiday in Bloom
Mums and poinsettias are as much a part of the holidays as wreaths and garlands, light displays and seasonal china patterns. Here are some tips to keep your flowering plants festive and flourishing through Turkey Day and beyond.
First, some facts: Mums are typically perennials and come in two basic catagories: exhibition and garden hardy. The kind we buy in supermarkets or big-box stores are generally the charm/cushion type of garden hardy that’s bred to grow in pots. They live about four to six weeks—sometimes as long as eight weeks—after they start blooming.
Poinsettias, which are native to Mexico and Central America, decorate many a Florida porch, patio or interior during the holiday season. These well-loved plants with their bright red and green foliage also make popular gifts. Expect the blooms to last about six weeks—but with proper care they can survive for several months or even until next season.
However, let’s focus on the holiday period for now. Both floral varieties can benefit from similar care, according to Eric Schmidt, botanical records specialist at Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando. “The plants need to be kept in bright, indirect light,” he says. “Too low of light will cause leaf drop.”
But, he adds, too much light isn’t good, either. These plants have been grown in greenhouses, so direct and prolonged exposure to the sun’s unfiltered rays can cause sunburn.
Water, of course, is crucial to plant care. “Keep them evenly moist,” advises Schmidt. “And let the soil get slightly dry to the touch in between waterings. Also keep them from cold drafts and, if they’re inside, away from heater vents. Hot or cold air can cause leaf damage, desiccation and leaf drop.”
With some simple steps and a little attention, your mums and poinsettias can be an exciting—and relatively long-lasting—part of your holiday décor.
Morse Museum candles ($35) come in “Magnolia” (classic magnolia blossom), “Wind Song” (bright citrus notes) and “Lake Osceola” (fresh fir balsam). Each is finished with a wax seal that features a Tiffany-inspired dragonfly.
Related items include coordinating diffusers, travel tin candles and matches, all of which are available exclusively at the Morse Museum shop. 445 North Park Avenue, Winter Park, 407.645.5311, morsemuseum.org.
If you’re looking for a truly distinctive gift for a host who appreciates Earth history or geology, choose one of the votives or wax melters ($18–$70) from the Orlando Science Center gift shop. Each one-of-a-kind piece is hand-carved from natural stone and designed to bring calming energy and a cozy glow or seasonal scent to any space. 777 East Princeton Street, Orlando, Loch Haven Cultural Park, 407.514.2000, osc.org.
Exhibition-oriented gifts are often the coolest. Rollins Museum of Art’s current display, Portrait of a Movement: A New Approach to the Bloomsbury Group, capitalizes on renewed interest in the artistic and intellectual movement that heralded the development of modernism.
So you might consider a gift of “To the Lighthouse” hand-poured soy candles ($15) or “Bloomsbury Blend” caffeine-free, elderberry wine loose-leaf tea ($16) from Fly Paper Products, which will transport you (intellectually, at least) back to the days when Virginia Woolf, John Maynard Keynes, E.M. Forster and Vanessa Bell gathered to discuss the issues of the day.
Another Rollins Museum exhibition, Manners of Dress, examines the significance of attire in artwork. The accompanying “Mending Kit and Zine” ($18) is a one-of-a-kind craft kit that outlines the basics of mending, button-sewing and other essential techniques. Keep it in mind for the handy folks who are good at that sort of thing.
Finally, for your favorite creatives, check out the U.K.-made Hadley notebooks ($14). Each one features expressive designs and blank pages made of thick recycled paper—perfect for sketching, writing and doodling. 1000 Holt Avenue, on the campus of Rollins College, 407.646.2526, rollins.edu/rma.
Any host would appreciate something for the kitchen. A great choice would be a custom tea towel ($16) that artist Rebecca Mentz created for Orlando Museum of Art’s To Catch a Dream, an exhibition that features more than 100 works in watercolor by members of the Florida Watercolor Society.
For those who would prefer something wearable, choose from an array of colorful custom scarves ($16) that also highlight paintings by various artists whose creations are in the exhibition. 2416 North Mills Avenue, Orlando, Loch Haven Cultural Park, 407.896.4231, oma.org.
Walls and Warmth
Warmth can be both literal and aesthetic. Brass township luminaries ($20-$64) from Jeanine Taylor Folk Art occupy the latter category. Sophisticated and timeless, they feature cut-out windows and doorways that glow from an interior tealight. The resulting vibe is romantic and cozy.
Other artist-made items will be available in abundance at the gallery’s 11th Annual Holiday Trunk Show on Saturday, December 6, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., when artists Melissa Menzer and Darlene Allen will unveil their latest collection of vintage-inspired handcrafted holiday heirlooms.
Menzer, a Florida folk artist, makes antique assemblages of clay and rescued treasures, including elegant birds adorned with historic jewelry as well as red-cheeked Santas with lots of baubles and mink fur hats.
Allen is known for her heirloom-quality mohair bears and woodland creatures that evoke a sense of warmth and whimsy. Her craftsmanship, in fact, has earned the title of “Master Bearmaker.” By the way, the trunk show coincides with Small Business Saturday—so don’t pass up this opportunity to shop small and shop local.
Do your giftees appreciate old things—like, really old? You can dig deep at the Orlando Science Center for such items as dinosaur bookends ($115–$200), made of high-grade resin and radiating prehistoric power. They’re perfect for showcasing a collection of science tomes or volumes on interior design.
And scale-model dinosaur skulls ($35–$500) boldly bring the awe of dinos into home décor. All models are museum quality and meticulously detailed. There are also authentic fossil specimens ($30–$70) to bring history into hand and home. Options include trilobites, ammonites, dinosaur bones and teeth—all millions of years old.
For example, Amethyst Druse Showpieces ($170–$240), are sourced from deposits in Uruguay. Sparkling with deep violet crystals, the specimens are mounted for display. Druse, also called druzy or drusy, refers to sets of tiny mineral crystals that form on the surface of another stone.
If you’re into offering some truly stellar stocking stuffers, consider pens, pins and watches made with authentic meteorite fragments. Luxury pens ($90), for example, contain bits of Muonionalusta meteorite, a jewelry-quality iron artifact that traveled through space for billions of years before falling to Earth in northern Sweden about a million years ago.
Décor items from the Morse Museum’s gift shop are stylish and timeless, like the bulbous glazed ceramic vase ($165), with an elegant Trollbinde amethyst dragonfly pendant ($96).
The Magnolia Origami Lantern ($32) is inspired by Louis Comfort Tiffany’s magnolia panels, which are on display at the museum. The lantern expands to three sizes with a simple pull-and-twist. It also features on/off touch controls and a carrying or hanging strap—and the whole thing folds flat for easy storage.
Plus it’s a prize winner, having received the Museum Store Association Buyers’ Choice Award—an honor that recognizes products for museums and cultural institutions that are innovative and well-designed and that resonate with museum retailers.
While you’re still at the Morse Museum, consider a couple of books to dress up your giftee’s coffee table. Meta Overbeck (1879–1956), an artist and longtime head of Tiffany’s art jewelry department, created a design book full of beautiful and inspiring design sketches rendered in pencil, ink and watercolor.
Overbeck’s niece donated her sketchbook to the Morse Museum in 1978. This facsimile reproduction, Meta Overbeck’s Designs for Louis C. Tiffany Art Jewelry ($75), highlights the designer’s remarkable talent and her vital contributions to art jewelry produced by Tiffany.
There’s also The Art Glass of Louis Comfort Tiffany by Paul E. Doros ($75), which is the ultimate book for lovers of Tiffany, art glass and the decorative arts in general. It’s shown here (see No. 18) with a fluted trumpet vase ($405) that’s a masterpiece of blown glass by Lundberg Studios in California.
But we’re not finished shopping yet. Let’s make the short trek to Solana Fine Art, a contemporary fine-art gallery that highlights the work of emerging and established artists from across the United States.
There are so many choices. Movement and bright colors predominate in Ana Guzman’s work (Airport Reunion, 6-by-6 inches, $280; and Blue Car in Havana, 4-by-4 inches, $225). Those same characteristics are obvious in work by Heather Blanton (Little Skiers, 6-by-6 inches, $295), while twin sister Holly Blanton (Birds on a Wire, 8-by-8 inches, $275) leans toward layers and textures to achieve dimension and emotion.
Holiday colors of red and green make Lorra Kurtz’s image of a bird (Fly By, 4-by-4 inches, $100) seem to wing itself off the canvas. And if Pat Zalisko’s abstracts (New Year’s Day on the Beach, 5-by-5 inches, $125) evoke Ukrainian Easter eggs, there’s a good reason—the artist has memories of painting them as a child in New York City.
Solana Fine Art will offer more to explore at Color & Lights: The Holiday Show, which opens on Thursday, November 20, and features a captivating collection of works focusing on the warmth, wonder and beauty of the season. 1104 Solana Avenue, Winter Park, 321.972.1774, solanafineart.com.
Orlando Museum of Art, like the Morse Museum, has more ways to spice up your giftee’s coffee table. If you want to get cheeky, Museum Bums ($19.95) is a peach of a book that celebrates an (ahem) assortment of classic artistic rear ends. Butt seriously—maybe don’t leave it out when the kiddos are around.
There’s also a 1,000-piece puzzle of Cezanne’s Terracotta Pots and Flowers ($24.95) that will keep folks busy for a while and give them a different kind of art to keep on a table or mount and hang on a wall. Also coming to the museum is a highlight (and unofficial kickoff) of the holidays: the Council of 101’s Festival of Trees.
This year’s festival theme, “A Season of Celebration,” will feature more than 50 designer-decorated trees as well as wreaths, gingerbread creations and tabletop displays. In addition, there’ll be a vendors’ market, a kiddie holiday party, live entertainment and, back by popular demand, the Ugly Sweater party. (Check schedule for details.)
New this year will be workshops related to bows and topiaries, and for the grown-ups, a holiday home tour by bus to designer-decorated residences followed by a cocktail party with music and holiday cocktails to wrap up the event.
The Festival of Trees will run from November 15 to 23, Admission is $20 for adults, $12 for children ages 3 to 12, seniors age 60-plus and active-duty military and first responders with valid ID. Tickets are available at the door or on the Council of 101 website (councilof101.org). Some activities require an additional fee. For the complete schedule and pricing, visit omart.org/events/festival-of-trees.
The Festival of Trees is just one of a plethora of holiday events in the area. For a comprehensive list, check out our Cultural Calendar at ArtsinOrlando.com.
Finally, don’t overlook buying directly from local artists and skilled craftspeople at one of the many shows and fairs this season. Those events are also listed in the calendar. Happy shopping!
