This year I was fortunate enough to have been invited back to the Wilson Arts Annual Holiday Invitational Gala and Gift Gallery. The event is a invitation and member only exhibit of sorts where Local and Regional artists are invited to submit work to be put up for sale in the gallery’s Gift Shop. This is an incredible event where contributing members of the organization get a first look and ”First Dibs” on all the items submitted each year. The Gallery shop is of course then opened up to the public following the premier of the event and visitors may browse all items in hopes of finding one of a kind handmade and handcrafted pieces of art they can purchase for themselves or gift to a special loved one during the holiday season. Previously I submitted small watercolor paintings depicting whirligigs in my ”Polaroid” theme and was lucky enough to have sold all of them.

This year I decided to try something different. I put together a dozen ”Paper Crane Mobiles” the idea for these items originated from a lesson I taught at a Child’s Art Camp in partnership with Wilson Art which I lead earlier this year. The Cranes are a nod to my 1000 Paper Crane Installation, a part of my first Solo Exhibition entitled “Healing” in 2020.

Folding paper cranes has become a part of my identity at this point, and I enjoy not only the meditative process of making them, but also the source of joy they provide to the people I gift them to. They have become a symbol of hope and a wish for good luck and good heath to those who receive them. But also, much like a painting, they are a piece of me which is tangible and present with loved ones no matter the distance.

My hope is that people will love them not only for their aesthetic but also for their meaning. I am happy to be able to share this project with the public and I am excited to venture out of my comfort zone of creation.

Only a dozen of these will be available this year but I will definitely consider creating more in the future if they are a success.

The Gallery shop will be available to the general public beginning November 19th and the holiday sale will run through December 23rd.