BY LUCIE KRISMAN
The Eudora community will have an opportunity to find every festivity from handmade holiday gifts to a visit with Santa Claus at an art show directed later this month by an aspiring 12-year-old artist from Olathe.
Haley's Holiday Artshow will feature handmade art by at least 20 local artists and three live musicians at St. Paul United Church of Christ. Complementary cocoa, coffee and candy will also be available, and the church will provide a potluck dinner and bake sale.
The event is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 30 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 1. Community members will also be able to donate non-perishable food items to the church’s food pantry.
Haley Sellmeyer, the artist behind the event, said the holiday season is a chance to steer from the norm of art shows taking place in the summer as well as give guests a unique way to buy holiday gifts.
"I've wanted to do a holiday art show for a few years," Haley said. "People tend to buy Christmas presents and holiday presents around that time because they are going to see their families."
The types of art Haley's Holiday Artshow will feature include paintings, pottery, photography, wood carvings, jewelry, fused glass, drawings, metalwork, fabrics and crafts.
Featured artists will also be able to participate in the booth decorating contest taking place at the art show. The winner of the contest will receive celebratory decorations for their booth at the show and $50.
The event’s proceeds will go toward maintaining the show and supporting the Eudora Artist Coalition and St. Paul United Church of Christ, both of which are assisting with the event.
Haley has been featured in previous art shows and has been selling her own art for seven years. She had an early start in creating art when she began to paint at age 1 as a way to stimulate brain activity after being born two months premature, she said.
"My mom was looking for things to stimulate my brain and art happened to be one of them," Haley said. "I really enjoyed it and from there, it's been a progression."
Having previous art show experience, Haley wants to use what she has learned to direct her own and hopes to make this holiday art show a recurring event in the future, she said.
"I wanted to make this a bit more accessible to emerging artists," Haley said. "We know what they are going to want and going to expect from the show, and I hope that we can get what everyone wants and needs."
For Haley's mother, Susan Sellmeyer, watching the holiday art show come together has been exciting.
"I'm very proud of Haley," Sellmeyer said. "She came up with all these wonderful ideas, and she's had these ideas for a long time."
Eudora Artist Coalition member Debbie Carden is inspired by Haley's creativity and passion for art and the show.
"She has been a burst of refreshing energy," Carden said. "She takes that with her wherever she goes."
Carden said the holiday art show will be a great local opportunity for the community to have fun and find one-of-a-kind holiday items.
"We really appreciate the unique artistry that goes into this thing," Carden said. "There's going to be something for everyone's budget and everyone's taste."
Haley also thinks the event will appeal to a large crowd.
"I think it's for anyone looking for holiday presents and a unique experience," Haley said. "I think there is something for everybody, and I just want to make people happy."
For additional information, visit haleysholidayartshow.com.
Reach reporter Lucie Krisman at eudoratimes@gmail.com.
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