Hark! With festive holiday events, local creativity and iconic feminist art on display, opportunities to get into the creative spirit of the city abound this December.
“Making Moves: A Collection of Feminisms” opened last month and is on view at the Crocker Art Museum through May 3. The exhibit, comprised of over 70 historic and contemporary pieces, brings works from both private collections and the Crocker’s extensive archive
into dialogue to illustrate the “evolving complexities of femininity and feminism that have inspired generations of visual artists,” according to a press release for the exhibit.
The exhibit will feature Mexican painter Frida Kahlo’s 1947 “Self-Portrait with Loose Hair” on loan from a private collection — marking the first work by Kahlo to have graced the Crocker — alongside a photograph of the artist by Mexican photographer Lola Álvarez Bravo.
The iconic painting “poignantly addresses identity and feminine experience,” according to Crocker CEO and director Agustín Arteaga, who took over the reins from predecessor Lial Jones in July. The painting shows Kahlo in a plain manner, hair down with a tired expression on her face. A cluster of green succulents emerge from a stone wall behind her, and an inscription painted beneath the artist reads: “Here I painted myself, Frida Kahlo, with my reflection in the mirror. I am 37 years old and this is July, 1947. In Coyoacan, Mexico, the place where I was born.”
While perhaps one of Kahlo’s more understated works, the painting is significant in capturing a glimpse of the artist’s life and artistry. According to fridakahlo.com, the painting fetched over $1.6 million at auction in 1991 and has been in private collection ever since.
Holiday markets and local art
Whether you’re looking for the perfect gift for an art lover on your list or just want to keep your dollars in the local creative community, Sacramento creatives have plenty of gift buying options for you.
Need a boost to get in the spirit of gift-giving? Try Mixtape — Axis Gallery’s annual group exhibition featuring a curated mix of art spanning genres and mediums from the collective’s members. You won’t need your walkman, just an interest in a variety of art made by one of the city’s longest running art collectives. “Mixtape celebrates the joy of experimentation and connection,” according to Axis. The public is invited to “an evening of art, conversation, and community” during the Dec. 13 Second Saturday reception. The exhibit runs Dec. 5-14, with public gallery hours Friday to Sunday from 12-5 p.m.
Prism Art Space, a local artist collective, gallery and studio space in Midtown, is hosting its first annual Holiday Market series, Spark Mart, across three weekends in December. This indoor makers-market will feature locally made art and gifts, perfect for holiday shopping while encouraging creative community. The market runs on Friday evenings from 6-9 p.m. and Saturday mornings from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., beginning on Dec. 5.
During Midtown’s Second Saturday on Dec. 13, make a visit to I Street Art Studios for a holiday party with caroling, holiday-themed karaoke, free cookies and hot cider. Get creative with ornament and card-making activities or help decorate the Christmas tree, and then get your fill of local art with work from 18 resident artists. The fun goes from 2-8 p.m. Also on Second Saturday, a reception will be held at the artist-owned janeGallery, for the closing of its current exhibition, “We Say! A Word From Women.” Art by 27 local woman artists will be available for purchase, with works ranging from traditional to mixed media and stained glass. The reception is from 5-8 p.m.
The Midtown Farmer’s Market is also a great place to find local art and handmade gifts, with many of the city’s artists showcasing their paintings, prints, ceramics, jewelry and more. Free gift wrapping will be available at the market on Saturday, Dec. 6 as part of Midtown Association’s “12 Days of Midtown” holiday programming.
WAL Public Market Gallery on R Street is again hosting its popular “100 Under 100” exhibit, offering local art lovers the chance to view and purchase 100 artworks priced at $100 or less, making it a great option to find unique and affordable gifts. Art purchased during the opening reception on Dec. 5 can be taken right off of the gallery wall, ready to be gifted, and the remaining works will be on display throughout the month. The reception is from 5-8 p.m. at the gallery located on the ground floor of the Warehouse Artist Lofts building at 1104 R St.
For something both festive and a little naughty, stop by Flower Fist Art Market’s all-day “Wonderfully Wicked Winter Market” on Sunday, Dec. 7. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can browse locally made art and gifts by over 40 Sacramento vendors and celebrate the season with a creative twist. Flower Fist, self-described as “Sacramento’s friendliest art gallery & plant shop,” promises visits and photo ops with Krampus, a “punk rock Santa Claus,” and Christmas zombies as well as the chance to shop “edible goodies, beautiful handmade gifts, and more.”
If you’re in the spirit of gift-giving, want an excuse to feel festive or are looking for opportunities to connect with the city’s creatives, Sacramento’s got you covered.
This story was funded by the City of Sacramento’s Arts and Creative Economy Journalism Grant to Solving Sacramento. Following our journalism code of ethics and protocols, the city had no editorial influence over this story and no city official reviewed this story before it was published. Our partners include California Groundbreakers, CapRadio, Hmong Daily News, Russian America Media, Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento News & Review and Sacramento Observer. Sign up for our “Sac Art Pulse” newsletter here.
By Marie-Elena Schembri
