December is always a festive month of the year, and festivities abound at Winnsboro Center for the Arts (WCA).
Hannah Kirby returns to The Bowery Stage for a Christmas concert December 18 at 7:30 pm. Kirby was one of the top eight finalists on Blake Shelton’s team on season eight of The Voice in 2015. The jazz singer and violinist is well-known around WCA having performed on the Bowery Stage every year from 2016 to 2019. Kirby also teaches the student orchestra at Sulphur Springs ISD. Joining her on The Bowery Stage will be Brad Thompson, a guitarist and singer from Dallas. You can find more information about this concert and purchase tickets at www.winnsborocenterforthearts.com/bowery_stage_tickets.
There will also be a group of young musicians playing on The Bowery Stage in December. The WCA Music Student Recital is December 14 at 6 pm and is open to the public. The students who take private music lessons from WCA music instructors Matthew Mahaffey, Woodie Thornton, and Aaron Zook have been hard at work learning piano, guitar, and percussion. The student recital provides an opportunity for them to share their progress with family, friends, and the community.
Open Mic Night continues monthly on the second Thursday of each month from 6 – 8 pm. Doors open at 5:30 pm. All types of musicians are welcome to play, and it is free for performers and attendees. Open Mic Night falls on December 9 and January 13.
The WCA Gallery Gift Shop is looking especially cheery and bright this holiday season. Through December 23 is the Holiday Extravaganza in the gift shop where seasonal items crafted by local artists are sold. These items include jewelry, knitted and crocheted accessories, original artwork, and artist prints. This is an opportunity to buy local for holiday gifts.
The WCA Gallery Gift Shop also has a Giving Tree again this year. Handcrafted ornaments are hung with care on the tree alongside suggested donations for WCA. Visitors are welcome to choose a donation and in exchange they can take home a handcrafted ornament from the tree.
The WCA gallery will host the ninth annual Men in the Arts exhibit from December 10 – January 24. Celebrate the creative men in our community at the artist reception on December 11 at 2:30 pm. This collection of art will include works from prolific artists such as painters William Hagerman and Efton Edwards, both of whom teach weekly painting classes at WCA. Hagerman teaches every Tuesday and Edwards teaches every Thursday. You can find more information about classes and register for a class at www.winnsborocenterforthearts.com/visual-art-classes-workshops.
There are fun holiday workshops to look forward to in December. Students will make an adorable reindeer ornament in the No-Sew Holiday Workshop December 11 from 9 am – 1 pm. The Paint & Sip Party on December 17 is already full, but there will be a Paint & Sip Party with instructor Brenda Roberts every third Friday of each month from 6:30 – 9:30 pm. The students choose from a few different designs and then paint the night away with friends, food, and wine. Each Paint & Sip Party is $40 and includes all supplies and lite refreshments. The Paint & Sip Parties on January 21, February 18, and March 18 are available for registration.
At this time of year during the holidays, people often think about new skills they want to develop or New Year’s resolutions they want to make. A variety of workshops are offered in January and February to spark new interests including a Ceramic Tile Workshop on January 11 and 25, Beginner Soap-Making Workshops January 15 – 16, January 29 – 30, and February 19 – 20, a Fiber Art Notecard Workshop on January 29, a Charcoal Portrait Workshop on February 5, a Valentine’s Day Sweetheart Yoga Workshop on February 12, and an Intermediate Watercolor Workshop on February 19. Also, an art workshop or class may be the perfect gift for the loved one who already has it all. All these workshops and classes are available for registration at www.winnsborocenterforthearts.com/visual-art-classes-workshops.
Looking ahead, WCA is excited to host a special performance by The Pleasant Hill Quilters on January 22 in anticipation of Black History Month. The ladies of the Pleasant Hill Quilters come from Linden, Texas, and tell the oral history of the Underground Railroad secret quilt codes, which helped enslaved people in the US escape by using special symbols in their quilts.
International and national award-winning pastel and watercolor artist Barbara Mason will be featured in the art exhibit, “The Magic of Light: Light is a component of every work of art.” The exhibition will be in the WCA gallery from January 28 – February 28 and the artist reception is January 30 at 2:30 pm.
Come be a part of December festivities at WCA and look forward to new, colorful possibilities that the new year will bring.
