MACI Holiday Showcase Art Sale

Please join us for a unique holiday shopping experience! Ten local artists, all members of MACI (Medford Arts Center, Inc.) will be at Bestsellers Cafe on November 30 from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. This is a wonderful chance to buy one of a kind gifts and chat with the artists about their work.

Susan Altman - mosaics
Susan Altman loves playing with color and building things, and likes her art to serve a function. She reclaims and reuses materials whenever possible: old frames, broken pottery, yard sale furniture, discarded bits of wood from construction projects, stones, shells, keys, even plastic parts from ink toner cartridges! The small containers use tin food cans, and the necklaces use fimo clay and small pieces of tile and glass set in bottle caps and then encased in clear resin.

Sarah Beardslee - jewelry
Beads by Beardslee (Sarah & Kayla Beardslee) are a mother and daughter team who have been designing all of their hand-made items for 7 years, using a wide variety of mediums, including glass, paper, metal, and clay. They were exhibiting members of the MysticArt Gallery and do many local shows, as well as offer classes. During this event, they will have many different items avaialble for gift giving, including their mirage bracelets, necklaces, and rings (which change color), and holiday ornanments and earrings.

Carolyn Dinsmoor - photography and cards
Carolyn Dinsmoor, a long-time MACI member and participating artist in West Medford Open Studios, takes beautiful natural photos around the area. She will have small prints and cards available for sale.

Bev Hinckley - hand knits and quilted cards
Bev Hinckley, owner of Textilelations, has been an exhibiting artist here and in Canada for over 10 years, and is a retired teacher of 35 years in Melrose. Now she puts all her energy into playing with color and fabric, and does many local shows including the Beebe Estate, Arts Across Melrose, West Medford Open Studios and Arlington Open Studios, and the Mystic Art Gallery. Her real quilt cards, small quilted canvases, bags, and knitted cowls and mittlets will be on display at this trunk show.

Connie LaFond - watercolors and drawings
Constance Festo Lafond works in watercolor, collage & floral photography. Her work is on display in Gloucester MA at the Lone Gull Coffee House and is also part of the Members Fall juried show at the Newburyport Art Association. She will have limited edition watercolor prints, floral calendars, also floral and holiday note cards for sale.

Joanne Limone - acrylics
Joanne Limone paints all the time using watercolor and acrylic. She was a member of the Mystic Art Gallery and her most recent show was the Fells at the Beebe Estate. She operates Nails, Etc. in Stoneham.

Louise Musto-Choate - Precious Metal Clay jewelry
Louise Musto-Choate, owner of Design Mind, has been designing jewelry for over 14 years. She participates in West Medford Open Studios, Arlington Open Studios, the Beebe Estate, the Mystic Art Gallery and various MACI events, and gives lots of time to Cache and the Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Louise’s speciality is Precious Metal Clay silver jewelry – bracelets, necklaces, pins and rings. She also offers classes in basic processes, making rings and setting stones, and using natural objects with the PMC.

Patty Saunders - photography
Patty McCarthy Saunders is a fine arts photographer and one of the founding members of Medford Arts Center, Inc, and the former Mystic Art Gallery. ”I photograph locally as well as all over New England and the Islands”. Photos are mounted to canvas with an acrylic medium to give them a painterly look. She also uses a photo transfer method to mount work to wood or tile. Smaller pieces will be for sale. Her next show will be at the Beebe Estate in Melrose.

Sydney Smith - pastels and watercolors
Sydney Smith is a member of the Artist Collaborative of Wakefield, MACI of Medford, The Mystic Gallery Artist Group, Newbury Art Association, and SCBWI (Society of Writers and Illustrators). Sydney’s business is known as Sydney Smith Art Studio, www.sydsmith.net, that sells prints and cards as well as her original paintings and drawings. She is adding several new items such as towels, tote bags and tunics to her line of work that will incorporate her beautiful designs. Sydney’s artwork will be on display at Bestsellers Cafe through mid-December.

Rimma Zaika-Vekslar - clothing and beadings
Rimma Zaika-Vekslar designs one-of-a-kind jewelry handmade using genuine stones - beads/necklaces/bibs, earrings. She also creates hand knitted items using all natural fibers, some with rabbit fur trim - hats, scarves, sweaters - small items. She has many not-to-be-missed fashion shows around the Boston area and exhibits at the Beebe Estate.

Bestsellers Cafe is located at 24 High Street, Medford MA, 781-391-7171, www.bestsellers-cafe.com.