’Tis the season for shopping, and if you can’t find a location to support visual artists during the holidays, you’re just not looking.
Many local galleries and museums are having special exhibitions and sales, including the grandaddy of them all, “Holidazzle 2011: The Art of Giving,” at the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft (715 W. Main St., 589-0102, kentuckyarts.org) through Jan. 15. This annual show delivers local and national artists and various media, with a price range from $40-$4,500. There’s also a special trunk show by Kea Carpets and Kilims from Dec. 8-10. As an incentive to get you in the door, KMAC has free museum admission through Jan. 14.
You might as well drink while shopping (I’m sounding like the Bar Belle here) — KMAC’s 10th Annual Martinis & Mistletoe party is Thursday, Dec. 8, from 5-8 p.m. Admission is $20 for non-members and free for members, who also get a 20-percent discount on purchases.
“All That Glitters” and the “Ornament Show” are the exhibitions at Gallery Janjobe (1860 Mellwood Ave., 899-9293, galleryjanjobe.com) through Jan. 17, while Gallery 104 (104 E. Main St. in La Grange, 502-222-3822, aaooc.org) has “Holiday Artistique” through Dec. 31. Galerie Hertz (1253 S. Preston St., 551-1017, billyhertzgallery.com) is offering discounts from 10-25 percent on works in their holiday show, on display through Dec. 31. Liberty Tattoo and Art Parlor’s “Third Annual Under $50 Art Sale” is an exhibition/sale that runs through Dec. 30 (2801 S. Third St., 637-4777).
There are plenty of special one-day sales as well, with Saturday, Dec. 10, winning the prize for the most popular day. The Mellwood Art & Entertainment Center (1860 Mellwood Ave., 895-3650, mellwoodartcenter.com) is showcasing art by its tenants in “Forget the Mall, Shop the Mell!” from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Koch & Company (10978 Dixie Hwy., 618-4069, kochandcompany.com) is having a Christmas Open House from 5-10 p.m. The “Umpteenth Annual $20 Art Show” is from 7-9 p.m. at Clifton Art Supply (2005b Frankfort Ave.).
But wait, there’s more. “A Very Portland Christmas, $50 and Under Sale” will be at Nelligan Hall (2010 Portland Ave., nelliganhall.org) on Saturday, Dec. 17, from noon-8 p.m. Ultra Pop (1414 Bardstown Road, 479-1035, ultra-pop.com) is presenting a “Super Screenprint Blowout” on Friday, Dec. 23, from 5-10 p.m.
You, too, can be an artist for a day by creating blow-your-own glass ornaments. Appointments are available at Flame Run (828 E. Market St., 584-5353, flamerun.com) through Dec. 22 for $40-$50. They’re also exhibiting glassworks by resident artists in “Holiday-a-Go-Go” through Dec. 31. Glassworks’ Ornament Blows are on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in December for $40 (815 W. Market St., 584-4510, louisvilleglassworks.com).
There’s even more glass in the 2012 Old Louisville Stained Glass Calendar. While it has all the features you’d expect from a calendar, this is local, so you get important Louisville dates like Thunder Over Louisville, Derby and the St. James Court Art Show. Available for $15 on the Central Park West Neighborhood Association website (historicgathering.com) as well as the Conrad-Caldwell House Museum (1402 St. James Court, 636-5023, conradcaldwell.org) and Panache Flowers & Gifts (3617 Lexington Road, 899-3899). Then take a deep breath, for it starts all over again. The next F.A.T. Friday Trolley Hop, dubbed the “New Year’s Hop,” is Dec. 30.