MANSFIELD, Ohio – North central Ohio holiday shows punctuate the calendar as fall turns toward winter.
Plays, musicals, dance recitals, choir concerts, and band shows help Richland County residents climb into the spirit. The Mansfield Art Center makes sure its cultural niche is represented during the holidays, too.
The art center will present its traditional Holiday Fair from Nov. 21 through Dec. 30.
“You never know what you’ll find at the Mansfiel Art Center Holiday Fair – no matter how often you go,” said George Whitten, executive director of the Mansfield Art Center. “As items sell, we get new items from the artists.
“There’s always something new to see; artists’ works are arriving daily.”
This is the 46th annual holiday showcase featuring the works of 200 artists.
“About 80 percent of them are Ohio artists,” Whitten said.
The art center staff was busy setting up the exhibit long before Thanksgiving. Roger Coulton, sales/events manager, was hanging decorative bulbs on a Christmas tree in front of a picturesque window setting.
“It’s not the biggest, but it’s one of our biggest events of the year,” Coulton said. “This is a very important show for a lot of local artists.”
Sponsored by the Richland Bank, the Holiday Fair provides a festive venue to shop for unique holiday gifts, including fine crafts, functional art, jewelry, glass, pottery, painting, note cards, children’s items, ceramics, textiles and other items. It’s all part of the display within the holiday-themed exhibit on both levels at the MAC, 700 Marion Ave.
“That’s 5,000 square feet of display space,” Whitten said.
The Mansfield Art Center Center Holiday Fair is free and open to the public 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday each week. In addition, Soup Au Fair returns in December from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. from Dec. 1 through 4, 8 through 11 and 15 through 18. A suggested donation for the homemade Soup Au Fair is $8.
Anyone with questions should call the Mansfield Art Center at 419-756-1700.
