This holiday season, the Flushing Council on Culture & the Arts (FCCA) is offering shoppers a chance to be sure that all of their gift choices are one of a kind.
The FCCA will hold a sale inside the Flushing Town Hall Gift Shop on December 12 at 1 p.m. featuring the work of local artists from Queens and Long Island. The gift shop, which carries the creations of participating artists year-round, will offer unique holiday gift ideas for people of all ages.
“We have some beautiful handcrafted artwork from more than 50 local artists,” said Ellen Kodadek, executive director of Flushing Town Hall. “The goal is to make sure that everyone who visits the shop can walk out with something special.”
The gift shop is open during all Town Hall performances, offering handmade items such as beaded jewelry, knotted bookmarks, silk scarves, and pottery. The store also regularly carries a special collection of children’s gifts including books, games, and music.
The FCCA is a non-profit organization, operating on behalf of the city, that works to promote the arts throughout Queens. This year marks the third annual holiday sale that has turned its focus toward more local artists and will run in accordance with some of the Town Hall’s other festive events – the Flushing Historic House Holiday Tour and a performance of “The Nutcracker,” for example.
“Our mission is to support Flushing Town Hall and the artists based in Queens and Long Island,” said Kodadek. The FCCA, which started out with just a few members contributing work to its collection of gifts, now represents more than 50 people throughout its neighboring communities.
Prices for gifts offered at the Town Hall Gift Shop sale start at around $5 and work their way up, Kodadek said. The money goes to the artists who created them and any remaining profits go toward supporting the Town Hall and its programs.
The Flushing Council on Culture & the Arts is continually looking for new artists to include their work in the gift shop’s sale. For information about submitting work, visit Flushing Town Hall’s web site at www.flushingtownhall.org.
