BECCA MARTIN-BROWN
bmartin@nwadg.com
Not all artists enjoy selling their work. Juli Odum happens to be one who does.
“I LOVE the sales process,” she enthuses. “Shows are a lot of work, but finding out about other people is probably why I was put on earth. Now that I have sold Urban Jungle [her interior landscape company], I will be doing more shows.”
It’s not so surprising when Odum recounts how she came to love jewelry, which is her medium of choice. Growing up in Pakistan, Jordan and Switzerland, she often accompanied her mother on shopping excursions to souks and bazaars. “She was quite a bargainer,” Odum remembers.
“I’ve made many trips to the largest jewelry show in the world in Tucson and am always looking for interesting natural objects — acorns, rocks, leaves — and old stuff in flea markets,” she says of her work now. “I feel comfortable and happy working with metals — bending, soldering, winding, etc. — making lightweight, fun earrings, combining smooth and rough, shiny and dull, sparkly and flat.”
Odum says she makes a lot of jewelry, so she likes to show her work where it will sell. One of her favorite venues is the Holiday Art Sale, now in its 19th year. Originally housed at the GoodFolk House on Block Avenue in Fayetteville, the show was the brainchild of photographer Don House, who reportedly “had the holiday blues” back in 2001.
“To shake them off and create a sense of community for himself, he hosted an open house at his studio in Elkins, inviting a handful of friends to display their work. The group had so much fun that they repeated the show the following year. A tradition was born,” says the Holiday Art Sale history. “With the show’s success came more artists and a move to a larger venue at the Fayetteville home of Mike Shirkey’s GoodFolk Productions. Taking a cue from its street address, the group eventually began calling itself the Block Street Art Sale.”
When changes at the GoodFolk House called for a relocation in 2013, the Holiday Art Sale moved a couple of times before finally landing at the “elegant Studio 545 beside the Razorback Greenway Trail, a block below the Fayetteville library,” Odum explains.
“Participants and shoppers both say it just keeps getting better and better every year,” she adds. “Eighteen years have made the Holiday Art Show a firm tradition, and the 19th is looking great.”
Among artists joining Odum this year will be:
Bill Correll — Watercolor and acrylic paintings celebrating the human figure, nature and the built environment in both impressionist and expressionist compositions.
Gerald Lee Delavan — Mixed-media mobiles and metal sculptures of found and created components, incorporating metal, semi-precious stones, beads, crystals and wood. Each mobile has an organic feel and is designed to create movement.
Alice McKee — Handmade baby boots, jewelry, fiber arts, unique felt pincushions and dog beds.
Marietta Camillieri — Hand-painted and marbleized silk scarves, hand-woven baby blankets, throws, scarves, table runners and shawls.
Robin Devine — Encaustic photographs of the natural world that are altered through the layering of a beeswax and oil stick pigment.
Gailen Hudson — Various clay techniques create a fluid interpretation of forms inspired by animals and sophisticated representation of Asian art.
Michelle Berg-Vogel — Unique hand-bound journals made with unusual papers and traditional bindings, as well as one-of-a-kind small photo albums and cards.
Victoria McKinney — Award-winning contemporary pottery and paintings with designs inspired by artwork found on artifacts from the pre-Columbian Native American culture of the Mound Builders.
Fay Alter — Purses fashioned from 1940s and ‘50-era boldly colored bark cloth and contemporary art fabric with vintage buttons as closures.
Kim Seaberg — Fused glass inspired by nature and animals, realized in whimsical multi-layered panels, either combined with stained glass, wall mounted or held in stands for table-top or bookshelf display.
Nodie Williams — Watercolors, pastels and drawings in both abstract and representational forms. Her lifelong involvement with horses, cats, dogs and wildlife has resulted in award-winning art. In addition, small wire sculptures will be available.
“The Holiday Art Sale is a favorite because I sell a lot, many, many friends show up, the artists are totally fun to be around, and it’s packed,” Odum concludes. Her favorite part? “When someone picks up one of my least favorite pieces and says, ‘I love this one! It’s MINE!’”
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FAQ
Holiday Art Sale
WHEN — 5:30-9 p.m. Dec. 6; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 7; noon-4 p.m. Dec. 8
WHERE — 545 W. Center St. in Fayetteville
COST — Admission is free
INFO — Email juliodum@icloud.com
