A favourite local event will be back this fall just in time for Christmas shopping. The Gifted Winter Art Sale will be happening at the Credit Union Spark Centre on November 16th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
But first, it's time for vendors to sign up to take part. Applications have opened up for the unique event.
Natasha Hill, Co-Chair with the Weyburn Arts Council, said the application deadline is September 29th, with acceptance letters going out on or before October 11th.
"It's a curated event, so applications are juried, so that we can ensure that we have a good selection of high-quality products for Winter Gifted, because we do have limited space, whereas with Summer Gifted, we have a lot more flexibility because we have been entire [Jubilee] Park."
The Gifted sale features locally handmade original goods not often found at any other trade show.
"Gifted is all handmade, and we require people to have made the items themselves," noted Hill. "There are lots of trade shows available for home-based retail, as opposed to artists, and that's why we actually started Gifted. We were seeing that there wasn't a large amount of opportunities available for artists to display with other artists."
"We also keep our registrations low because we want to support artists as best we can," she added.
The registration fee for Gifted is $50. Find the application HERE.
"It's not about 'professional artists'. We support all artists. We've had bath and body products and candles and pottery and crochet. It's just basically where your imagination can take you. I think we have two authors that have already applied for Gifted."
Hill pointed out that some makers don't consider themselves artists. However, anyone who makes an original thing is considered an artist.
"We're so hard on ourselves because we have this expectation of perfection, but when I look at other people's work, it's amazing. When they're like, 'oh, it's not that good' or whatever, I see it as an amazing creation of art. So as artists, we need to give ourselves that grace as well."
Hill said she encourages people to get their applications in sooner rather than later.
"It makes things much easier for us as an Arts Council, but it also will allow for us to have a better read on how many participants, we're going to have for the show."
Part of the proceeds of the registration fee goes back into the ReGifted program, a $50 micro-bursary that can be used for any type of single art class.
Hill said this can be used for a one-off art class, "as opposed to the Millie Coghill Scholarship, which we give, which requires more intensive requirements."
"We saw a need there and we want people to be able to keep taking these classes and supporting the businesses and the people that are offering them as well," she explained. "If you have $50 towards the class, that might give you a better incentive to take something, and you can apply once a year for the ReGifted bursary, and it's easy, it requires an e-mail to our Council e-mail and just some information about what you want to take. And then in order to get payment, we just need proof of registration."
Applications can be found HERE.