Hummingbird Branch sculpture for table or wall $75 – 10”w x 7”h at coppercolorists.com.
The 45th Annual Christmas Showcase of the Arkansas Craft Guild featuring fine handmade arts and crafts will be held Dec. 1-3, 2023 at the Arkansas State Fairgrounds Hall of Industry, 2600 Howard Street, Little Rock. Hours are Friday 10 AM – 6 PM, Saturday 9 AM – 6 PM, and Sunday 10 AM – 4 PM.
There is free gated parking and casual dining on-site. Admission is $5 per person, but mention this ad at the door and two people get in for the price of one. There’s free admission during ‘Art After Dark’ Friday, from 5-6 pm, and ‘Early Bird Shopping’ Saturday, from 9-10 AM.
Returning artists attract loyal customers every year in several categories of craft: photography, jewelry, glass, pottery, wood, sculpture, collage, fabric, rugs, candles, honey, gourmet food, and soaps.
Since 2007, metalsmiths Skip and Racheal Mathews, Copper Colorists, have returned to Christmas Showcase, becoming Guild members in 2012 when they moved to Mountain View from Missouri. Skip is known as the “Father of Flame Painting,” since in 1981 he was the first to create and develop the skills to paint with flames on copper and bring out colorful patterns.
The copper shapes become jewelry or home décor, some representational, and some abstract. Butterflies, hummingbirds, angels, or crosses could be worn as a pin or a necklace, mounted on a wall, or could be a centerpiece.
In their Copper Colorists booth, three artists are represented: Skip, Racheal, and their son-in-law Phillip Cook. Phillip began his apprenticeship 15 years ago and spent 6 years learning flame-painting.
He started Copper Colorists Legacy and works from Ozark, MO, demonstrating at Silver Dollar City. They have teamed up at Christmas Showcase and the Gatlinburg Craftsman’s Fair for several years.
This past year, Phillip joined Skip and Racheal at the Ozark Folk Center Craft Village, in Mountain View, demonstrating 2 days a week, selling alongside their gift items, which gave Skip and Racheal more time at home to create. Elijah, son of Phillip and his wife Marny, sometimes takes a turn on the torch, carrying on the legacy of this skill.
The whole family pitches in at Christmas Showcase to help set up and take down, while learning the business. “I call myself a generational artist,” Phillip says, “To take a blank sheet of copper and turn it into something that someone loves enough to take home with them is extremely rewarding. I have a love for creating and working with my hands. And I have a love for the family that supports me, every step of the way.”
Real-time coverage on Facebook/ChristmasShowcase and Instagram/arkansascraftguild will feature photos of current works of every participating vendor. Browse the history of who and what one might expect to find at this Arkansas holiday shopping tradition. Or take a photo tour at the website, arkansascraftguild.org/christmas-showcase. Year-round, the Arkansas Craft Guild cooperatively operates the Arkansas Craft Gallery where many Showcase artists sell their work. Located at 104 E. Main, Mountain View, the gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 AM – 5 PM.
