If you're reading this at home then perhaps you should consider that the Country Craft Fair takes place this weekend. For more than 30 years, the event has heralded in the holiday shopping season with diverse vendors and a packed foyer at St. Albert Place.
The annual sale features more than 75 artisans and crafters from around St. Albert and the metropolitan Edmonton region with incredible food products, home décor, jewelry, wood, glass and Christmas crafts, plus some fantastic local decorative and functional art pieces among the handmade wares courtesy of members of the St. Albert Place Visual Arts Council.
"This annual holiday tradition is an exciting event for our visual arts community," said co-ordinator Donna Hillier. "Our event showcases the talents of local artists and craftsmen and is the perfect way to usher in the Christmas season. Join us and come down and meet the makers and find that unique gift. Nothing says 'I love you' more than buying handmade."
It's also a juried event sponsored by SAPVAC whose member guilds include the St. Albert Painters' Guild, St. Albert Potters' Guild, St. Albert Quilters' Guild, the Paper Arts Guild and the St. Albert Floral Arts Society.
Show hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow. Admission is always free.
Annual youth peace art
The St. Albert Host Lions Club brought together a group of students all aged between 11 and 13 for Lions International's 29th annual Peace Poster Contest. This is the 25th year that it has taken place in this city. Each of the students created a work of art using the theme 'A Celebration of Peace.' The art contest encourages millions of children in nearly 100 countries to visually express their ideas of peace.
Claude Carignan, chairman of the local campaign, explained that it's important to the Lions Club to not only support youths but to help make the world better too.
"Youths are our future. Some of their comments were very revealing and very uplifting. I found them very positive in their message talking about peace and how they view peace, and interpret what peace is to them. It starts at home and in your community with everybody treating each other with respect and everybody not having hatred in their hearts. That was a big focus that the students had."
Posters are judged locally with the winners moving up through broader and broader area levels. Judges at the international level end by selecting one grand prize winner, who receives a cash prize of $5,000 (U.S. dollars) plus a trip to a special award ceremony. There are also 23 merit award winners chosen, each receiving $500 (U.S.) and a certificate of achievement.
