Richmond Art Center's Annual Holiday Arts Festival

The Richmond Art Center (RAC) will hold its annual Holiday Arts Festival on Sunday, December 2nd from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Admission is free. First held in 1961, the festival has become one of the Bay Area’s favorite community art events; each year, artists and artisans donate and sell their work in support of the Richmond Art Center. This year’s “Vintage Edition” will celebrate the festival’s half-century mark with a 1960s theme; 60s inspired dress is encouraged. The festival will feature art and vintage vendors, live music, cafe, a fine art and craft auction, and kids’ art activities. The Center’s popular ceramics sale also returns, with hundreds of functional and decorative pieces handmade in the center’s ceramics studio. A portion of all arts and crafts sales directly benefits the RAC and its educational programming, exhibitions and community arts initiatives.

“The Holiday Art Festival has been held for more than 50 years! Looking through our archives, the earliest mention of the event we found was from a 1961 newspaper article announcing the Center’s “Christmas Bazaar.” And that was it --we had the theme for this year’s festival; the “Holiday Arts Festival, Vintage Edition,” said Kristen Jones, Holiday Arts Festival Committee Member. “I hope you will join us at this year’s 1960s inspired celebration and fundraiser; dress up in 60's costume, sip hot chocolate, bid in the silent auction, and enjoy live music while shopping for holiday gifts from local artists and vintage vendors.”

What’s Available: Prices of art, crafts, artisan and vintage goods range from $5 to $250, including a wide variety of ceramics, jewelry, textiles, prints, ornaments, custom-made chocolates and art by artists from around the East Bay and creations by artists from the Richmond Art Center’s Studio Program. The Richmond Art Center’s Ceramic Department will offer nearly 1,000 unique pieces.

The Holiday Arts Festival Silent Auction is now open online at www.therac.org and a live preview of auction items will be held at the Richmond Art Center on November 28th, 29th and 30th from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Notable artists donating work to the auction include Wanxin Zhang, June Schwarcz, Alan Chin, and Richard Ambrose. To place a bid on an auction item, please call Kristen Jones at (510) 620-6772. Auction winners can pick up their items between 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm at the Holiday Arts Festival on December 2nd, or between 11:00 am and 4:00 pm on December 8th.

When: Sunday, December 2nd, 11:00am to 5:00pm

Where: The RAC is located at 2540 Barrett Avenue (at the corner of Barrett and 25th Street), Richmond, CA 94804, adjacent to Civic Center Plaza. Wheelchair accessible, free parking, BART accessible.

About the Richmond Art Center
The Richmond Art Center is a dynamic arts organization that empowers and transforms individuals and the community through creative exploration, experience and education. The Center has one of the best-equipped studio facilities in the greater Bay Area and was named Best of 2011 for art classes in Contra Costa County by Parents’ Press.

Founded in 1936, the RAC provides meaningful arts experiences to the diverse populations of the greater San Francisco Bay Area.

Visitor Information
For membership, class, and exhibition information please visit www.therac.org or call (510) 620-6772. Exhibition hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Exhibitions are free to the public. The RAC is located at 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804. Wheelchair accessible, free parking, BART accessible.

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