Buffalo Spree Magazine

Home for the holidays

Skip the malls and toss the catalogues, come to the Elmwood Village for a seasonal shopping treat you'll never forget

By Anna Geronimo Hausmann

Annie Adams in her home with some
of her jewelry.
Photo by Jim Bush.

Nothing says the holidays like hot, mulled cider, sparkling white lights, tinsel and ribbon, luxurious textures of silks and velvet, elegant, sparkling gems set in rich silver and gold. No doubt about it, if you’re looking for Christmas, it’s at Annie Adams’ house.

Adams hosts an annual holiday sale, opening her home to customers and visitors, old friends and new, to sell the art, crafts, and holiday wares that she and her friends have labored on all year. With the help of family and friends, she transforms her Civil War era Lexington Avenue home into a holiday wonderland, an inviting setting for intimate holiday shopping with a personal touch. Though the artisans involved have changed over the years, and Adams’ own artwork has evolved, moving from pottery to fine, handmade jewelry, what hasn’t changed is the sense of enchantment that pervades her living room, the joy of customers upon finding a unique item, and their relief at having a relaxing, meaningful holiday shopping experience.

Adams’ sale is one of several being held in the Elmwood village this holiday season, some of them in conjunction with the Elmwood Gallery District “Holiday Open Studio Walk” (see sidebar for a description of this event), and some independent artists collaborating to showcase their talents and provide a welcome alternative to mall shopping at the holidays.

These sales have grown in number and volume in the six years since Adams began what is now a holiday tradition, and the cross-pollination between galleries and artisans is entirely intentional—these craftspeople share a community of support and collaboration that is mutually beneficial and creatively inspirational. All partake of a guild-like fellowship (or sisterhood, since a majority of the artisans are women), a kind of cottage-industry connection that is part network, part support group, part workshop.

Catherine Linder Spencer, a participant and
organizer of the Holiday Open Studio,
with some of her wares.
Photo by Jim Bush.

Clare Poth is an artist who along with her business partner, Elisabeth Samuels, owns and runs the Bryant Street Studio and is one of the organizers of the Holiday Open Studio. Poth and Samuels have been holding sales for several years, first in Samuels’ home and at then at their studio. Both women feel the proliferation of the sales and the addition last year of a formally organized Open Studio enhances the already thriving artistic community. Poth notes, “There’s no sense of competition; in fact, one of the intentions of our sale was the idea that collectively we could make more of a presence than each of us on our own. Plus, it’s an amazing feeling getting all the creative energy together, all the artists working together, sharing information, helping each other.”

A cozy holiday wonderland
It has taken Annie Adams several years to discover her calling. Although she had gone to art school for pottery, afterwards she spent eight years in retail and then took time off for motherhood. When she returned to her pottery, essentially as a hobby, she operated out of a studio at Buffalo Clay Arts. But it was just recently, when she began jewelry-making, that her art really took off. “I discovered a process of making jewelry out of precious metal clay, a revolutionary material developed by Mitsubishi in which tiny particles of pure silver or gold are suspended in an organic binder to create a material that can be worked like modeling clay.”

Adams works the clay, embosses it with designs, and when it’s fired in the kiln it burns off the binder and fuses the metal. The result is a gorgeous design embossed in pure silver or gold which Adams then strings alone or with semi-precious stones, such as rose quartz, blue onyx, turquoise, and coral, into necklaces, pendants, or chokers.

The result is stunning and the reaction of her customers has been very positive. Adams participated in her first show, the Elmwood Street Festival, this past summer and won a Merit Award at Rochester’s Clothesline Festival in September. “People have been so enthusiastic,” she says. “I’m amazed at women’s reaction to jewelry; it’s so personal, like an extension of themselves. When they put on the pendants or necklaces, they are transformed. It’s something about the weight of the stones, the colors that complement their eyes or skin or hair. I get such satisfaction seeing people so excited to find a piece they love.”

Annie Adams holding a necklace.
Photo by Jim Bush.

Adams began thinking about a home sale while at home with her first child. “Actually, I got the idea from my mother-in-law, who had always had a holiday sale in her home.” At that time, Adams had just met some new friends who were also artists and who made gifts for friends and family. “At that point, it wasn’t a business, more like a creative outlet for us while our kids were small.”

Adams takes great pains to create a festive and cozy atmosphere for her sale. She clears all her furniture out of her living room and transforms it into a holiday wonderland worthy of a Macy’s window. She festoons the room with holiday decorations, provides hot mulled cider and Christmas cookies for shoppers, plays holiday music in the background, and has on hand a supply of baskets to make shopping easier. It helps that she has a charming brick farmhouse in the heart of the Elmwood district. “I decorate the outside of the house with garland and lights and with the snow it’s just enchanting; I’m sure some people are just curious to see the house.”

That first year, Adams made holiday ornaments and stockings, “crafty stuff that I had at home,” while Amy McCarthy sold handmade silk jewelry rolls and handbags. This year, Adams will primarily be selling her jewelry along with some pottery, her cellophane wrapped mugs filled with goodies, “teacher gifts,” as she calls them, and McCarthy will be selling wrapped gift baskets of gourmet specialty foods. Adams’ sale will run Friday evening, November 22 through Sunday, November 24, as well as during the Open Studio Walk, December 6-8.

“I loved it so much I kept it for myself!”
Seeing the house, meeting the artist—it’s all about making beautiful and unique products a part of peoples’ lives and about recreating a sense of meaning behind holiday giving. Paul Morgan is another artist hosting a holiday sale in his studio. Like Adams, Morgan combines an art school background with retail experience. A native New Yorker, Morgan studied photography at New York’s School for Visual Arts and then worked in fashion retail.

Artisan Paul Morgan.
Photo by Jim Bush.

It was while running his own boutique in New York, specializing in vintage silk kimonos, that Morgan became inspired by the possibilities of the fabric. “I started working with beautiful designer samples, just gorgeous pieces of fabric, but they were small. I figured the only thing I could make out of them was scarves. I started in 1987 and now I have a line of one hundred different patterns of men’s and women’s scarves in silk and men’s, women’s, and children’s scarves in fleece.”

Morgan also produces custom-made home furnishings in his studio, including slip covers and window treatments.

But it’s the scarves that carry his holiday sales, which he has been hosting since 1997. “In a way,” he says, “my whole business is built around Christmas. The scarves make such a great gift, they are functional and seasonal, and yet they have the feel of a luxury.” Morgan notes that he gets a lot of repeat business at his sales. “People will come in and say, ‘My mother just loved the one I gave her last year,’ or ‘Oh, I loved it so much I just kept it for myself!’ The feedback really is incredible.” Morgan designs new items based on the ideas and feedback he gets from customers.

Alongside his scarves at Morgan’s sale this year will be artist Gretchan Grobe’ creations. Grobe—by day the retail manager of the gift shop at the Albright Knox Art Gallery—does hand painting on everyday items such as glasses, plates, and bowls. Her painting, flowers and designs on the outside of the items, creates a kind of reverse painting that floats up at the person drinking or eating. “It’s a whimsical item,” Grobe explains. “I see it as bringing beauty into an unexpected and mundane space; it’s different and fun.”

Grobe, who has been participating in home holiday sales for four years, agrees that the home sale environment provides an entirely different vibe from the regular retail experience. “It’s intimate, there’s wine and cheese; it’s a party, but there’s stuff there to buy if they want. It’s a very relaxed and enjoyable way to do your holiday shopping and a chance to buy a reasonably priced, unique item.”

Morgan’s sale will be held at his studio at 767 Main Street, between Tupper and Edward, December 4-8.

The Bryant Street Studio Bazaar
Clare Poth agrees that this mix of creativity and connection is the nexus of the home sale concept. “It’s part of the experience we’re trying to create,” says Poth. “It’s about creating a bond with people, so people see that art isn’t confined to galleries, that you should live with it every day of your life.”

Poth and Elisabeth Samuels have been holding their sale for four years, the first year at Samuels’ home and then at their studio. Poth points out that the customers at her sale are thrilled to bypass the mall: “There’s just this overwhelming feeling of happiness. No one looks like they have to be there, just working through their list. Everyone’s laughing and jostling, we have wine and cheese; it’s very convivial and joyous, as the holidays should be.” Poth also notes that her customers appreciate being able to interact with the artists. “It’s a chance to meet the artists, to have things custom made, to know the background behind what you’re buying. People are searching for unique gifts and they also love being able to support local artists.”

Aromatherapist Joann Tomasulo, one of the artists participating in the Bryant Street Studio sale, agrees. “People are driving more and more toward having meaning behind their holiday gifts, so they come to home sales looking for a fun and meaningful way to do their shopping.” Tomasulo notes that her products are a good fit for the home sale concept. “People love to give aromatherapy because it’s such a consumable gift. You can buy a beautiful little bottle of something that people might not buy for themselves. It’s practical, but also luxurious; it’s like giving a gift of relaxation or pampering.”

Another artist participating in the Bryant Street Studio sale is Juliet Carter, who makes a variety of art objects as well as velvet and fleece items, has participated in sales in the last several years, as well as hosting her own last year. “It’s such a fun time to celebrate the season,” says Carter. “We don’t have people over as often as I’d like, so the sale is really like a holiday party—a chance to see loads of people and visit. It’s a very festive atmosphere.”

The Bryant Street Studio sale will feature numerous artists selling a wide assortment of handmade items, from silk-screen scarves and purses to weaving and felt hats, collages, small paintings, notecards, handmade books, jewelry, clocks, and aromatherapy. Some of the students who take classes at the studio, children from first to eleventh grade, will also be selling their work. And Poth will also be selling her “Art to Go” kits, which are pre-assembled bags for children with all the supplies for making weaving, felting, and finger puppet projects.

Step off the holiday treadmill
Artists who are drawn to the home holiday sales have an appreciation for the connection they can build with other artists through the sales. Tomasulo likes the holiday sales because they allow her to show new products to her clients while at the same time allowing her to work with other artisans. “I love the home sales because there’s such a nice variety of items and I get to meet and hang out with other artists. It’s great to get a chance to talk about the business end of things; it’s a good networking session as well as the opportunity to be inspired by their art.”

Clare Poth admits that marketing is not always the strong suit of artists. “We tend to just sit behind our booths saying ‘hi, thanks for coming,’” she says. “While we’re great at talking about our products and materials, we’re not always comfortable with the retail end of things, the business aspect of it.” The collaboration of the joint holiday sales provides an opportunity for artists to share ideas and gain feedback about products, presentation, and marketing. Says Tomasulo, “it is isolating to run a business on your own, so the support I get from getting together with others doing the same thing is very important.”

Several of the artists holding sales sell their products in local retail stores during the year—including Annie Adams, whose jewelry can be found at Wild Things on Lexington Avenue; Paul Morgan whose scarves are also carried at Wild Things as well as at Positively Main Street and at Alexandria’s in the Walker Center; and Gretchan Grobe whose painted glass is sold at the craft store in the Junior League shop on Elmwood. Tomasulo, whose products are carried in Quill’s Apothecary on Elmwood, sees the holiday sales as an enhancement of her retail business. “People who just buy my products through the retail environment don’t get the chance to meet me and talk about the product. The holiday sale is a great way for me to invite my clients and they can see what I’m up to, what special things I’ve blended for the holidays, and new products I’m working on.”

Holiday home sales provide relief for the catalogue-weary consumer and for those sick of the soul-devouring crush of the malls. Home sales hearken back to a time when people knew their vendors, when custom-made was the rule, not the exception, and when every item was unique. Home sales allow shoppers to step off the holiday treadmill and savor the meaning of gift-giving, as well as some hot cider and snacks. They allow us to fill their hearts and expand their spirits, even as they empty their wallets. So come down to the Elmwood Gallery District, where you’ll find the spirit of Christmas around every corner.

Anna Geronimo Hausmann is a teacher and writer living in Buffalo.

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