Holiday Art Walk this Saturday

Live flameworking demonstrations will be held at Galleria di Vetro - Kyle Carni pictured.

Ho! Ho! Ho! The Christmas Art Walk and Wine Walk on Flagler Avenue, New Smyrna Beach, will be held Saturday, Dec. 17. It is the perfect place to take a relaxing stroll and do some last minute holiday shopping. This special holiday Art Walk will be held from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., with the Wine Walk from 1-7 p.m. There will be something for everyone, including art works on display in galleries, as well as by visiting artists set up under canopies on the avenue.
The popular monthly event features painting, jewelry, ceramics, decorative art, sculpture, fabric arts, pottery and more. DJ Dennis will be playing everyone’s favorite holiday music at the gazebo at Flagler and Pine, and live glassworking demonstrations will be presented at Galleria di Vetro throughout the day.
Wine tasting passports can be purchased for $20 at the tent at the NE corner of Flagler Avenue and Cooper Street or at Ta Da Gallery, 113 Flagler Ave. The passport will include 20 tasting tickets and a keepsake wine glass. Some locations feature both one-ticket and multi-ticket wines to sample. It is a great way to extend you knowledge of wines and try something new and different.
A “Wine Tasting” flyer will list host locations in geographic order between the river and the ocean and what wines are featured. For those who want to share their 20 tasting tickets with a friend, an additional wine glass will be available for $10.

Wine Walk tickets are available at the tent at Ta Da Gallery, 113 Flagler Avenue, NSB.

From the river heading east to the ocean, the locations are: 100 block, Ta Da Gallery, Heavenly Sandwiches & Smoothies; 300 block, Clancy’s Cantina, That’s Amore, Gyftz, Manzano Fine Foods, Galleria di Vetro, Trader’s Beach Club, Om Bar & Chill Lounge; 400 block, Flagler Tavern, Peanut’s Restaurant Sport’s Bar; and around the corner on Buenos Aires at Toni & Joe’s.
The special “punch card” prize drawing is presented by the Gallery Group of Flagler Avenue. The Wine Tasting flyer includes the Art Walk prize drawing punch card, so pick one up and get it punched at each of the four sponsoring galleries for a chance to win this month’s prize, a keepsake box by Lunacy Designs, Mary Mundy artist, donated by Ta Da Gallery, 113 Flagler Ave.
Other sponsoring galleries are Jewelry of Joy Gallery and Studio, 301 Flagler Ave., Galleria di Vetro Studio and Glass Gallery, 310 Flagler; and Palms Up Pottery, 413 Flagler Avenue.
Come for the art, enjoy tasting some new and interesting wines, savor the holiday atmosphere and stay for a fabulous beachside sunset. For more information about Art Walk, call 386-428-1770, or visit www.flaglergallerygroup.com.

Light Up Flager shines

IMAGES Tour of Homes provides peek into seven homes

The boutique was a popular stop on the IMAGES Tour of Homes Dec. 3, with a line at the pay station. CLICK ON ANY PHOTO AND IT WILL OPEN LARGER IN A NEW WINDOW.

The IMAGES Tour of Homes provided ticket holders entry into seven unique and interesting homes decorated by area florists and the homeowners Dec. 3. Hundreds of tickets were sold to those who were curious about the interior of the homes and who wanted to see the latest ideas in holiday decorating.
Homes on this year’s tour included two on beachside — the renovated “Honey House,” on Saxon Drive, owned and decorated by Jeff and Paige Gehris and the charming beach house on Villa Way, owned by Apryl McEligot and decorated by New Smyrna Beach Florist; two near downtown — the historic 1900s renovated two-story home on South Riverside Drive of Anthony and Eveline Kraljic, decorated by Simply Flowers, Roses and More of New Smyrna Beach and the historic 1920 home on Faulkner Avenue of Susan Ward, decorated by Another Secret Garden of Edgewater; two homes in Sugar Mill Country Club — the thoroughly modern and artistic home of Gwen Hughes located on a lake and decorated by Lindley’s Nursery and Garden Center of New Smyrna Beach and the elegant modern home of Dale and Heather Williams, decorated by Pink Flamingo at Petals of New Smyrna Beach; and the Venetian Bay home of Dave LeBlanc and Bill Peterson, decorated with its owners’ substantial collection of Christmas items and “themed” trees.

Monique Fischer of Port Orange (left) and friend shop at the boutique.

Elise Laubach admires an angel created by Cathy Berse and Teresa Bowen at the boutique.

The IMAGES Boutique,held at Atlantic Center for the Arts, was a very popular stop on the tour. Holiday ornaments, hand-made purses and baskets, jewelry, shell angels, decorated aprons, paper lamp shades, and other unique and lovely items created by ACA League members were quickly snapped up. The boutique also featured a silent auction, and offered an elegant array of refreshments to ticket holders.

Homeowner Anthony Kraljic answered tour-goers' questions about the history and renovation of his 1900s home on Riverside Drive.

Homeowner Susan Ward (in white) invited tour-goers to have a "cookie and cider" after they toured her 1920s Faulkner Street home.

ACA staff and IMAGES volunteers would like to thank the seven homeowners for their graciousness in opening their homes for the tour. They would also like to thank the participating florists and businesses that support the Tour of Home; and ticket holders for supporting this year’s tour and making it such a big success.
The tour is the main fundraiser for IMAGES: A Festival of the Arts, which will be held in Riverside Park and downtown New Smyrna Beach Jan. 28 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Jan. 29 from 10 a.m-5 p.m. For more information, to volunteer, or become an IMAGES patron, phone the IMAGES office at 386-423-4733, or visit its website, www.imagesartfestival.org.

Each room in Apryl McEligot's home had a distinctive holiday touch. It was decorated inside and out by New Smyrna Beach Florist. All photos by Sandi Carroll.