Six artists who were involved in the inaugural Polka Dot Trail studio tour are coming together once again just in time for Christmas shopping.
From now until Dec. 20, the Polka Dot Trail Christmas Market will be open at 9778 Willow St. in Chemainus Tuesday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday from noon to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Artists will be on-site Fridays and Saturdays.
The featured artists include Peggy Grigor (pottery), Cim MacDonald (photography and paintings), Linda Westrom (hand-blown glass), Mary Ann Gerwing (paintings), Art and Daphne Carlyle (digital art and art cards) and B.C. Westrom (encaustic art).
“It’s a nice little mix,” said Grigor. “They’re all Chemainus Valley artists.”
The Polka Dot Trail Christmas Market opened as a chance for residents and visitors alike to support local artists and give their loved ones gifts made right here in the Chemainus Valley.
“We started the Polka Dot Trail in October, and the concept was to develop that fun polka dot brand,” said Grigor. “Our plan is to do fun events whenever we can.”
Grigor had a window display at the empty storefront at 9778 Willow St. all summer, and she started wondering if she might be able to get enough artists involved to make a pop-up market.
The interest was there, and the Polka Dot Trail Christmas Market was born.
“Anthem Properties has been wonderful about encouraging us to do this,” she said.
Grigor thinks the Polka Dot Trail Christmas Market is a great opportunity to spread the word about all the art that is available in the Chemainus Valley.
“The whole thing is people will buy local art if they know how to find it,” she said.
To learn more about the market and the participating artists, visit www.polkadottrail.com.