With an interest in art, Placitas, and community, stained-glass artists Barb Belknap, owner of Placitas Winery, stopped by Placitas Elementary School in December to deliver $1,000 earmarked for children’s art and music supplies. It’s money raised by Placitas Winery’s raffle during the third annual Placitas Holiday Market; the winery is one of seven stops in the community-wide market.
The donation of $1,000 will be channeled through the school’s parent-teacher organization, Belknap said.
During the Market, the winery’s 28 artisan vendors working in paint, glass, fabric, photography, chocolate and other media each contributed an item covering a range of prices to the raffle table.
Keeping with the tradition of an earlier annual fine arts and crafts event, the Market was held on the weekend before Thanksgiving.
The short story behind the Placitas Holiday Market is the Belknaps in 2021 joining with Placitas Community Library for a benefit holiday event at the winery. At the time, the library couldn’t hold its own show and sale as an expansion project was just winding down.
That event took its lead from the 37-year November tradition of the Placitas Holiday Fine Arts and Crafts Sale, a juried show that drew large crowds. Now the Placitas Holiday Market event has expanded to include seven stops in Placitas, each with their own separate holiday sale to benefit a nonprofit or charity of their choice.
“It’s rewarding to make art a part of life,” Belknap said. “And even better when you can help others with it.”
1000 dollars will go a long way at Placitas Elementary. What a great show of support within a small community. Artists supporting art for youth is a very wonderful thing in our world.