Happy Holidays! We hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving.
We hope everyone enjoyed our first Shopping in the Hills event. We had two art and craft fairs and three new solo shows at the wineries over the weekend. Thanks to all the participants and guests! Please click here to view pictures from the shows and visit HeartlandArts.Net to leave your own pictures and comments.

Coming up December 12, 6-9pm: Holiday Open House and Artist Social at Art Lovers Trading Company in Carbondale. Join in as local artists sell their work directly to the public. Negotiate the price on site. Bargain, barter, and buy the perfect gift of art for the holidays. For more information contact Sue Mills: 618 351 9444, or check on Art Lovers Online.

HeartlandArts.Net will also be wrapping up its fundraiser on December 12 at Art Lovers. Please stay tuned to HeartlandArts.Net for more information!

Other Art Events coming up in the area:

For Kids' Sake Art Show and Silent Auction
View the flyer online here.

You are invited to the Ninth Annual "For Kids' Sake" Art Show and Silent Auction at the Longbranch Coffeehouse this Saturday, December 6, from 4-6pm. This inspiring fundraising reception supports schools and orphanages in Bangladesh.

Currently on display and available for silent auction are 300 pieces of artwork from local children, Bengali children, and artists from around the world, as well as creative gift baskets. The baskets contain donations totaling $4,000 in goods and services from 60 local vendors. The bidding will close at the end of the reception at 6pm.

The reception will be fun-filled with delicious refreshments and live entertainment by local children. A special performance will be offered by local musician Chris Mathien. Art, gifts, food, music and the opportunity to support the future of Bengali children makes the reception an event not to be missed! For more information, please contact Shema Jamaluddin at (618)559-0489 or shemadie@hotmail.com.

Opening reception for Mary Jane Estrada
Hair Brains in Carbondale, following the Parade of Lights on Saturday, December 6

30th Annual Holiday Craft Sale, December 4-6
SIU Student Center
More details here.

Art Over Easy
Fundraiser for School of Art and Design at SIU
December 5, 7pm at the Surplus Gallery in the Glove Factory

"Concrete Visions" - Exhibit
Sculptural works for indoors or outdoors by Dan Johnson
December 5, 2008 – January 31, 2009
The Gallery Space, Law Office of Joni Beth Bailey
1008 Walnut St., Murphysboro, IL

Cape Girardeau, Art Around Town, every First Friday, 5-9pm
More information online here.

Join in, enjoy and spread the cheer! You can always find information about local art happenings on HeartlandArts.Net.

First pictures are out, view them here!

Thank you to all the artists who participated and guests who visited! We had a great weekend, nice weather and a very good turnout for the event. Please send your comments and pictures! heartlandartsnet@gmail.com

Blue Sky Vineyard, inside the Pavillion building, Makanda: Jewelry and wearable art themed art and craft fair. All presenters will be on hand unless otherwise noted. 12-5pm, Friday November 28, Saturday November 29.
Margie Parr - Jewelry
Jane Plain – Jewelry
Barb Naas – Jewelry
Thomas Horn – Jewelry
Paul Sanders - Pendants and cut stone
Andrea LeBeau – Painted clothing
Jill Kettler – Hand-woven scarves (Jill will not be present but her scarves will be at Andrea’s table)
Stephanie Richardson – Pet Collars, Etc.
Shema Jamaluddin – all proceeds to For Kids' Sake charity – shawls and scarves, jewelry

Von Jakob Orchard and Vineyard, in the Banquet Room: Home décor themed art and craft fair. All presenters will be on hand. 12-5pm, Friday November 28, Saturday November 29.
Leann Gehm – Rugs and table runners
Janet Althoff – Decorative lightswitch plates
Kathleen Shaffner – Paintings
Ruth Dougherty, John Lipe – Soaps and lotions, wooden wine accents
Rob Lorenz – Pottery
Cleta Shirley – Photography
Mary Jane Estrada - Photography

Christmas Crafts at the Red Ear - Alto Pass, 12-5pm, Friday and Saturday

New Solo Shows:
Owl Creek Vineyard – Paintings by George Ions
Inheritance Valley Vineyard – Photography by Michael Seltzer
Rustle Hill Winery – Paintings by Rachel Christine Nowicki

Continuing Shows:
Orlandini Vineyars – Paintings by Biki Chaplain
Starview Vineyards – Digital photography by Jurhee Veach, mosaics by Janet Althoff and copper and fused-glass sculpture by Thomas Horn
Pomona Winery – Vessels, wine accents, candle holders and pens by woodturner Tim Francis, and wine racks, candelabras, candle holders, and vase by blacksmith Roberta Elliot

Also, don’t miss the unique gift shops at Alto Vineyards and Hedman Vineyards!

Carbondale, IL, November 18, 2008 - Lots of people love to go shopping the weekend after Thanksgiving. With the upsetting economic news we’re hearing about every day, HeartlandArts.Net want to give people a relaxing shopping experience. “Shopping in the Hills” is taking place Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving, some of the biggest shopping days of the year. Two themed art and craft fairs will take place at two different wineries in the Shawnee Hills, and smaller solo art shows will be up at a number of other wineries. Amy McMorrow, partner in HeartlandArts.Net, said, “At ‘Shopping in the Hills,’ everyone can de-stress and enjoy gorgeous scenery, art, wine and the company of friends, while feeling good about supporting local artists and businesses. It can be more about the experience and give those wanting it a welcome escape from the commercial mayhem of the holiday season.”

Plus, says McMorrow, people will be able to find unique gifts that are not available in the malls. Some of the items to be offered include one-of-a-kind wall hangings, hand-carved wooden wine accents, and hand-embroidered scarves. Andrea LeBeau, a painter who will be selling “wearable paintings,” added, "This is a great idea and opportunity for both artists and buyers to get to know each other through local, hand-made products. It’s about bringing people back to the quality and special feel of the unique style and taste of original artists from this region." The wineries themselves will also be offering gift baskets for sale and free entertainment and hors d'œuvres as part of the “All Winery - Open House” event the same weekend.

As part of the HeartlandArts.Net holiday events, several items donated by artists will be auctioned off to benefit the Good Samaritan House Ministries of Carbondale. They provide an emergency shelter, a transitional housing program, a soup kitchen, a food pantry, and an emergency assistance program to the needy in the community. The “silent” auctions will be launched and on display during the “Shopping in the Hills” event, and concluded at the December 12 “Holiday Art Social” to take place at Art Lovers Trading Company in Carbondale.

“Shopping in the Hills” will take place in southern Illinois on Friday, November 28 and Saturday, November 29, from 12-5pm both days. A jewelry and wearable art-themed fair will take place at Blue Sky Vineyards Pavilion in Makanda. A home décor-themed fair will take place at Von Jakob Orchard and Vineyard, on route 127. Art shows will be on display at Owl Creek Vineyard, Rustle Hill Winery, and other locations to be announced. Stay tuned to www.HeartlandArts.Net or call Amy McMorrow at (618) 713-2896 for the latest updates and information.

Get ready for "Shopping in the Hills" Friday, November 28 and Saturday, November 29, 12-5pm both days. Holiday shoppers will finally have a very cool alternative to the hectic mall shopping scene.

As part of our "Shopping in the Hills" event, we're setting up two art and craft fairs at wineries on the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, and we are planning to set up additional art shows at other spots in the Shawnee Hills region. One art and craft fair will take place at the pavillion at Blue Sky Vineyard, with a "jewelry and wearable art" theme. The other art and craft fair will take place at Von Jakob Orchard and Vineyards with a "home decor" theme. Other art stops will be announced as soon as possible.

By "Shopping in the Hills," you can find unique handmade gifts for the holidays, support local vendors, and enjoy a glass of fine wine all at the same time! Stay tuned to HeartlandArts.Net for more information.

Over the weekend of October 10-12, HeartlandArts.Net helped to organize several local art events. On Friday, October 10, we co-hosted the first "Art Around the Square" event in Carbondale along with the Historic Town Square Business Coalition. There was an excellent turnout, with couples and groups of friends starting out with dinner at the local restaurants and then strolling around the square to view and purchase the art on display at local businesses. At Art Lovers Trading Company, one couple showed their enjoyment by dancing around the gallery. Elaine Ramseyer, General Manager of Longbranch Coffeehouse, said, "It was great for building the community, and it was so much fun seeing all the people out on the street." A variety of excellent artists were featured at the event, including emerging artists Rachel Christine Nowicki and Andrea LeBeau. The second Art Around the Square event is planned for December 12 in Carbondale

The "Colorfest Art Trail" took place at some of the wineries and other venues along the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail October 11-12. The wineries were packed on Saturday and comfortably crowded on Sunday, with musical acts playing at nearly every stop along the trail. Winery owners, including John Patrick Russell at Rustle Hill Winery and event coordinator Lisa Pye at Von Jakob Orchard and Vineyard, confirmed that many patrons had been drawn by the art on special display over the weekend. An exhibit by Biki Chaplain is still on display at Orlandini Vineyards until the end of the year, as well as photography by Cleta Jo Shirley at Inheritance Valley Vineyards until the end of October. HeartlandArts.Net is working towards getting more art installed at wineries, lodging and other businesses along the wine trail and beyond. Stay tuned for more information about shows in the planning stages for the upcoming Shawnee Hills Wine Trail Open House event the weekend of November 28-30.

In case you haven't seen the pictures yet, click here!