The Art of Gifting

Downtown Fallbrook offers unique gifts made by artisans

Sandra Shrader Special to the Village News

If you are the kind of gift-giver who enjoys looking for a unique gift sure to please those on your holiday shopping list, plan on visiting Fallbrook’s downtown mix of art galleries, jewelry shops, and local museum gift shops in the heart of the village.

For those people you know are art lovers, the Fallbrook Art Center’s 'Art of the Holiday' show offers a splendid variety of custom-made jewelry, hand-painted silk scarves, glassware, wood craft, ceramics, and many other items created by participating artists. The show, located at 103 South Main Ave. is free to the public and will be open daily Friday, Nov. 27 through Thursday, Dec. 24.

"We have been doing the Art of the Holiday show for the past 12 years,” said Mary Perhacs, executive director of the Fallbrook Art Center, which also has a year-round gift shop and galleries to showcase art exhibits throughout the year. "It’s very popular because nothing is mass-produced. All the pieces are lovely and one-of-a-kind, even our hand-printed greeting cards."

Perhacs added that the items in the show, ranging in cost from $5 to $50, won’t make a big dent in holiday budgets either.

"Whether we are talking about hand-created Christmas tree ornaments or wooden wine bottle stoppers, or sets of art print magnets, they are all custom-made, but they are also very affordable," she said. "The artists get to sell their art, and the customers can find the most unique gifts for their families and friends – gifts that they won’t find anywhere else."

Just a short walk across the street from the art center, one can find more fine art at affordable prices at Brandon Gallery, 105

North Main Ave. Along with its everyday exhibits, the gallery, a nonprofit cooperative that has been representing artists for nearly 40 years, offers original art pieces for $100 or less, said Noreen Ring, gallery director.

"For the last five years, from November to the end of the year, Brandon Gallery has been putting up what we call our "Art Under $100" wall display," said Ring, adding that throughout the year, the gallery additionally offers a constant showcase of juried fine art, textile art, jewelry, glass, ceramic, and sculpture works on consignment from regional artists.

"Our customers, whether they are longtime or first time, have said that because we offer original art that is so affordable, they like the idea of being able to give art as a gift every year," she said. "They have friends or family members who may admire the work of a favorite artist who exhibits here at the Brandon, for example, and this is a great way to add to their collections or wall decor."

Post-sale empty spaces on the "Art Under $100" showcase are not left blank for very long, according to Ring.

"The artists work all year long creating pieces for this holiday exhibit," she said. "This is not a static show, by any means, and as soon as a spot opens up on the wall, there is always something interesting or unique or beautiful to fill it right up."

Giving art as a gift entails more than just a certain frame of mind, however. Framing the art itself is a big factor in turning a piece into a showstopper or a "no-stopper," according to Jennifer Paprock, owner of Pinnell Gallery and Frame Design at 124 N. Main Ave.

"How an art piece is framed can make or break it," said Paprock, who has been framing art for 32 years. "If you buy a piece of art that you like, or you are buying the art for someone as a gift, the last thing you want is to see it wrapped by an old frame that you happen to have or something that is not going to add to the artwork’s visual appeal."

But Paprock, whose business also hosts a gallery for 16 artists, doesn’t just frame the two-dimensional stuff. You might say that she is in the business of keeping memories alive too because she can create museum-conservation quality shadowbox-style frames for anything from your great-great-grandmother’s antique lace tatting to your aunt’s cherished needlework, to your grownup kid’s favorite childhood toys.

"Customers bring in all kinds of stuff they want framed for holiday gifts," she said. "A collection of photographs, sports jerseys, collections of things they had as kids, you name it. It makes for great memories."

As for collections, if someone you know loves the sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous stuff of the earth, then head over to the gift shop at the Fallbrook Gem and Mineral Museum and Society, located at 123 Alvarado Street, Suite B. Although your favorite rock collectors probably wouldn’t mind finding the proverbial lumps of coal in their Christmas stockings, they will get merrier about finding minerals and fossils there.

"The gift shop here at the Fallbrook Gem and Mineral Museum is a great place for rock 'geeks', both grownups and kids, to add to their collections,” said John Meier, a docent at the museum. "We have minerals, rocks and fossils from all over the world."

The museum’s gallery display of minerals from Azurite to Wulfenite is enough to whet any rock fan’s appetite, and just visiting the establishment is a delight, especially for youngsters, according to Meier.

"Kids just love coming here. They never get tired of rocks," he said, adding that the gift shop’s $2 mystery grab bags containing five stones or fossils make great stocking stuffers.

For those of us who would rather wear rocks than dig for them, the museum’s gift shop offers a selection of stunningly handcrafted cabochon pendants wrapped in sterling silver or 14 kt. gold-filled wire, all done by local artists. Like the rocks themselves, each pendant is one-of-a-kind.

Lovers of gemstones of a more refined nature have found the perfect holiday gifts year after year at The Jewelry Connection, 101 N. Main Ave. Offering one of the largest collections of estate and vintage jewelry in Southern California, The Jewelry Connection is a treasure trove of elegant heritage glitter and glam.

"The jewelry pieces we sell are usually several decades old, some even go back to the 1880s and 1890s," said Jamie Mathieu, owner of The Jewelry Connection. "We get them at estate sales all over the country, and other times the jewelry comes to us when people decide they don’t want to keep their grandmother’s old rings, bracelets, or necklaces."

Determining the age of a jewelry piece often takes some detective work, said Mathieu, adding that the business also offers appraisals, full service restoration and repair work right on the premises.

"Sometimes it’s the rose cut of the diamond that tells us whether the piece was made in the Georgian or Victorian eras. Or it can be the setting or even the size of the diamond, ruby, sapphire or emerald stone itself that gives us a clue," he said. "And there are a few times when someone long ago wrote down the history of their jewelry: who made it and when, who received it and when, the story behind that, and somehow the note and the jewelry stayed together through time. We love it when that happens because it establishes provenance."

But not everyone’s jewelry desires are the same, and The Jewelry Connection crosses all eras and genres. Their inventory for the discerning holiday gift shopper also includes vintage Southwest turquoise squash blossom necklaces and turquoise bracelets and rings, antique and vintage pocket watches, ropes of pearls, charms and charm bracelets from the 1920s and 1930s, as well as cameos, silver and gold, and countless other items of the shiny, memorable and collectible stuff that brings good cheer and smiles on the faces of those jewelry lovers we love to surprise.

To discover more unique holiday gifts, visit the following:

Fallbrook Art Center 'Art of the Holiday' show 103 South Main Ave. at Alvarado St. Call (760) 728-1414; fallbrookartcenter.org.

Brandon Gallery 105 N. Main Ave. (760) 723-1330; fallbrookbrandongallery.org.

Pinnell Gallery and Frame Design 124 N. Main Ave. (760) 728-8870

Fallbrook Gem & Mineral Society Museum & Gift Shop 123 West Alvarado Street, Suite B Call (760) 728-1130; www.fgms.org.

The Jewelry Connection 101 N. Main Ave. (760) 723-4629; www.thejewelryconnectionfallbrook.com