| Toughen product safety regulations
FEWER of you are buying toys this shopping season due to the recent spate of product-safety scares. In an online poll conducted Oct. 9-15 of 2,565 adults in the United States, 33 percent of respondents said they will shy away from buying toys this year; 45 percent vowed to avoid toys made in China. That's going to be tough, considering 80 percent of all toys sold in the United States are manufactured in China. Parents are right to be scared, after numerous recalls this year of toys made in China that contain high levels of lead paint and other toxic or dangerous materials. Earlier this month, millions of Aqua Dots, a popular arts and crafts kit, were recalled after beads in it were found to have a toxic coating. More precautions are needed to keep dangerous toys away from children.
Murrells Inlet 2007 sponsors crafts fair
As part of this year's "Christmas on the Creek" holiday home tour, Murrells Inlet 2007 is introducing a new element: an arts and crafts boutique. More than 20 local artists will display jewelry, decoys, glassware, paintings, ornaments and photographs. The Arts & Crafts Boutique is a free event and runs from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. Saturday at Lee's Inlet Kitchen, 4460 U.S. 17 Business in Murrells Inlet. Murrells Inlet 2007, a nonprofit preservation group, hopes to raise about $10,000 for projects such as a 325-foot bridge to help connect bike paths along the Waccamaw Neck and a 500-foot extension of the Veteran's Pier. Home tour tickets are $25. Advance tickets are available at Lee's Inlet Apothecary, Lee's Inlet Kitchen, The Chocolate & Coffee House in Litchfield Exchange or at Rose Arbor Fabrics in Myrtle Beach and at Lee's Inlet Kitchen on Saturday.
Kershaw holiday events | The spirit of the season
The holiday season will be in full swing in Kershaw County beginning next week. Here, a sampling of some upcoming events. Holiday Sales Show Sneak Preview Night: Local and regional artists and craftsmen will offer unique, handcrafted works of art at the Fine Arts Center of Kershaw County. A sneak preview night will be Nov. 30 from 6-7:30 p.m., and the show will run from Dec. 1-12 during regular Fine Arts Center hours. Call (803) 425-7676 or visit www.fineartscenter.org. Elgin Catfish Stomp: In downtown Elgin Dec. 1, beginning with a parade at 10 a.m. The day's highlights include crafts, games, vendors, gospel singing and lots of catfish stew. The Elgin Police Department also will host a car show with a contest for the ugliest and dirtiest vehicles to raise money for its toy roundup.
For arts-and-crafts fans, it's a holiday
On the first Saturday in December for the past 24 years, Franklin County High School has become a craft-lovers paradise. The gym, cafeteria, band room and hallways are filled with people who make jewelry, cherry furniture, hair bows, soaps and a variety of Christmas ornaments and yard dcor. Sisters Cindy Fyffe of Harrodsburg and Sherrye Wainscott of Lawrenceburg leave their children at home and meet for coffee before driving to Frankfort for the arts-and-crafts fair. "This is an annual event for us. It's a sisters' day," Fyffe said. Another group of friends manages to set aside the day to get together and shop for gifts. Suzette Gash, Felita Giles and D.J. Barnett, all of Lawrenceburg, do a lot of things together, and this is an event they enjoy attending. Gash ran into her friend Patty Conway of Frankfort and told her about all the things she had bought for herself, instead of the gifts she came to buy.
Boys & Girls Clubs introduces cultural arts program in Mount Kisco
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Westchester recently initiated a multidisciplinary cultural arts program involving visual arts, crafts, performing arts and creative writing. Daniel Isenberg, formerly the regional director of Wingspan Arts in Westchester County, recently joined the club as cultural arts director to lead the program. The program was created in recognition of the need for expanded arts programming for school-age children. Several areas of the Mount Kisco Center, 351 Main St., the pilot program's location, have been redesigned to accommodate dance, music and arts classes. The new program will incorporate several Boys & Girls Clubs of America initiatives, including fine arts and computer design programs. Brian Skanes, the club's executive director, said the club looks forward to the new program.
United State Artists- Arts Foundation Grants 2007
United States Artists, an arts advocacy organization, has awarded fifty $50,000 unrestricted grants to artists of all disciplines from across the country, in recognition of the caliber and impact of their work.
The USA Fellows program honors artists working in eight artistic disciplines and at all stages of their careers, from emerging artists to mid-career to those who have achieved master status in their fields. The USA Fellowships for 2007 include three in Architecture and Design; five in Crafts and Traditional Arts; six in Dance; nine in Literature (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, playwriting); five in Media (film, radio, video); six in Music; six in Theater Arts; and 10 in Visual Arts. Collectively, this year's USA Fellows represent a diverse spectrum of geographic, cultural, and ethnic perspectives.
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