By Marie-Elena Schembri

With the chill of November air comes the turning of leaves, delectable home-cooked meals and the joy of family traditions. You may feel a natural urge to bury yourself in cozy blankets and bed down for the approaching winter — but you won’t want to sleep on these exciting November events!

The month began with events steeped in both artistic and cultural tradition, as the Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos was celebrated throughout the city. This vibrant celebration of deceased loved ones involved many careful applications of art, from the hand-cut papel picado paper banners and tissue paper or real flower garlands to the handmade decorations that adorn ofrendas. Day of the Dead celebrations are a treat for the senses with fragrant cempasuchil marigolds, elaborate costumes and treats like sugar skulls and pan de muertos (bread of the dead) to entice loved ones to visit.

Sacramento History Museum recognizes this tradition with its Día de Los Muertos art exhibit, which runs through Nov. 10. Sol Collective has partnered with the City of Sacramento to create “an immersive exhibition space and a unique arts and cultural goods market” with Day of the Dead altar installations in Old Sacramento at 1110 Front St.. 

Wearable art

If you’re feeling a little chilly, perhaps some wearable art will warm you up! On Nov. 9-10, the Art to Wear show brings fiber art into focus, with a two-day fundraiser for the Sacramento Collective for the Textile Arts, a 45-year-old nonprofit organization that supports and educates textile and fiber artists in Sacramento. 

Board president Gloria Robertson, who has been with the organization for more than 15 years, promised an event featuring all kinds of handmade wearable art, from jewelry and upcycled clothing to book arts. Robertson herself does needlework — or crochet — and will have an assortment of works at the event, including a handmade duster and matching gloves she recently completed. Other featured artists include 91-year-old paper jewelry artist Carol Wittich, beaded jewelry artist Anne DeStefano and Yvonne Warren of Jewels and Fiber.

The event located at the Shepard Garden and Arts Center includes fashion shows at 10 a.m. each day and silent auctions featuring work by local textile artists. Part of the proceeds will benefit textile students at Sacramento City College through annual scholarships.

Creative gift-giving

Start your holiday shopping while supporting local artists with these artisan markets:

Weekends are a sure bet to find art throughout the region, like Blue Line Arts in Roseville during Second Saturday. Then visit 1810 Gallery/Tin Can Studio’s one-day Open Studio event with over a dozen Sacramento artists on Saturday, Nov. 16 to find unique gifts and meet local artists. 

The Verge Center for the Arts is also hosting its annual Verge Art Auction fundraiser on Saturday, Nov. 16 with a reception showcasing the artworks on Thursday, Nov. 7. 

State Indian Museum will host the Native Arts and Crafts Market on Nov. 29-30, featuring handmade gifts by Native Americans from throughout California. This California State Parks and California Indian Heritage Center Foundation event is free to attend.

Crocker Art Museum’s annual Holiday Artisan Market also takes place the last weekend of the month at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center. Admission is $10 and gives you the chance to browse art by more than 100 regional artists for creative gifts ranging from functional to fantastic! This holiday-themed show runs Nov. 29 to Dec. 1 and includes photo opportunities with Mr. and Mrs. Claus, live music and kid-friendly activities.

Exhibits

The Manetti Shrem Museum of Art at UC Davis is currently showing a sculpture and installation exhibition featuring four California artists whose works “focus on underrecognized histories and those in the margins while simultaneously envisioning new, speculative futures,” according to the museum’s website. Entangled Writing features new works by Phillip Byrne, Beatriz Cortez, Kang Seung Lee and Candice Lin, curated by Susie Kantor, and “explores the way that people and objects move across time and space, allowing for multiple potentialities to exist,” according to a press release. The exhibit is on display through November and December.

On Nov. 16, an artist reception and fundraiser will be held at Artbeat Gallery for 30-year-old Placerville artist Alizabeth Thomas. Her paintings and nature photography will be for sale to raise funds for a trip to Thailand, where she will photograph and care for rescued elephants with Wildlife Friends Foundation. The downtown Sacramento gallery opened in September of last year and highlights work by emerging artists in several mediums.

This story was funded by the City of Sacramento’s Arts and Creative Economy Journalism Grant to Solving Sacramento. Following our journalism code of ethics and protocols, the city had no editorial influence over this story and no city official reviewed this story before it was published. Our partners include California Groundbreakers, Capital Public Radio, Outword, Russian America Media, Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento News & Review, Sacramento Observer and Univision 19. Sign up for our “Sac Art Pulse” newsletter here.