The First Ithaca Artist's Market was a grand success, based on my own observation and walk-about of the market last Saturday. It was packed to the gills with all sorts of visitors looking for a unique holiday gift, or something for their own enjoyment. There was a lot to choose from, and I had to force myself to be disciplined. But I did walk away with some nice finds, and some contacts for later follow-up, as most of the vendors sell directly to the public from home studios or via web or phone sales.
The first booth that caught my eye was that of Torie Tiffany, whose work is unique and fresh. She produces two collections: "Fleurotica", which is a blend of bodies and blossoms, and "Faunagraphs", a critter collection. You can see a hint of her work in the photo at left here, featuring mostly the florals, which have strategically intwined erotic or anatomical embellishments. Some are quite subtle, and I had to work at picking the images out, which makes them fun pieces, sort of a mystery game!
Nerys Gregory had florals at her booth also, but of a more traditional sort - Nerys is a watercolor artist who creates lovely floral images in all sizes, including large serial pieces, small greeting cards, and a newer long-on-the-vertical rectangular shaped work. I've admired her work for a while now and will be looking for her greeting cards again in the future, as they make lovely gifts that reflect the local environment. She is a member of the Art Trail, with a lovely stop at her home studio in Ellis Hollow.
One booth stood out because it was the ONLY food booth at the event - I was delighted to see that I KNEW this person, Anastasia, from my yoga class at Wells College in Aurora. What I didn't know was that together with her mom Annie, they run a very cool little business called "Man In The Moon Classic Cheesecake & Deserts, which supports local farmers and producers, and provides scrumptious cheesecake and cookies for all of Central New York!
Torie Tiffany with Fleurotica Nerys Gregory's Watercolor Booth Man In The Moon Cheesecake!
The First Ithaca Artists Market was well received, and was planned to coincide with a number of other fabulous holiday events, including another first, the First Ithaca Chowder Cook-Off, and the well-loved Ithaca Ice Wars, a very popular ice-carving competition where nothing is spared! The Ithaca Ballet's presentation of "The Nutcracker" was the performing arts draw, and a number of art boutiques were offering special hours or tours, or special pricing just for the holidays. Something for everyone, and I hope you were able to take advantage of it - if not, we'll hope to see you DOWNTOWN, NEXT YEAR!!
For "The Short Report by Santos", this is Agent Santos reporting!
It is a cold cold night in Ithaca NY, with snow flurries expected this evening, and a week of 20s!
Watch for the Full Lunar Eclipse tomorrow night!
Surreality in Ithaca, NY! 
