Over the last 15 months or so, we’ve been lucky enough to do some nesting on behalf of artists both local and international, both new to their craft and seasoned.

Actually, I may be understating things; often it’s all one can do to remember how the shelves were arranged just last week. In fact, while the process of welcoming, displaying, caring for, and eventually finding a home for the art that comes through our door is both humbling and gratifying, it more often than not unfolds at least partially out of sight, leaving us to fill in the blanks of one more story.

Occasionally, though, one is blessed with the good timing of seeing a piece both arrive with its creator and leave with its proud new owner. Because nearly everything in our retail gallery is one-of-a-kind, each of these events is more than a sale; it’s a happy ending for a piece that began as nothing more than a flicker in an artist’s mind. And we’re excited for the upcoming month, as we have not one but two opportunities to invite such good timing to the ArtWorks Center.

Christmas in the City is coming up on the heels of Thanksgiving, and we’ll be taking part in the festivities on Main Street with face painting in the Clay Cavern.

Our retail gallery will also be open and on Dec. 7, a special event will see the ArtWorks Center’s doors open for extended hours, until 8 p.m. A one-night-only sale will take place: 20 percent off of artwork by select artists. Enjoy wine and other refreshments while you explore, as well.

You may not realize how important you are in the big, crazy, awesome scheme of things here on the corner of Second and Main. But when you take something home from the ArtWorks Center, you’re taking home more than a piece of art; you’re giving an artist one more happy ending.