The Pioneer Valley is renowned for its population of artists, writers, and musicians, both amateur and professional. So chances are, one of the people on your holiday gift list spends their time scribbling or at the studio — or would like to support those who do. Here are some gifts sure to delight a wide variety of artists, writers, dancers, and dreamers.
A terrarium is a great gift for the gardener who needs a spot of green to get through the winter — or for anyone who’d like a reminder that spring will come again. It’s beautiful, easy to care for — and if it’s a last-minute gift, that means you don’t have to take responsibility for keeping the plants alive yourself before passing it on! Aeriums are one of a kind and consist of one Tillandsia, moss, and a specially selected, dried, botanical specimen. $35, Kestrel, Northampton
Recommended for the aspiring artist, a set of high quality graphite pencils ensure a smooth line ideal for illustration. Includes a range of pencil sizes. $23, Zephyr Designs, Brattleboro
Each of these fair-trade bags, made from leather and recycled Mayan skirt fabric, is unique. Large enough to carry books, paintbrushes, or journals while remaining fashionable and organized, this bag (pictured in gallery above) is a great gift for any artist on the move. $32, Altiplano, Brattleboro
Straw Dog Writers’ Guild that spans the Valley offers an array of workshops, lectures, and salons, as well as providing a place to announce your own upcoming book releases and other events. Membership will allow the writer in your life to access these and other resources, and tap into a rich community of fellow scribblers in the Valley. $50 for basic membership.
If you want to support the artistic and crafty person on your list, but don’t know what on earth to get them, try letting them pick it out themselves — while still getting credit for a great gift. Knack, an arts/crafts supply and thrift store in Easthampton, offers bags of various sizes that can be filled with supplies for a flat price of $5, $18, or $30, so your friends can pick out exactly what they need for their next project.
Handkerchiefs are a stylish and useful way for any reader to showcase their favorite classics. Choose from scarves bearing facsimiles of letters written by Emily Dickinson, Mark Twain, D.H. Lawrence, or Jack London. In addition to being stylish, these handkerchiefs can provide the voracious reader on your list with something to devour if they forget to bring a book. $12.95, Essentials, Northampton
A unique book on art, play anthology, or out-of-print novel makes a perfect, thoughtful gift, even at the last minute. And the Valley has plenty of places to go: White Square in Easthampton; World Eye and Federal Street, both in Greenfield; Odyssey in South Hadley; Broadside, Booklink, or Raven, all of Northampton; Redbrick in Springfield; and Amherst Books in Amherst, to name a few. Priceless.
