The Black Forest Arts and Crafts Guild held its annual fall show and sale Nov. 3 through Nov. 6 at the Black Forest Community Center. In its 52nd year, the event not only shows off beautiful handmade items and the talents of many but is also a way for the guild to give back to the Black Forest community.ìWe feel the Black Forest community supports us, so we, in return, feel we need to support our community,î said Diane Saign, president of the guild. ìWe want to help our community in any way that we can.îThe guild supports Black Forest Cares, the local food pantry, and funds scholarships for local high school students. The guild also promotes Black Forest artists and culinary members, and ensures they keep a portion of their sales.Local artists and culinary experts showcased thousands of items at the event, from homemade pillows, blankets and doll clothes to holiday ornaments, glasswork, artwork and baked goods ó and more ñ- just in time for the holidays.ìWe like to pass out cookies when the line gets long,î said Jenny George, a Black Forest potter, as she stood near the register helping guild members whittle down a line of people that snaked through the aisles on Saturday afternoon. ìThereís really a bunch of talented people who are committed to this,î George said.The BFACG took donations of non-perishable items at the show to benefit Black Forest Cares. The BFACG tracked proceeds through a barcode system, Saign said. Fifteen percent of the artistsí sales are donated to the guild to support the organization and the community, including the scholarship to a high school senior.ìThere are probably some members who utilize the money they make from the craft shows to help support their income,î Saign said. ìIf you love doing something and you want to share it with others ñ- and you happen to make some money to pay the light bill while doing it ñ- the guild is an excellent opportunity to do that.îThe show is a great local stop for holiday shopping.Saign said the show draws people from Colorado Springs, Pueblo and Castle Rock. ìPeople come to the Black Forest craft show because they know itís all handmade. Weíre one of the few craft shows that is entirely homemade,î Saign said. ìA lot of things are very unique. Some of our artists even utilize stuff they have found in the (Black) forest and make it into beautiful artwork. Itís one-of-a-kind and we are very proud to have it happen. Iíve been a member of the Guild for eight years, and Iím amazed at every show how creative and beautiful the art is.îFor more information on the Black Forest Arts and Crafts Guild, visit http://bfacg.org.
