Rarely has Holly Creek’s resident talent been on better display than at the community’s recent winter art exhibit in the Silverton Art Gallery. Beginning November 3, 2025, neighbors worked together to install a holiday-themed art exhibit featuring no less than eight Holly Creek artists and three collectors. The pieces were displayed in time for official opening at the November 10th Artist’s Reception.
Holiday Art Display Artist’s Reception
“We love art, and so many of the people in this room are artists. We’ve had a great time changing the art in here every three months,” Artist Interest Group Chairwoman Eve Glesne shared over the microphone to a crowd of around 40 residents at the reception. “And this is our holiday display.”
She spent the following ten minutes or so introducing the artists and their displays, but “the majority of the time is set aside so everyone can talk with them.” Glesne explained.
Meet the Artists
Part of what makes this exhibit so special is the variety of artists and mediums. The holiday exhibit includes everything from quilts and needlepoint stockings to wreaths, wall art and ornaments. Some artists, like Karen Ramsey, have pieces in multiple mediums. Her Twelve Days of Christmas ornaments were carefully hand-painted, and her snowy wall paintings of a sleigh and a large house behind a horse-drawn carriage “feel like old fashioned Christmas.” However, her favorite piece at the exhibit is a Lazy Susan she painted with Santa himself.
Karen Ramsey took painting lessons for fourteen years, and she is thrilled to be able to share the fruit of her labors. “I never thought my art was good enough, but people wanted to see it, and I was glad.”
Other artwork included Marilyn Browns’ detailed Christmas Story Quilt, Sandy Kappus’ impressive standup needlepoint Tryptic of Christmas trees, Jeri Couthen and Judy Stalnaker’s time-intensive Christmas and tree quilts, Pat Harwood’s needlework stockings of Noah and the Ark and St. Nicholas, and some exquisite nativity scene and character figurines from artists outside Holly Creek (contributed by residents), among others.
What's Next for Holly Creek's Artists?
“I have two holiday wall hangings, and I rotate them,” Jeri Couthen explained of her embroidery and appliqué quilt. Couthen estimated that each of the quilt’s 65 blocks took her at least an hour to embroider, not to mention the effort to back and connect the different sizes and colors together for a cohesive piece.
Her sister first introduced her to sewing, and in return Jeri took her on a trip to Hamilton, Missouri (“Quilt Town U.S.A.”) where they spent a week buying materials.
“This quilt was a labor of love. I used to just hang it in my apartment for Christmas,” she added, “But displaying in the Silverton Room means that other people can enjoy it, too.”
While she’s not an artist herself, it’s finding and sharing this sort of art that Eve Glesne loves about her role as chair of the Artist Interest Group. The group is around a dozen artists and art enthusiasts who bring ideas for exhibits and help make them happen on a quarterly basis.
“We meet and knock ideas around,” Glesne explained. “The themes depend on what kind of things show up. One of our newer residents does amazing needlework and tapestries. She came to a meeting and shared what she had. One time we had all quilts. This time we had an eclectic collection of all things. Next summer is the 150th anniversary of CO and the 250th anniversary of the US, and we’d like to do an exhibit in conjunction with that.”
Her favorite piece to date? While that’s a hard choice, she is particularly fond of a photograph by Dave Vitale featuring a rooster.
Ultimately, the art exhibits’ success comes down to celebrating each other’s talents, and in a place where other groups and visitors can also enjoy them. In Karen Ramsey’s words, “There is an absolute wealth of talent in this place.” It’s all about cultivating and celebrating what’s already in the very fabric of Holly Creek.
