My neighboring town of Northampton has been graced with a fabulous gallery of blown glass, fine crafts and jewelry for thirty five years. The Don Muller Gallery is exceptional and renown in the Pioneer Valley and across the country, for it's museum quality crafts.
The owners have made a tradition of having an amazingly talented and internationally renown artist Anna Brahms dress their windows for the Christmas and Hanukkah holidays. I have made it a tradition not to miss their storefront bedecked with enchanting dolls . . . created and set with utter magic and exquisite detail. The tension and drama so keenly felt by the superb staging of the dolls reveals Anna's experience in the theatre. These photos are from last year, when Anna staged 'Sleeping Beauty'. Looking through glass can create problems for a photographer, but I hope you can enjoy the images and be sure to visit Anna's site to see great photos and her bio. Her attention to detail is mesmerizing! The hands of the dolls are extraordinary in their expressions . . . like poetry and nearly inspire tears. She is simply a genius in her art.
The windows are now filled with dolls depicting the story of 'Cinderella' . . . I can hardly wait to see them and will be sure to share! I love that the themes are not just taken from traditional Christmas stories. Many people do not celebrate the Christian holiday, and I imagine it can be overwhelming to some. The windows sparkle with the magic of the holiday season, that anyone can enjoy, be inspired by and identify with.
This week Katarina of Roses and Stuff gave the prompt "On the windowsill" for participants of Blooming Friday. This post is a bit of a stretch of that idea. Thanks for the inspiration Katarina! I look forward to seeing the beauty on many windowsills in Sweden and around the world . . . you can too by clicking on her blog link above. Happy Hanukkah to all those celebrating!
.png)
