Why local art is a green choice for xmas

Thanks to a series of random but fortuitous events, I ended up at Cyclelogik's 2nd Annual Christmas Art Show on Sat. night. What a great night. The walls were covered with art from 20 local artists (all of which was for sale). Plus there was amazing food by Essence catering and some great beats courtesy of Mr//Greg.

But let's get to the point of this post - because it's not just about what I did on a Saturday night (although woo hoo - I was out on a sat night!). It's about how local art can be part of a green gift giving strategy.

Now don't get me wrong, I think homemade gifts made with re purposed materials, or second hand items make the greenest gifts. But I think local art comes a close third.

Buying local art is a green choice because it eliminates the massive amount of carbon emissions generated from transporting goods around the world, and it's also a green choice from an adapting to a peak oil world point of view. Transitioning to a world where oil is less plentiful means supporting local economies. And the post peak oil corner of the world that I want to live in is one with a thriving art community.

Plus when you buy local art, you might just find art that is made with repurposed materials thus combining options 1 and 3, like this little beauty that come January will be gracing my walls (its currently still on the wall at Cyclelogik):
by abi lyon wicke

Want to buy some local art before Christmas? A lot of the sales have finished for the season(including the giant Tarts and Crafts event). However there is at least one more... on Dec. 12 between 11am - 5pm, check out 'A Crafty Christmas' at 408 Leighton Terrace (613-722-7922) featuring the work of abi lyon wicke and Andrea Stokes. A portion of the sales will be donated to the Ottawa Food Bank.