Art Elephant Sale

Description of the Sacramento Center for the Textile Arts Annual Art Elephant Sale.

Walking my dog near the McKinley Park panhandle on a recent Saturday morning I noticed a “sale” sign near the entrance to the Shepard Garden and Arts Center.  I checked the Shepard Garden & Arts Center calendar at the end of our walk and discovered the “sale” was the annual Art Elephant Sale of the Sacramento Center for the Textile Arts.

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A bit later that morning I strolled over to check out the sale.  In the main room there were a number of tables set up with a wide variety of items (silk kimono remnants, beads, picture mats, assorted odds and ends) of possible interest to those who enjoy creating textile arts and crafts.

Chatting with one vendor, I learned that there is a large community of “button” collectors in the region.  I had no idea that was a thing!

Indigo Dip Dye Event

In the Shepard Garden & Arts Center courtyard, a hands-on Indigo Dip Dye workshop was being held from 10:20 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  Participation required advance registration, and all the slots that day were filled.  This apparently was the first year of the event.  Because the response had been so overwhelming, next year the hours of the workshop are likely to be extended so more people can be accommodated.

Sacramento Center for the Textile Arts (SCTA)

The SCTA has a variety of Special Interest Groups (Surface Design & Mixed Media, Beading, Needle Arts, Book Arts and Paper Arts). I was invited to attend any of the meetings of interest to me to help me decide if I wanted to join.

I picked up a brochure which listed the advantages of membership:

• Special interest crafting groups
• Priority and discounts on workshop registrations
• Monthly e-newsletter
• Vendor discounts for the annual Art to Wear & More show and sale
• Trips to exhibits and sales reflecting members’ special interests
• Shared membership discounts for Sacramento Weavers and Spinners Guild

The SCTA is a non-profit corporation founded in 1979.  The SCTA sponsors a variety of educational programs throughout the year including, for example:

• Lectures by nationally recognized guest speakers on such topics as surface design, ethnic textiles, artistic clothing, quilting, weaving, jewelry, and marketplaces.
• Workshops on techniques related to textile arts, including dyeing and printing, beading, quilting, embroidery, felting, mixed media, as well as papermaking/bookbinding.
• Bus trips to special events and places related to the textile arts.

To Sum Up

To sum up, in chatting the SCTA members that day, I discovered that members of the organization come from all over the greater Sacramento region.

From what I gather, you don’t have to be a practicing textile artist or crafter to join and participate in SCTA activities – just an interest in learning.

Lastly, if you are a crafter you may want to check out the Art Elephant Sale next year.

See related blog post:  Art to Wear Show and Sale

Comments on the Sacramento Center for the Textile Arts and/or the annual Art Elephant Sale?

Are you a crafter?  Have you scored a great find at the Art Elephant Sale?

2023 Art Elephant Sale Snapshot:

• Shepard Garden & Arts Center
• 3330 McKinley Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95816
• Saturday, June 24, 2023
• 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Free parking

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