“We all have an artistic side, expressive and unique; it is just waiting to come out and be expressed,” says Edie Christensen, featured artist at the opening gala for Olive Hyde Art Guild’s 2025 Holiday for the Arts Show and Sale. This year’s fundraiser gathers 88 local artists, 32 of them new, showing unique art pieces across media. Ticket sales from the gala as well as 30% of sales go to funding the guild’s community programs through the rest of the year.
Guild efforts include workshops and field trips, scholarships for Fremont High School seniors and Ohlone students, an art workshop for Serra Center students, art supplies gift cards for Abode Services and City of Fremont Youth and Family Services, donations to Fremont Main Library for art books and Fremont Unified School District for art materials.
The ticketed gala gives a first look at all the pieces for sale, plus food and drink provided by in-kind sponsors. There will also be a drawing for an acrylic painting by Christensen, “A Magical World Under the Sea.” In the colorful scene orange fish and sea creatures swim through turquoise water over a coral reef. “I’d gone snorkeling with my daughter this last year in the Sea of Cortez, and I wanted to put light and movement in this painted world,” said Christensen.
Gala goers will also hear live Jalisco harp music from Salvador Vázquez. The instrument has a long history, with roots in the arrival of Spain and the Spanish harp in the region now known as Mexico during the 16th century. “The Jalisco harp was the original bass instrument in the early mariachi ensemble,” said Vázquez. Eventually, the harp was replaced by the Guitarrón, which was easier to transport. But Jalisco harp players have continued to influence mariachi into the 20th and 21st centuries, and the harp is coming back.
This is Vázquez’ first time to play at the gallery, but he’s been playing Jalisco harp in the Bay Area since 2000. “I also play from time to time (I just pop in and harp around) on any given Saturday at a place where I received my very first employment called Mexico Tortilla Factory. Typically I’ll just show up at 9am and play till my fingers get tired or when they close the store at 5pm.”
While the weekend is a lovely way to support local artists and aspiring artists in the community, it’s also about shopping not only for decorative arts but jewelry and household items.
“We’ve seen items that we didn’t think would be of interest, sell,” said Roberta Moody, the artist chair for the show. Unusual items for this year include wall art of colorful strings and handmade brooms.
Moody also shared that it’s taken a few years for show applications to increase since Covid. Hopefully, as more artists learn about the guild through their programs and events, more and more artists across ages and media will join to share their work.
Christensen, who taught fine arts at Mission San Jose High School for 25 years, spoke about the importance of arts for young people. “It’s important for high school students to feel empowered to make art. Anyone who paints or draws begins to realize that the process of doing, creating, is what is important.”
Holiday for the Arts Gala
Friday, Oct. 17
5:30 – 9pm
Show and Sale
Saturday, Oct. 18 – Sunday, Oct. 19
10am – 5pm
