The holiday spirit is in full swing at the Timken Museum of Art, where San Diego’s annual Jewels of the Season exhibition is now on display, welcoming visitors to its winter wonderland complete with a grand 12-foot Christmas tree and assorted festive trees, bedecked with handcrafted ornaments in the Central Gallery, as reported by FOX 5 San Diego. This immersive holiday treat, which boasts collaboration with San Diego State University’s Theatre, Television, and Film Department, is a tribute to the city's rich artistic history, sprucing up the gallery with over a thousand ornaments from a collection painstakingly assembled by local artists Florence Hord and Elizabeth Schlappi between the 1930s and 1980s.
Each bejeweled ornament takes inspiration from a myriad of themes, ranging from the San Diego Zoo’s first panda to international tall ships, with new additions this year bringing fresh enchantment. The display not only extends its reach beyond the central Christmas tree, but also beyond the central Christmas tree. It now encompasses a total of 11 trees throughout the museum space, bringing a breath of festive air and holiday cheer that includes not just a single tree but an entire forest of imagination and holiday cheer, as detailed on the Timken Museum of Art's official website. The legacy of this extraordinary collection is preserved thanks to Lynne Thompson, a friend of Elizabeth Schlappi, whose generosity made the museum the permanent home for these miniature masterpieces, continuing a tradition of community and craft that transforms the Timken every holiday season.
For those inspired by Hord and Schlappi’s artful creations, the museum is also offering an Ornament-Making Workshop on December 1, instructing attendees on how to craft their own festive keepsakes. Tickets are available for purchase on the museum's website. Ornament enthusiasts can additionally find replicas and a dedicated catalog available for sale in the museum store, ensuring the joy of Jewels of the Season can extend into homes across the region.
