Santa’s Studio
by Ann Miller Titus
Santa has recruited the artists at the Alliance Art Gallery at 121 N. Main to help him prepare for the Holiday Season. They are all very busy in their studios creating beautiful, one-of-a-kind gifts for those special people in your lives. From paintings to pottery, from jewelry to woven scarves, gifts made by hand by local artists send heart warming greetings to those you love. In December, the gallery is featuring the work of two of Santa’s very talented helpers, guest artist Jim Topic and member artist Mary Beth St. Clair.
A Philosophy of Glass Decades of working with glass has allowed Jim Topic, December’s Guest Artist at the Alliance Art Gallery in Hannibal, the opportunity to think…not just about the technical or design aspects of the medium but the life lessons and world views that glass inspires. Topic, who lives and works in Nauvoo, Illinois, will be bringing beautiful items that he has made to the gallery along with a philosophy of glass.
Topic returns to the Gallery this year with a variety of blown glass Christmas ornaments, having added some new designs to his repertoire. He’s working on glass hearts, a copper and glass star, and a new shape of ornament, the taper. These will be hanging next to some familiar designs, including the “crizzly” ornaments. These pieces are blown and then dipped in water while very hot. That process forms cracks on both the outside and the inside surfaces of the orbs, leaving the core intact. Topic sees this as a metaphor for the opportunity and creativity that arises from situations that, on the surface, seem damaging or challenging.
Topic refers to finding meaning in the various aspects of his medium as the “philosophy of glass”. As an example, he is inspired by how immensely recyclable glass can be and sees this quality related to the nature of redemption and renewal. We look forward to his artist talk at 6:00 on December 13, 2025, during which he will share more about the lessons he takes from working with this beautiful and meaningful material.
Warm Stones, Warm Hearts For thirty years, Mary Beth St. Clair has been fashioning beautiful jewelry from finely worked silver and amber, organic gems that she refers to as warm to the eye and to the touch, matching the warm hearts of her customers. In the earlier days of her career, her work was based on the Art Nouveau aesthetic, with highly detailed intricate metalwork. Over the years, her tastes and her work evolved into more contemporary, organic pieces. Customers find the simpler, elegant lines of her jewelry timeless and collectible. One such person has been know to purchase a piece of jewelry that she loves, then to sew an outfit to accompany that piece of jewelry, turning the tables on the concept of accessorizing!
Concepts for new designs sometimes pop up when least expected…like the middle of the night. St. Clair will make a rough sketch of the vision and then will proceed working on the new piece, allowing for changes and for creativity to guide the process. The results are one-of-a-kind pieces of wearable art.
St. Clair will be the spotlight artist at the Alliance Art Gallery in December. She will be exhibiting new pieces utilizing some very unusual colors of amber. She is also presenting a new line featuring some extraordinary American turquoise. These semi-precious gemstones are becoming more sought after as all but one mine in the United States have closed. In addition, she and gallery painter Debra Scoggin-Myers are exploring the use of alcohol inks. Their joint learning adventure will no doubt result in some interesting new art! Downtown Hannibal Art Walk An opening reception for both Topic and St. Clair will be held on Saturday, December 13, 2025 from 4:00 until 8:00. This event is free and open to the public and coincides with Downtown Hannibal’s monthly Art Walk and the annual Living Windows event. Come celebrate the season!
