November 29, 2021

A 40-year tradition is coming to an end. This year’s Christmas in Miniature, at least as most people in the Chadds Ford area know it, is the last one. And the person who started it all will be retiring and closing her doors in January.

Christmas in Miniature was born as the brainstorm of Barbara Moore in 1982 when she was the director of the former Chadds Ford Gallery. When that entity moved to Florida four years ago, Moore reopened the shop as Barbara Moore Fine Art Gallery in the same space in the Barn Shops and continued the tradition she started more than three decades earlier.

“I keep telling myself that this is my last Christmas in Miniature,” Moore said. “I can’t quite get my head around that, but it’s what’s going to happen.”

With retirement a month and a half away, Moore was reflective about her time in the little gallery at the Barn Shops.

“It’s something I just can’t imagine. I’ve worked in this building for 46 years and not to be here is a matter of ‘what am I going to do?’ To not be able to fill these walls with art for people to see and to communicate what 40 years-plus means to me with regard to the art and especially to my clients, my customers who are also my friends….” She paused in thought and became reflective. “It’s time for me to go.”

But she became animated when thinking back to the first two years of the exhibit when it was brand new. She said it took a few years for the customers to figure out what was happening. Miniature art was hung on every wall in the gallery, on both floors, along the staircase, and even in the bathroom.

An artist’s works were not hung together, rather they were spread out. As Moore explained, if a person wanted to see what Paul Scarborough, Duke Snow, or Rick Bollinger had in the show, they would have to look all over. And even then, they wouldn’t see everything because some art was kept in reserve to fill the spaces left when people would take art off the wall to buy.

“People were taking two, three, or four pieces off the walls and when they would bring them to me to write up the sale, they would look back and see that we had filled those empty spots with new artwork that they hadn’t seen. Then they’d have to go back to see what they had missed,” Moore said.

She added that the same thing happened the second year, but people were starting to catch on. Moore would go upstairs to get new work to hang in the empty spaces, but by then, people would wait for her at the bottom of the stairs to see what new pieces she was bringing.

“Those first two years were exciting, not that it’s not exciting now, it’s just not the same because it was so fresh and new then, like a romance,” she said

Moore previously worked with her former husband in a body and fender shop for six years and, in some ways, that prepared her to run an art gallery. She said that while she never did any of the bodywork on the cars, she would inspect the finished product, paying attention to detail and saying yea or nay to the job before calling the customer. She likened that to examining her makeup.

But she needed a job after the marriage ended. Former Chadds Ford Gallery owner Shirley Winther hired Moore to run the shop in 1976. Winther said in a 2002 interview for the 21st Christmas in Miniature that Moore “is really good.”

Moore said she came up with the idea for the miniatures to help younger adults without much money afford original art. She said many were buying inexpensive reproductions and loved how they looked once matted and framed, but she thought they could do better.

They would look at the work of their favorite artists, such as Andy Wyeth, but they couldn’t afford those pieces, Moore said.

“I began to wonder how I could wean the young couples away from those $25-$35 reproductions and move them to original art. Then I thought, small pieces. They can start with this.”

The idea caught on with her customers. Parents and grandparents would wind up buying the less expensive small pieces for their kids and grandkids, giving them a start in buying and collecting original art from respected professional artists, and Moore is proud to have served three generations of art buyers.

Over the years there have been characters that would come into the gallery, and not just the quirkiness associated with artists. Customers, too, have color to offer. Moore said there was one person who would tell her how to hang toilet paper, making sure there was a little bit of overhang to make it easier for people to get some. Or the woman who wanted Moore to follow her up the stairs so Moore could catch her if she lost balance. And walk in front of her when she walked down for the same reason.

Moore’s expertise and knowledge of the local art scene allowed her to keep going when the Chadds Ford Gallery relocated in 2017. She was able to maintain the gallery as her own when she and Bri Brandt, the owner of Arden and James who designs and makes handbags, joined forces to share the space of the old gallery. But that too is coming to an end with Moore’s retirement.

“I opened my shop in Chadds Ford to keep Barbara’s firsthand knowledge of Chadds Ford history, art, and culture here in the village. I’m so proud of what we have accomplished together,” Brandt said in an email.

For now, though, the focus is on Moore and Christmas in Miniature. The swan song for the 40-year tradition begins Wednesday, Dec. 1, and runs through Dec. 31. Two weeks later, on Jan. 15, Barbara Moore Fine Art Gallery will close its doors for good.

What will Moore do now? She moved to Delaware a few years ago and has a view of ships sailing up and down the river.

“I’ll sit and watch the ships go by on [what she calls] the Riva Delaware.”

There is so much to celebrate this year in the Brandywine Valley! As we creep into the holiday season, decorations and cheer abound. Nowhere is that more evident than at the Square Pear Gallery in Kennett Square, where a new exhibit is ready to share joy to visitors and shoppers alike. “Wrap It Up” runs now through January 10^th and is the perfect way to get into the spirit and find a truly unique creation for everyone on your list.

Featuring over thirty local artists, Square Pear Gallery is bursting with all types of creations. From gorgeous dramatic paintings to tiny clay creations, hand-carved winter décor to cozy accessories, the carefully curated exhibit showcases a fantastic array of art, crafts, and more. The local artists working in a wide variety of mediums are included in the show.

This is the third holiday show at Square Pear Gallery. “It was great to see so many people out to enjoy the arts again!” says Corien Siepelinga, the owner of the gallery. “The opening for this show was on Friday, November 12^th, and it was our busiest one since reopening after COVID.”

The Square Pear Gallery has been a welcome addition to the local art scene. Siepelinga took over the gallery in early 2018. Starting in the tiny storefront which used to house Mala Galleria, Square Pear moved to the current location which has much more space for exhibits, classes, and receptions. Both artists and visitors enjoy the wide selection of art, crafts, and gifts available. The gallery showcases local artists from about a two-hour radius of Kennett Square.

“Things at the gallery have been very busy this year as more and more people are traveling and coming to Kennett Square to enjoy Longwood Gardens and the Chester County area,” says Siepelinga. There is certainly plenty to see. Longwood Gardens’s “A Longwood Christmas” display is entirely updated for 2021. Titled “Fire and Ice,” the display features more than half-a-million twinkling lights. You won’t want to miss the Meadow, which has been transformed with a 200-foot-long curved tunnel covered in more than 20,000 color-changing LEDs. The popular Garden Railway is also back, and the Beer Garden filled with tents to warm up and enjoy a treat. The town of Kennett Square is ready to welcome visitors looking to extend their holiday excursion. “This week the trees and lampposts have been decorated again with Christmas lights and Kennett Square is getting that festive feel once more!” Siepelinga adds.

Towns big and small are certainly ready to welcome back visitors this holiday season. It seems that holiday traditions new and old have returned across the region. Kennett Square will be having their traditional Holiday Light Parade on Friday, November 26^th, with more participants than ever before. The shops, restaurants, and other businesses will also host “Tinsel on the Town” on December 10^th. The evening will feature music, games, food trucks, special shopping discounts, and more.

The Square Pear is stocked for all these events. Siepelinga recommends checking out “the wonderful wood snowmen and Christmas trees by Jack Hanson.” Each item is handcrafted, ensuring a one-of-a-kind gift perfect to bring to any holiday celebration. “We also have sweet little glass mushrooms, which are a perfect way to say Merry Christmas from Kennett Square – the Mushroom Capital!” As we enter into a busy holiday season, many of us are looking to spread a bit of extra cheer. The wide selection of pottery from area artists would be perfect for hostess gifts. No need to find a vase for flowers when you bring them ready for display in a gorgeous piece of art!

This show features artwork by Patricia Walkar, Barbara Grant, Madeleine Kelly, Sandra Severson, Joe Milligan, Radhika Srinivas, Diane Cannon, Al Moretti, Kim Smith, Merrill Weber, Karen Weber, Lini Stevens, Ann Guidera-Matey, Jacqueline Henisee, Suzanne Kent, Hope Mead, Barbara Neville, Katy Winters,  Casey Lynch, Victoria Kavalerov, Jack Hanson, Lele Galer, Rhoda Kahler, Frank Wengen, Amy Iversen, Donna Porter,  Diane Cannon, Robin Sesan, Donna Porter, Corien Siepelinga, Lidia Kohutiak, Bridget Hughes, and Bill Bowman.

The Square Pear Fine Art Gallery is located at 200 E. State Street in Kennett Square, PA. More information, including about children’s art classes taught by Corien Siepelinga, can be found at SquarePearGallery.com.