The holidays have officially begun at Cal State Fullerton with the Friends of the Arboretum hosting their annual Family Holiday Stroll and Winter Market on Sunday, Dec. 7.
Bringing together a community of creatives, the market featured handmade ceramics and glass pieces, carolers and an exclusive tour of the Fullerton Arboretum’s Heritage House.
The Friends of the Arboretum is a nonprofit organization that supplies volunteer and financial support to the Fullerton Arboretum.
The market featured several booths selling glasswork and ceramics created by students from the CSUF arts program. Gabriela Arzaga, a fifth-year fine arts major at CSUF, helped the booth in selling some of her own and faculty-made glass-blown ornaments and pieces. Arzaga fell in love with glass blowing when she joined the Glass Club of CSUF over a year and a half ago, finding a community in the art.
“You never really work alone in this kind of thing,” Arzaga said. “You always need to have someone to help you.”
Aysel Huynh, a fifth-year general studio art major, was also assisting the booth’s sales. Huynh mentioned that it’s not easy to donate pieces, adding that she becomes attached to the pieces she makes.
“It’s really fun. It’s tough, and it’s a very long process, and it takes a lot of your time and a lot of patience,” Huynh said.
The proceeds help the Glass Club invite guest speakers to do lectures and demonstrations. The Glass Club frequently holds sales of its art, such as the booth at this event, to raise funds for the club.
The CSUF Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, also known as OLLI, also hosted a booth selling ceramics. OLLI offers older adults the opportunity to learn through a variety of classes at CSUF, ranging from languages and culture to the arts.
Janann Zechmeister, the ceramics teacher at the OLLI program who assisted at the event, showcased pieces created and donated by students in the program. She finds that her students, mostly senior citizens, come from all different walks of life.
“Not just learning the ceramics, I’ve got new friends,” Zechmeister said.
The class, which Zechmeister said started with just two students, has grown to over 70, with 20 new students just this semester.
The market also featured a clothing swap, offering attendees the chance to take home and or donate some clothing.
Along with the shopping and thrifting, there were various activities, including arts and crafts stations for children, carolers and a unique opportunity to walk through the Arboretum’s Heritage House.
The Heritage House has been closed to the public since 2020, reopening only for special occasions. Trish Campbell is the project leader for the Heritage House, with some of her plans including reopening the house and turning it into a teaching museum.
Campbell and her team helped decorate the house, including a Christmas tree and decorations on both the interior or exterior. The house was built in 1894 for the Clark family and remains to this day, preserving a glimpse of life in Orange County from long ago.
As the lights began to dim and the booths slowly packed up their remaining pieces, it was clear that the event had succeeded in sharing holiday spirit within the community.