a selection of holiday items on display at the "I'll Be Home for Christmas" exhibition

The exhibition “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” featuring charming holiday items from a bygone era, will show Dec. 1 through 31 at The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.


NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House will host a holiday exhibition that provides a glimpse into the celebrations of Christmas past from a child’s point of view.

“I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” featuring charming items from a bygone era, is from a local private collection. The exhibition will be displayed in small vignettes placed around the gallery on both floors. The show will be exhibited Dec. 1 through 31.

“These vignettes will explore the wonder and delight of Christmas celebrations and demonstrate how delightful such things were to children 100-plus years ago,” said John Handley, director of art galleries for Stephen F. Austin State University.

The Cole Art Center hosted a similar holiday exhibition last year for the first time.

“It proved to be very popular,” Handley said. “We had visitors from as far away as Tyler come to see the exhibit. Several museums around the country set up similar displays to attract families to the museums. One notable example is the Taft Museum in Ohio, which features a charming exhibit each holiday season.”

Handley will discuss a unique aspect of antique ornaments in a presentation at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, which is the same day as the Christmas festival in downtown Nacogdoches, followed by the annual lighted Christmas parade and fireworks display that evening.

Sponsors for the presentation are The Flower Shop, SFA Friends of the Visual Arts and Nacogdoches Junior Forum.

SFA School of Art’s downtown gallery, The Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St. For more information, call (936) 468-1131.