On Nov. 15, the Ohio Craft Museum began presenting Gifts of the Craftsmen, its 10th annual holiday exhibition and sale of fine crafts.

Ohio Craft Museum was founded by Ohio Designer Craftsmen, a nonprofit organization, in 1993.
 

“Located in Columbus, it is the only museum in the Midwest exclusively devoted to exhibiting and collecting fine craft,” according to its Web site. Five or six exhibitions of contemporary craft by artists from Ohio and across the United States are presented each year.
 

Gifts of the Craftsmen offers people the opportunity to see and purchase handcrafted gifts that are created by nearly 50 fine craft artists from across the country. All works are suitably priced for gift giving, ranging from $4 “stocking stuffers” to $15 earrings and exquisite glass paperweights at several hundred dollars, according to a press release.
 

“We are very excited about the holiday sale this year,” museum director Betty Talbott said.

“Many of our favorite artists are returning and we’ve added works by a number of new artists who are making functional yet beautiful items,” Talbott said.
 

Nagorski wrote that among the items offered are fanciful yet functional pottery by Theresa Yondo, Marc Brown’s whimsical “bug” clocks made from recycled materials, sterling silver jewelry by Catherina Bishop, fine leather change purses and wallets by K. Bellum, Richard Lamson’s wooden birds and Mark Nafziger’s ceramic mugs and platters.
 

“Sales from the show benefit programs and exhibitions of the Ohio Craft Museum as well as the artists who create the work,” said Sharon Kokot, executive director of Ohio Designer Craftsmen. “Therefore, every dollar spent benefits the arts. At the same time, patrons will find distinctive gifts, handmade in America, many of which cannot be bought elsewhere in Columbus.”
 

Unlike the crowded malls during the holiday season, the Ohio Craft Museum offers a relaxing and stress-free shopping experience, with free parking conveniently located next to the museum.
 

Talbott also said that the selection of gifts is greatest early on in the shopping season.
“These are one-of-a-kind and limited edition items, and some tend to sell out quickly,” she said.
 

The exhibition runs through Dec. 23 at the Ohio Craft Museum at 1665 W. Fifth Ave.
During Gifts of the Craftsmen, the museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission and parking are free. For more information, visit ohiocraft.org.