Mountainside Gardens
Local gallery gears up for winter

With the holiday season approaching, many of us are preparing our gift list for friends and family. If you want to purchase a gift with a personal touch, Mountainside Gardens Gallery & Gifts offers an array of locally made crafts and artwork – all at reasonable prices.

Carol Kilgore and Nancy Jacobsen, co-owners of Mountainside, stress that although “gallery” is part of the name, they have many lovely gift items under $25. The shop contains work by more than 80 artists, most of whom are local.

Just past Kendall off Mt. Baker Highway, Mountainside sprawls over 10 wooded acres. The gallery provides a cozy space to get out of the cold and discover the art of Whatcom and Skagit counties. 

Mountainside has been open since the fall of 2009, although plans for the shop had been in the works for years.

“I really liked the idea of having a place where local artists could have their work on display and so did she, so that’s how the whole thing evolved,” Kilgore said.

The store is full of an assortment of holiday gifts and a number of tasty treats. Holmquist hazelnuts, Aldrich Farms gourmet jams, jellies and syrups, Backyard Bees unprocessed honey and Henry’s Miracle Honey Stingers are all big sellers during the holidays, and make a great gift for out-of-towners who want a taste of the Northwest.

Cascadia Stoneware is another popular seller – the stunning pots are designed by the local McDougall family in Deming. Jewelry artists create gorgeous one-of-a-kind pieces using sterling silver, beads, natural hemp, crystals and gemstones, and most of the earrings in the shop average about $15 a pair. Other popular gift items include whimsical batiks, exquisite quilted wall hangings, and metal and stone garden art.

Mountainside also hosts workshops year round. For details on a few upcoming workshops, including classes on painting wooden angels and snowflakes and creating holiday wreaths, see the events listing in this issue.

“I like to know who has created the handmade piece,” Kilgore said. “The workshops serve a two-fold purpose: an artist meet and greet, and a space to create your own work.” X

Mountainside Gardens Gallery & Gifts
6900 Mt. Baker Highway
www.mountainsidegardens.com
Through Christmas Eve: Thursdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed Christmas Day through January 1
January and February: Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Kitty Bond is a recent graduate of Western Washington University. She enjoys hiking around the Chuckanut trails, riding her wicked awesome Specialized road bike, and planning her next travel adventure.