What is magic to you? Wintery wonderlands? A wild imagination? The spirit of the holiday season itself? Magic is all this and more for the seven local art centers who created the spectacular ornaments that grace the beautiful Ballroom trees for this year’s A Longwood Christmas display. We had the pleasure of connecting with these organizations—Centered Clay Studio; Chester County Art Association; Center for the Creative Arts; Darlington Arts Center; Chrysalis Art Center; Community Arts Center; and Chester Springs Studio—to learn about their inspiration and their process, and what magic means to them.
The way in which art creates community served as the inspiration behind this year’s Ballroom tree display … and each art center saw magic being made while creative minds of all ages came together to craft their ornaments. “Art is a thread that runs through Longwood in so many ways,” shares Longwood Horticulture Design Project Coordinator Olivia Fow, who worked closely with Longwood Associate Director of Display Design Jim Sutton on the Ballroom display. “Jim and I chose to connect with art centers for these trees because art and horticulture are so closely tied! The prompt I gave each institution was ‘what is magic to you?’ and they were able to interpret that through their creations.”
“Community involvement is something we strive to include whenever possible,” says Sutton. “As the theme of ‘magic’ developed, there was an artisan theme that ran through the Main Conservatory display—from the hand-assembled translucent tree in the Fern Floor to the local student-made faux cakes in the Music Room—and the Ballroom fell right into place with showcasing the creations of community art centers.”
Centered Clay Studio (Kennett Square, PA)
For the Centered Clay Studio, building a welcoming and inclusive community committed to making art is an important part of their daily lives. Opened in September 2022, the Centered Clay Studio offers classes, membership, clay date workshops, group events, and artist techniques for anyone wanting to learn how to create with clay. The Centered Clay Studio has also hosted Longwood Continuing Education workshops focused on bonsai and orchid planters, ceramic seed starters, and clay luminaria.
To create the ornaments for our Ballroom display, Centered Clay Studios offered several workshops where students, members, and friends of the program gathered to learn new techniques. “Our ornaments have a variety of designs. They include delicate snowflakes, glass embellished seed cups reflecting the tree lights, flowers to signify the many plants in Longwood, mini-houses that are warm and welcoming, birds enjoying the tree, and a light-spirited garland,” says Centered Clay Studio Director and Owner Debby Wyatt.
Centered Clay Studio’s snowflakes are made of paper clay dipped in terra sigillata, and they are the idea of one of the studio’s instructors, Rachel Bevis. Photo provided by Centered Clay Studio.
The flowers the studio created are hand-assembled porcelain that were hand-cut and crafted by students and members who had never previously made flowers or worked with porcelain. Photo provided by Centered Clay Studio.
Each unique to the one who designed them, the mini-houses are made of extruded stoneware. Photo provided by Centered Clay Studio.
The mini-houses seemingly float, nestled in Centered Clay Studio’s tree. Photo by Carol Gross.
Chester County Art Association (West Chester, PA)
“At the Chester County Art Association, art is more than a creative outlet—it's a way to educate, inspire, and connect our community,” says CCAA marketing staff member Francesca Phillips. As a nonprofit organization, CCAA offers educational opportunities for all ages through summer camps, year-round classes, workshops, and exhibitions.
“The ornaments created for this project were as diverse as the artists behind them,” says Phillips. From recycled materials to clay, paint, fiber art, and mixed media, CCAA got creative with their materials and brought together artists of all ages—from summer art camp students to seasoned instructors—in a celebration of creativity and collaboration. Each piece reflects the unique talents and perspectives of the CCAA community while staying true to their mission of fostering education and connection through art.
Crafting with clay was one way that students got creative. Photo provided by Chester County Art Association.
Imaginations ran wild as CCAA students used a variety of materials to craft their ornaments. Photo provided by Chester County Art Association.
Students made small ornaments out of clay with abstract shapes and CCAA’s acronym. Photo by Katie Testa.
CCAA staff added an educational twist by crafting clay ornaments featuring fun facts about the organization’s history, mission, and programs. Photo by Katie Testa.
Center for the Creative Arts (Yorklyn, DE)
CCArts aims to build a safe, welcoming, and accessible space in which people of all ages and abilities can feel empowered to tap into their creativity. “The magic of CCArts shines through each and every member of our community and the work which they create in their time at the center,” shares CCArts Executive Director Melissa Paolercio.
Utilizing ceramic clay, canvas boards, acrylic paint, yarn, stained glass, old art supplies, paper, and so much more, CCArts students, staff, and community members crafted ornaments, garland, and even a tree topper to decorate their Longwood tree. CCArts staff, pottery studio members, youth summer campers, summer and fall semester students, teaching artists, and participants from both Red Clay Day and Outdoor Market events all joined forces to create the magical elements that adorn their tree this year.
CCArts had participants paint ceramics, giving them a space to express their creativity. Photo provided by the Center for the Creative Arts.
Here, a handmade clay ornament is stamped with the center’s name. Photo by Carol Gross.
CCArts Community Tree is covered in paper crafts, tiny paintings, and a huge tree topper made of artist’s tools—from paint brushes to rulers, pencils, sculpting tools, and more. Photo by Carol Gross
Darlington Arts Center (Garnet Valley, PA)
With a mission to build community by providing every art for everyone, Darlington Arts Center believes that art fosters healing, connection, and understanding. When crafting their ornaments, Darlington Arts Center began exploring how to celebrate the magical world of creativity in all its forms. Their ornaments—colorful paper hats and brooms for witches or wizards, works of art drawn onto wooden rounds, and more—were made by students, community supporters, staff, and teaching artists. Darlington's visual art teaching artist Jennifer Roman developed the design concept for the ornaments and created the tree topper.
Darlington Art Center’s take on magic combined the importance of creativity with all things mystical—from witches’ brooms to pointed hats. Photo by Carol Gross.
Guests will spot little handmade ornaments made from the heart. Photo by Laurie Carrozzino.
Darlington Arts Center's Jennifer Roman created a huge tree topper using pieces of sheet music, an ode to their offering of private music lessons for all ages. Photo by Katie Testa.
Chrysalis Art Center (Downingtown, PA)
Chrysalis Art Center was born out of a lifelong passion for education and the arts. After dedicating more than 40 years to her career in education, founder Beth Valitski set out to fulfill her dream of creating a space where art and community could thrive.
“The Center aimed to celebrate their students' creativity by giving them the freedom to explore their ideas and craft ornaments that truly capture the spirit of ‘Christmas magic’, shares Chrysalis Art Center co-founder Michael Gornee. “The process encouraged groups and individuals to stretch their imaginations, resulting in original designs that reflect the creativity and values of Chrysalis Art Center.”
Each ornament maker was inspired by what they love about the holiday season—from poinsettias to snowflakes and more. Photo by Carol Gross.
Among the ornaments, you’ll find gingerbread characters, famous magicians, clay birds with eggs nestled in yarn, melted glass pendants, magic-performing woodland creatures, shooting stars, glittered sunsets, and many other whimsical creations.
Spot geometric butterflies, tiny paintings, glass baubles, and more on Chrysalis Art Center’s tree. Photo by Carol Gross.
Guests can even find a tiny Harry Potter. Photo by Carol Gross.
Community Arts Center (Wallingford, PA)
Much like our other art center partners, celebrating their community members’ individuality was at the core of the Community Arts Center’s approach to the project. The designs that they created represent the diversity of creativity, vision, and creative pathways that are present at the CAC. “This individuality is evident even in the way the theme of magic for this year’s exhibition was interpreted very differently by different artists,” says CAC Executive Director Paul Downie.
The Community Arts Center, founded in 1948, provides a nurturing environment for artists at all levels of their creative journey, encouraging participation in the arts through advocacy, education, and outreach, and serving as a vital creative resource for the community. Photo provided by The Community Arts Center.
The Community Arts Center adds a little magic to their tree—fully inspired by our Christmas display. Photo by Carol Gross.
The majority of CAC’s ornaments were created using a process called hand-building—making things out of clay without the use of a potter’s wheel. The ornaments are ceramic pieces, which have been fired using the variety of kilns and techniques available at the CAC, including electric, gas, wood-fired, soda, and raku. Adult students in their ceramics program, ranging in age from their 20s to 90s, created the ornaments at a series of workshops hosted by teaching artists from the ceramics faculty.
CAC used clay to create witches’ hats, Christmas trees, stars, and more. Photo provided by The Community Arts Center.
The various clay firing methods that the CAC uses all create unique visual results—like the shiny quality of this festive snowman ornament. Photo by Carol Gross.
Historic Yellow Springs: Chester Springs Studio (Chester Springs, PA)
Chester Springs Studio in the Historic Yellow Springs village is more than just a studio—it’s a vibrant community dedicated to preserving history, fostering creativity, and connecting people through art and education.
A nonprofit visual arts organization within the village of Yellow Springs, Chester Springs Studio offers art classes and workshops in intimate classroom settings, led by dedicated faculty members and visiting artists. Photo by Carol Gross.
This project was a collaborative effort involving their dedicated studio techs, who handcrafted circular ornaments in various sizes, and members of the surrounding community, who participated in free painting sessions using acrylic paints to personalize the ornaments. These sessions were a wonderful opportunity for local residents and visitors to connect with the creative process and contribute their artistic vision. Historic Yellow Springs ornaments were designed to reflect the history and artistry of their organization. “This balance of historical preservation and artistic expression is at the heart of what we do,” shares Chester Springs Studio Arts Programs Director Athena Procsal.
The larger ornaments feature a low-relief design depicting scenes in Yellow Springs. Photo by Carol Gross.
Each tree shines on its own with beautiful details to discover. Photo by Carol Gross.
Stepping into our historic Ballroom, you enter a world of magic and creativity that each art center helped craft with their love of art and expression. With efforts of collaboration and details reflecting each ornament maker’s individuality, this display connects Longwood with our surrounding communities in so many ways … and we’re delighted to share their exceptional creations. Don’t miss these enchanting trees during your next visit!
