Sophie’s Gallery & Gift Shop, operated by St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center, is hosting the “Wings & Snow: Flock Together” holiday art exhibit from now through Jan. 31, 2025, at the gallery in downtown El Cajon. This free exhibit to open to the public to celebrate the variety and diversity of nature through unique art pieces during the holiday season. Flock Together marks the 24th annual Wings & Snow holiday exhibit. This year’s show, which blends nature with art, will feature bird mosaics, woodland animal paintings, mixed-media winter silhouette paintings, cyanotype feather prints, and a collection of handmade ornaments by the artists of Sophie’s Gallery.
For Flock Together, Cyanotype feather prints were made by placing feathers on sensitized paper and then exposing the paper to UV light in a darkroom. Areas unprotected by the feather turn blue and the area that was covered by the feather remains white or a light blue. A local falconer donated exotic feathers, which are considered domestic and are approved for collecting and art.
Over the past year, Sophie’s Gallery artists have been exploring cyanotypes, a process invented in 1842 for reproducing technical drawings called blueprints. They have created prints and products on sensitized paper, wood, and cloth such as handkerchiefs, prints, greeting cards, tote-bags, and key chains.
Sophie’s Gallery is an art program of St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center, located in Downtown El Cajon. St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center serves more than 400 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities through nationally recognized, innovative programs.
The exhibit is free and open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, email sophiesgallery@stmsc.org or visit the website at www.stmsc.org
