Sculpture aficionados will have the chance to get their hands on their own miniature casts handmade by artist Georgia Gerber and her husband, Randy Hudson.
The Whidbey natives are partnering with the Whidbey Community Foundation for the fourth year in a row to raise funds for grants that will go to local nonprofits.
As in years past, Gerber and Hudson are casting collectable figurines that can be purchased to benefit the grants.
Last year, $22,000 in sales was raised. The money contributed to the COVID-19 Community Resilience Fund that opened in March.
Gerber is best known for her sculpture of Rachel, the pig in Pike Place Market, and most recently, Hope, the Wishing Whale sculpture in Langley.
This year’s theme for the miniature holiday sculpture is Three French Hens, a nod to the Christmas carol.
Hudson said when the couple started making the sculptures as holiday gifts 22 years ago, they had more of a Christmas theme, and people have missed that, prompting a return to the theme.
The Three French Hens are about four inches wide and nearly two and a half inches tall. The small animals are cast in pewter.
The price for each sculpture is $250, with $90 covering the cost of materials. The remaining $160 is a tax-deductible donation.
Orders can be placed at whidbeyfoundation.org and picked up at Rob Schouten Gallery in Langley.
There is a home delivery option available for an additional $10, the estimated cost of shipping.
The holiday fundraiser will go until January 2021.
Gerber fans can also catch up on collecting the previous years’ sculptures. The 2019 Dashing Turtle, the 2018 Sheepish Rabbit and the 2017 Settling Owl are all available for sale on the Whidbey Community Foundation website too.
Hudson hopes the small sculptures will bring a “little joy” to the holidays this year.
In 2021, the couple and the Whidbey Community Foundation will decide where to direct the funds raised from sales.
In the past, nonprofits Holiday House and Good Cheer have been recipients of grants.
Gerber and Hudson are again partnering with the Whidbey Community Foundation to donate sales of the little collectable to Whidbey nonprofits. Photo provided.
