Ah, it’s that time of year again. The day after Thanksgiving—called Black Friday- has just passed. People across the country have vied for their front-of-the-line spaces to enter their favorite stores at the crack of dawn and shop till their hearts delight for Christmas gift surprises for loved ones. According to statistics by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Black Friday is somewhere between the fourth to the eighth biggest shopping day of the year-- a triumph for businesses, given the current economic slump. For many, this is what Christmas represents. The gift of choice purchased from a big-name retailer and the opportunity to know that you’ve bought something pricey (yet on sale) and popular for your loved one.  Remember the Tickle-Me-Elmo craze? How about the earlier rush in the 80’s for the last Cabbage Patch Kid on the shelf?  For some though, Christmas-sharing means something significantly different.

Painting the Holiday Spirit
“I paint from the heart,” says Bridgit Artis, a mother of two. She admits that she gives gifts in a style all her own. A visual artist and teacher, Artis decorates store-bought clothing and purses and designs them with her own original miniature paintings. She is not one to stand in line for hours to purchase a gift for a friend.

“I have decorated baby bags for friends who have just had babies and I have a variety of purses that seem to be a popular,” Artis says. On her living room coffee table lay a variety of items Artis has either created for friends or made to sell in a flea market after the holiday. She holds up a pair of jeans and turns them around. On the pockets are two hand-painted images.

“These are the favorites when people see my work on clothes,” she says.

Artis’ creativity is not just something that surfaces during the holidays. Even before this Christmas season, Artis’ housewarming gift to a close friend was an “Artis original” painted on his living room wall.  The thirtyish-year old mother of two is a theatre teacher in PG County Schools, and has, for the past few years, also worked with young people who live in areas where constructive extra-curricular activities are needed. This past summer, she was a Youth Leadership Development Trainer with Covenant House Washington located on Mississippi Ave, SE—teaching young people art and engaging them in recreation activities. Patrons were able to see her original art work during the Market Day event that Covenant House Washington youth held during the summer.

“This [Christmas] time of year is a good time for me to show people what I do. It also brings people closer,” says Artis. What Artis means is that her artwork—always depicting an African-American man, woman or child—always encourages someone to ask her something about her work. Whether they are marveling at the intricate detail of the facial features of a character she has illustrated or intrigued with the color pattern she selected, Artis says that her art always fosters a spirit of community between her and other people.

“The holiday spirit is year-round,” she says.

Becoming the Holiday Spirit
“Yes, I’m Christian. I believe in Jesus Christ,” says Juanita Britton. “This holiday is special for that fact, it’s his birthday. But, I ‘m just not a one-day type of person. At Christmas I work on being humble. I pretty much do the same thing I do year-round,” she says.

Juanita Britton seconds Artis’ sentiment about Christmas and is happy to share with everyone her projects on deck for this particular season. Coming off of a busy travel summer, this Christmas she has taken a family under her wing to help make the holiday special.

“I work with different families each year,” she says.  “It just happens naturally, it evolves. Sometimes you meet people and you learn about them and you decide that you can both help each other out.”  This Christmas, Britton is bestowing local children with bicycles for the holiday.

Britton is the founder and co-owner of the Anacostia Art Gallery and Boutique in SE. She is also a local celebrity of sorts, renowned for her holiday bazaars at Shiloh Baptist Church on 9th St, NW and her internationally acclaimed business—BzB International. At both the boutique and at the bazaars, patrons can find an array of items ranging from African-American collectibles to fine art items such as paintings and hand-crafted dolls.

A successful business woman and a cultural preserver, Britton believes that God has blessed her with the will and means to help others and it is in her nature to be giving.

“My mother used to be concerned about me doing too much for other people and I wouldn’t have anything for myself…I really believe someone has to take someone and help them,” says Britton. “I’ve been doing little business stuff and volunteer stuff since I was ten years old. When I was a seventh grader, I volunteered for the Black Panther Party’s breakfast feeding program and got a spanking for skipping school because I would stop by on my way to school.”

But rather than it waning, the urge to help others grew within Britton until she was helping others as regularly as she traveled around the world as a businesswoman. It culminated earlier this year in the creation of an organization called the Random Acts Foundation.

“This dream just came to me just like it happened, but it didn’t, it came in a dream,” Britton recalls as she shares how Random Acts came about. “I told even people who I didn’t know about this dream. Later, I had real professional-like brainstorming sessions to get clarity on what to do to really make this work.”

What Random Acts became was a journey to Africa, visiting various countries and locations that were pivotal to the political and social changes taking place in Africa. While in these areas, she made small monetary donations to those she met along the way. Oprah Winfrey’s new school was one location visited in Africa. After the trip to Africa, the foundation was created and the video documentary became a film that debuted this past winter.

“I was able to do it in nine months. The movie was released in February. To take eleven people with me and to take a little kid in the neighborhood to expose him to some new experiences was so rewarding for me,” marvels Britton.

Britton’s celebrity extends to even those in her inner circle. On this particular day at Shiloh Baptist Church, one can overhear her brother introducing himself to two new people he has just met.

“I’m Busy B’s brother. I kind of have to say that to get people to say ‘oh, how are you’,” he says with a grin.

Living the Holiday Spirit
At-Large council member Kwame Brown enjoys the Christmas holiday as a day to celebrate the birth of Jesus through traditional reverence and rituals.

“Besides their birthdays, Christmas is definitely a time that my children look forward to,” shares Brown.  “It is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus and express our thankfulness to God for giving us His son.  In keeping in the spirit of giving, we enjoy the advent season by finding special gifts for family, visiting with friends and reflecting on all that the year has brought us.”

Given the tumultuous past year that has garnered the city a new mayor, a falling economy and rampant city changes, the Christmas season guarantees Brown a quick breath of relaxation with family.

“I look forward to spending time at home with my family,” Brown shares.  “Wrapping gifts all night on Christmas Eve and waking up to the sound of my children running to the tree is priceless.  And the family dinner—how can I forget it?  My wife makes the best cheesecake in the world, so I wait all year for this holiday to come around to indulge my sweet tooth!”