John Lubbock once said, “ Art is unquestionably one of the purest and highest elements in human happiness. It trains the mind through the eye, and the eye through the mind. As the sun colours flowers, so does art colour life.” Art allows us an appreciation for what is and what can be in our lives. Local art honors the values of our community while delighting our senses.
Local artists create one-of-a-kind pieces that exhibit the beauty of our community. Celebrating and supporting our local craftsmen and craftswomen allows us the opportunity to view and own unique pieces that make Celina the beautiful city it is. The opportunities to observe art in Celina abound - from the downtown murals to vendors' art at Friday Night Markets. This month, as we celebrate our local community, it seems only natural to show our appreciation for those that help make Celina more beautiful - our local makers. These artists create beautiful, custom art from a variety of media from paintings to leather to woodwork.
With great pleasure, we introduce you to a few of Celina’s own local artists. Meet Julie Cook of Julie Cook Designs, Thomas Hall of T.C. Hall Leather, and Collin Vaclavik of Callum East Design.
JULIE COOK
JULIE COOK DESIGNS
Julie Cook of Julie Cook Designs has been a resident of Celina for 16 years. She started her business painting murals 24 years ago after graduating from college with a graphic design degree. Upon moving to Celina, Julie noticed that no one had sports signs in their yards and decided to change that. She wants every child to boast about their accomplishments! What started as a custom hand-painted yard sign business has grown to so much more. Julie now works with clients to create whatever they can dream up together in addition to yard signs. She has also partnered with several local businesses to create one-of-a-kind signage.
SHOP JULIE'S WORK: FACEBOOK.COM/JULIECOOKDESIGNS
THOMAS HALL
T.C. HALL LEATHER
Thomas Hall, the craftsman behind T.C. Hall Leather, works with luxury Italian leather to create custom wallets, watch straps, belts, and more. Thomas started working with leather in 2019 because it combined his love of design, photography, teaching, and writing, so he took a leap of faith into full-time small business ownership. He sources his materials from the best Tuscan tanneries and uses the traditional saddle-stitch technique to sew his lifetime-guaranteed products by hand. When you purchase from T.C. Hall Leather, you are supporting not only him but other artisans who care deeply about what they put into the world.
SHOP THOMAS'S WORK: TCHLEATHER.COM
COLLIN VACLAVIK
CALLUM EAST DESIGN
Collin Vaclavik of Callum East Design began building furniture as a pre-med student in 2010. Over time, his work has grown to include commercial finish-out work and residential remodels as well as custom furniture. Callum East Design recently expanded to a second location in Celina and serves clients all over the United States. Collin works closely with builders, architects, and designers to create unique pieces for his clients that blend modern designs with real materials. In addition to building with Callum East Design, Collin is also an owner of Thrown Axe Company in Celina and is an active volunteer with several local groups with his wife and five children.
SHOP COLLIN'S WORK: CALLUMEAST.COM