By: Gina Lanaux

Christmas Art is a rich part of Fairhope’s legacy, and the art series entitled The Twelve Days of Christmas has become one of the City’s most legendary symbols of the season. 

In the 1950s, the city’s governors invited local artists to make creative wooden cut-out figures from the characters of Charles Dickens that were displayed on lampposts and stores downtown during the Holiday Season. The artists' community cherished the notion of sharing its creativity throughout the city. As time passed, these decorations were tattered due to weather and poor storage practices, so the city purchased some commercial decorations that were used throughout the 60s and 70s.

Because of Fairhope’s traditions of history and art, Mayor Jim Nix, the merchants, and other interested organizations decided that the original placards needed a new life. In 1978, local artists, led by Mary Hunter, began working on art for the 1979 Christmas season. Hurricane Frederick postponed the unveiling until 1980. Supported by an exhilarating community spirit, Fairhope’s Public Works installed downtown, forty-one painted wooden placards depicting Christmas scenes created by Mrs. Hunter and sixteen local artists. Mrs. Hunter painted the 2 by 4 foot Twelve Days of Christmas cards herself, and they were prominently hung along city blocks for 36 years.

A municipal decision was made in 2017 to change the city’s signage motif to banners. The Twelve Days of Christmas art was again retired to a city storage area. The next year, the Committee to Preserve Fairhope’s Christmas Art (CPFCA) was formed to work with the public and other artistic interest groups to preserve traditional Christmas art. The panels were retrieved from the warehouse, set aside as pieces of cherished history, and were eventually refurbished with funding from the Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival Foundation as well as the Fairhope Museum of History, which managed the project. 

All three of these organizations, along with creative local artisans, readied the art to be displayed for the 2019 season. The rejuvenated work was celebrated as part of the 125^th anniversary of Fairhope! The City of Fairhope keeps the cards and will display them in storefronts for years to come.

Public Art is a tradition in Fairhope and certainly adds to the beauty that surrounds us. We can be very grateful to the Committee to Preserve Fairhope’s Christmas Art, who has kept the Magic of Christmas that the original artists envisioned, alive for everyone to enjoy! 

The CPFCA will continue its mission to preserve historic Fairhope art. The committee foresees a gallery of historic art, featuring Christmas Cards and other nostalgic works that will remind us of all the Artistic roots of our community.

Author’s note … Thank you to Vicki Cook and local historian, Bob Glennon, for the research done for this story.