Start the Holidays bids farewell to impactful founder

Some of the turn out from the successful second day of Start the Holidays

When it comes to holiday shopping, many want to support small businesses and shop local, but so many talented sellers don’t have a storefront and are sometimes harder for the public to find.

How would one find these sellers to purchase the adorable handmade goods they’re selling? The answer is at the 12th annual Start the Holidays Art Show, a wonderful pop-up market held this year at Factory 163 on Nov. 17 where local sellers showcase their goods.

The Start the Holidays Art Show began 12 years ago as an online publication aimed to highlight the artists in the Stratford area.

“My good friend Jo-Dee Burbach and I created an online arts and culture magazine called Start Stratford. It highlighted the diverse and extremely talented community of artists and artisans that call Stratford and the surrounding area home,” said Ann Baggley, co-founder of the magazine.

Start Stratford began the process of shedding light on artists and artisan sellers, but Burbach and Baggley wanted more for their project and, in 2011, they brought Start Stratford into the world and the first ever Start the Holidays Art and Show Sale was born.

Baggley is a self-taught photographer who resides here in Stratford. After 15 years as a successful actor, Baggley decided it was time to follow her passion for photography, a passion that came to be thanks to her kids.

“My interest and subsequent love for photography began about 17 years ago. Through photography, I began to find real joy and satisfaction in capturing and storytelling my children's lives, the world around me and, of course, people. I love photographing people,” said Baggley.

The show had many successful years under its belt, with 2019 being their largest turnout, though they had anticipated 2020 to be another huge turnout.

“We had to take a couple years off because of the pandemic. We did offer online shopping; Jo-Dee created an online marketplace that we felt could reflect a show for artists,” Baggley said.

The show and sale began changing after moving to online for two years, then transitioning back to in-person once the worst of the pandemic had passed. At this time, Burbach had to step away from Start the Holidays, focusing on her work as a Stratford city councillor, leaving Baggley as the head coordinator of the market. Once Start the Holidays wrapped up its 2023 show, Baggley was approached by two artists, Monique Lund and Laura Mowbray, who both expressed great interest in joining the organizational team for the show.

With Baggley saying her final goodbyes at this year’s show, Start the Holidays was given to Lund and Mowbray.

“This year marked the beginning of a new chapter for the Start the Holidays brand as it transitioned from Ann Baggley to the care of Courtney Othen and I,” Mowbray said. “We assumed the roles of organizers and curators, carrying forward the shows legacy.”

The main theme for the show this year was saying goodbye and good luck to Baggley, showcasing her photography and the impact she has made on the artistic world.

“As the founder of Start the Holidays, Ann created a legacy of fostering creativity, connection and community. Her dedication to supporting artists and showcasing fine craft left an indelible mark on Stratford’s cultural scene, inspiring both artists and art enthusiasts alike. This year’s show served as a heartfelt tribute to Ann, reflecting her vision and celebrating her contributions to the arts,” said Lund.

This send-off for Baggley was very well received with a turnout of 1,200 attendees over the weekend and $2,289.60 raised in donations, making it one of their best-attended events. Lund and Mowbray have set new and exciting plans for Start the Holidays’ future while still honouring how the show started.

“The Stratford Art Market emerges as a renewed home for this thriving artist community. It carries forward the shared vision of creativity, connection and community,” said Lund. “The Stratford Art Market aims to celebrate and promote Stratford’s and area artists and their work through artist-focused shows and events.”

For more information about Start the Holidays, visit startstratford.com and stay up to date on their Instagram page at @start.stratford. For more on Baggley’s work, visit annbaggleyphotography.com or her Instagram @annbaggley10.