The Winona Times
Newspaper, November 1, 2001

Title: Sanford ornament to hang on White House Christmas tree

Montgomery County artist Penny Sanford has less than a week to finish the sculpting of a special commissioned ornament for the White House Christmas tree.

"At Home for the Holidays" is the theme for the White House this year, and the central focus each year is the 18-foot tree that is covered with special works from artists around the country. Four Mississippi artists were chosen this year to create a miniature replica of an historic home in the state.

"Governor (Ronnie) Musgrove's office assigned the Montgomery House from the Delta for me to sculpt in porcelain to represent Mississippi," Sanford said.

The Montgomery House was built in 1910 and is located in Bolivar County. It is designated a National Historic Landmark.

The specifications for the ornament are very strict, Sanford said.

"It must be three-dimensional, about six inches in width, and weigh no more than six ounces to eight ounces," Sanford said. "For porcelain, that will be a special challenge!"

Sanford is known nationally for her original designs, "Nature's Angels" and "Portraits in Porcelain", in polished porcelain.

Other guidelines from the White House dictate the ornament be white in color with a gold cord to attach the ornament to the tree. Designs and ornaments may not be reproduced for sale or advertised as "designed for the White House."

In addition to the special ornament for the White House Christmas tree, Sanford was asked by the Governor's Office to send an ornament representative of Mississippi to the Nixon Presidential Library. Her work will also hang at the Ford Presidential Library, the Reagan Presidential Library and the Bush Presidential Library this year. These ornaments have already been delivered.

Sanford's work has decorated an entire Christmas tree at the Mississippi Governor's Mansion for two years. Her designs have also been chosen to hang on the Christmas tree at the National Museum for Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., in previous years.

Sanford's ornament for the White House will become a part of the White House permanent Christmas ornament collection.

The tradition of a thematic tree in the White House began in the early 1960s. The Official White House Christmas Tree is displayed each year in the Blue Room of the White House.

The Official White House Christmas Tree is usually a fir or spruce tree that is chosen through a competition held by the National Christmas Tree Association. The 2000 Christmas tree was Douglas Fir from Pennsylvania.

Since 1966, members of the National Christmas Tree Association have presented a beautiful, fresh Christmas tree to the President and first family.

Past themes for the White House Christmas decorations have included:

2000 Holiday Reflections: a collection of the best of the ornaments and decorations from the previous seven years at the White House.

1999 Holiday Treasures at the White House: artists from across the country designed and created reproductions of colonial crafts

1998 Winter Wonderland: fabric artists made snowmen, the Knitting Guild of America members made mittens and hats, and The Society of Decorative Painters created wooden ornaments for the tree.

1997 Santa's Workshop: Miniature Santa Suits were made by over 100 designers from the Council of Fashion Designers of America; glass balls were made by glass artisans; the National Needlework Association members created needlework toys.

1996 The Nutcracker: Nutcracker ornaments were made by regional and professional Ballet Companies; Wood craft artisans made wooden nutcrackers; American Needlepoint Guild and Embroiders Guild of America members created needlepoint stockings.

1995 Twas the Night Before Christmas: Members of the American Institute of Architects and architect students created ornaments with this theme. Embroiders Guild of America and the American Needlepoint Guild also created needlepoint stockings with this theme.

1994 The Twelve Days of Christmas: Art and design students from Blue Ribbon Schools and the National Society of Tole and Decorative Painters made the ornaments this year.

1993 Angels: Artists from around the nation created angels in five different mediums.


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