Featured Artists, Speakers, Musicians
Julie Berry is a Utah-based artist who tells human stories through her art. Guided by her faith in God and love of travel, she approaches life with boundless curiosity and creativity. Using her signature mixed-media technique, Julie creates original mono-printed papers to form richly textured backgrounds and intricate details, then paints expressive faces, hands, and gestures in oil and acrylic. Her work seeks to reveal the personality of both the artist and the subject.
Julie holds a BFA from Brigham Young University and she has pursued advanced studies at the American Academy of Decorative Finishes in Scottsdale and The Day Studio in San Francisco, as well as workshops with William Whitaker, Jenedy Paige, and Juliette Belmonte. When she’s not creating, she enjoys time with her greatest masterpieces—her five children and nineteen grandchildren.
Her happy place is her studio, where imagination and joy take form on canvas. Through her art, Julie hopes to inspire delight, curiosity, and a spark of creativity in all who encounter her work.
Jorge Cocco Santángelo, age 89, is an award-winning Argentine artist whose original works are featured in museums and galleries across Argentina, France, Japan, Mexico, Spain, Uruguay, and the United States. A self-taught master, he has explored a wide range of media—including painting, sculpture, lithography, etching, and ceramics—though painting remains his deepest passion.
Throughout his distinguished career, Jorge has served as professor and head of the art department at the Universidad de las Américas in Mexico. He founded art schools, and authored art textbooks in his native Argentina.
In recent years, he has devoted himself to developing “sacrocubism,” an original style that portrays sacred themes through post-cubist abstraction. Internationally celebrated, Jorge continues to create and inspire from his studios in Argentina and the United States.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Daily
Throughout the Exhibit – Demos by our 2025 Featured Artists Jorge Cocco or Julie Kay Berry
2:00-2:30 pm Christmas Stories for the Heart (for adults)
Hear local storytellers share beloved classic and new Christmas tales from around the world.
4:30, 5:30, 6:30 pm Marionette Shows (for all ages)
Watch hand carved marionettes tell the joyful story of Jesus’ birth, and join a fun singalong of Christmas carols.
Saturday
1:00-1:30 pm Community Living Nativity
Bring the Christmas nativity story to life! Join neighbors and friends to dress as an angel, shepherd, or any character from Jesus’ birth– or simply come in a festive spirit. Together we’ll tell the story, sing beloved carols, and share in the wonder of the season. All welcome (no animals, please.)
5:30-8:30 pm Studio of the Magi: A Sacred Story Painted in Real Time
Step into a living art studio where the nativity story comes to life. Local art instructors will paint a live model as a wise man beneath a luminous night sky—a sacred story unfolding before your eyes.
7:00 pm A Season of Healing, Peace, and Hope | Reverend Amos C. Brown
Hear Reverend Amos C. Brown, pastor for nearly 50 years of San Francisco’s historic Third Baptist Church, deliver an inspiring Christmas call to action with his signature passion and conviction. A protégé of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and longtime NAACP leader, Reverend Brown will offer bold reflections on healing, peace, and hope.
Sunday
7:00 pm Bells of Joy | Redwood Ringers Handbell Choir | Marilyn Hansen, Director
Redwood Ringers is a handbell choir of San Francisco Bay Area community members. Founded in 2008 by Marilyn Hansen, a seasoned ringer formerly with the San Francisco State Handbell Choir, the ensemble performs on 4.5 octaves of handbells and 3 octaves of handchimes, spreading the joy and spirit of the Christmas season.
Monday
7:00 pm Songs of Light| LALÒ Ensemble | Gianpaolo Eleria, Cofounder and Music Director
LALÒ Ensemble is a Bay Area vocal group blending Filipino and American musical traditions. Founded by alumni of leading Philippine university choirs, the ensemble performs sacred and contemporary works celebrating cultural heritage. With artistry and authenticity, LALÒ connects communities through powerful performances in concert halls, parishes, and cultural venues nationwide.
Tuesday
7:00 pm Creativity and Faith | Jorge Cocco and Julie Kay Berry
Be inspired by the personal journeys of faith and creativity shared by our two extraordinary 2025 featured artists: Jorge Cocco, painter, sculptor, ceramicist with studios in Argentina and Texas, and Julie Kay Berry, painter and mixed-media collage artist with a studio in Utah.
Wednesday
7:00 pm Carols of the Season | Mountain View High School Madrigals | Jill Denny, Director
Led by Jill Denny, the award-winning Mountain View High School Madrigals perform a rich repertoire from around the world. They have sung throughout the Bay Area, including Filoli and The Nutcracker at the San Jose Center for Performing Arts, with international tours featuring performances at St. Paul’s Cathedral and Notre Dame.