Hallmark Brings Local Artistry to National Stage Through Virtual Hallmarket Art Festival

 Hallmark Cards, Inc. is hosting the 11^th annual Hallmarket Art Festival from October 19-24. For the first time ever, this event will be held virtually, giving people all over the world access to hand-made, handcrafted artwork from more than 70 Hallmark, Crayola and Crown Media Family Networks employees and retirees. The artwork is offered in a variety of formats including paintings, prints, photography, home décor, jewelry and much more.

“For 10 years, Hallmarket has been a popular family art festival here in Kansas City, the home of Hallmark’s global headquarters,” said Nikki Meek, events and experience manager, Hallmark Cards, Inc. “Thanks to the innovative thinking of our teams, we are thrilled to be able to extend this wonderful event to even more families virtually.”

During this virtual experience, guests will be able to search through different artist pages and see samples of the artist’s work. If they are interested in purchasing, they can click through to the artist’s personal platform to shop. The experience will also include free live panels and workshops hosted by Hallmark, Crayola and Crown Media throughout the week. Visitors will also have free access to more than 50 pieces of on-demand content that includes articles, tutorials, and digital creations to download and share. The virtual content will range from tips on how to create art, to suggestions for self-care and connecting authentically with friends and family.

“At Hallmark, creativity and artistry is at the core of everything we do, and our creative organization is one of the largest in the world.” said Darren Abbott, SVP Creative, Hallmark Cards, Inc. “This virtual Hallmarket event gives our talented artists the opportunity to share their work with the world in a really unique way.”

Visit Hallmark.com/Hallmarket to learn more about the virtual art festival. Join the conversation on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter using the hashtag #Hallmarket.

About Hallmark

For more than 100 years, family-owned Hallmark Cards, Inc. has been dedicated to creating a more emotionally connected world. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri and employing 30,000 worldwide, the approximately $4 billion company operates a diversified portfolio of businesses. The Hallmark Global business sells greeting cards, gift wrap and related products in more than 30 languages with distribution in more than 100 countries and 100,000 rooftops worldwide, including about 2,000 Hallmark Gold Crown stores in five countries. Crayola® offers a wide range of art materials and creative play toys designed to spark children’s creativity around the globe. Crown Media Family Networks operates three cable channels – Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, and Hallmark Drama – in addition to Hallmark Publishing, a leading publisher of uplifting eBooks, audiobooks, and print editions, and Hallmark Movies Now, a subscription-based streaming service. Crown Center is a real estate development company that manages the 85-acre hotel, office, entertainment and residential campus surrounding Hallmark’s headquarters. For more information, visit Hallmark.com.