Editor's Note: Text by Sandi Carroll and house images by Cathy Bersre.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The IMAGES Tour of Homes will present six unique and fascinating homes in New Smyrna Beach festively decorated for the holidays, and a fantastic boutique featuring handmade gift items, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5.
This is the main fundraiser for the 34th annual IMAGES: A Festival of the Arts, an outdoor fine arts show. Featured homes will include:
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The incredible Tuscan-style country home of restaurant owners Jeffrey and Paige Gehris on Canova Drive;
The early 1900s “Florida Bungalow” home of Grace Realty owner Melissa Latty on North Peninsula Avenue;
The artistic home and pottery studio of artists Christian and Jennifer Kerr-Marsch on Magnolia Street; .jpg)
The elegant and comfortable home of cooking school instructors Ed and Nora Pankonin on Arts Center Avenue;
The Turnbull Bay “perfect retirement” home of former Dade County school administrators Russ and Marcine Wheatley on Osprey Cove Drive; 
The beautifully renovated Island-style home of consultant and interior designer Palmer and Diane Wilson on Donlon Drive. 
The IMAGES Tour Boutique will be held at the Whatmore Commons at Atlantic Center, 1414 Art Center Avenue, and will feature refreshments and fantastic items created by the talented artists from the ACA Volunteer League.
The group has been working hard since last year, meeting each week to create unique gift items and festive hand-made decorations. Items for sale will include hand painted shirts, appliquéd aprons, jewelry, painted table cloths, flowers made from recycled materials, seashell adorned flowerpots and mirrors, decoupage vases, Christmas tree ornaments, adorned wicker baskets, Judi Dold mermaids, Mosquito Mud Pottery tiles created by Jennifer Kerr-Marsch, glass ornaments by Gallery di Vetro and much more.League members will continue working on new items right through December.
The Tour of Homes also includes a visit to the Little Theatre of New Smyrna Beach, which will be holding a special holiday production Nov. 20-Dec. 6 of the classic Tony Award-winning “Oliver!”
The Little Theatre, a not-for-profit organization that has been presenting live performances since 1947, closed for renovations and expansion in 2004. With Volusia County ECHO matching grant funds of $467,000, the contributions of hundreds of supporters and donations of time and materials, the facility reopened Thanksgiving weekend 2005.
The new building provides much needed space for rehearsals, productions and additional educational programs to serve the community. Members will give tours from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. of the renovated theater building at 726 Third Ave., 386-423-1246, including:
The lobby/box office area, The auditorium, the stage, and the lights and sound booth;
The rehearsal hall The back stage area, carpenter shop and costume storage area;
The Green Room, including dressing rooms, make-up and kitchen area.
TICKETS:
Tickets for the IMAGES Tour of Homes and Boutique are $20 each. Tickets are available at the Images office, 214 S. Riverside Drive and Atlantic Center for the Arts, 1414 Arts Center Ave., both in New Smyrna Beach.
For more information, please call (386) 423-4733, or e-mail images@imagesartfestival.org.
IMAGES would like to thank Island Life for being a sponsor of the Tour of Homes. The Tour of Homes is the main fundraiser for and benefits IMAGES: A Festival of the Arts, a nationally recognized juried art show, which will be held from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30; and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31, at Riverside Park, along Riverside Drive, and partway up Canal Street in downtown New Smyrna Beach.