The holidays are here, and it’s the perfect time to give the gift of art. Original art is a one-of-a-kind sentiment, and it's so much more personal than a mass-produced gift. Add to that the investment benefits that come with it, and art becomes the gift that keeps giving. Not sure where you can find art to give? Check out these opportunities below.

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The Skidmore Contemporary Art gallery will host a holiday reception for “Candy” on Saturday, Dec. 15. Although “Candy” opened in November, the exhibit will run through the end of December. The holiday reception takes place from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and celebrates artists Daryl Gortner, Tracey Sylvester Harris, Dave Lefner, Lori Larusso, Kelly Reemtsen and Robert Townsend.

The exhibit will showcase Lefner’s famous "Tootsie Pop!" lollipop pieces (they make charming holiday gifts). One of his works, a triptych, features three different flavors of the lollipops, and each of the three pieces can be sold individually.

“I intentionally did only the tops so, when the piece is framed, I could have wooden dowels hanging down below the frame to become the stick of the sucker,” explained Lefner. “That piece is definitely getting lots of attention, and we've already sold one set of the three, so far.”

He added, “I will be selling small 8 by 10 one-color linocuts of the Tootsie Pops for under $100 each, so it could be an impulse-buy for a holiday gift.”

Skidmore Contemporary Art is located at gallery D-2 in Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Ave. in Santa Monica. For more information, visit http://skidmorecontemporaryart.com/

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Photographs always make perfect holiday gifts.  Finding a framed photo of a loved one’s favorite legendary musician will earn any gift giver major points.

Photographer Nick Busco toured the country with many renowned musicians and has captured stars such as Bonnie Raitt, Tom Petty, Rod Stewart and more.  Now, one of his Freddie Mercury prints is currently showing at Mouche Gallery in Beverly Hills. 

Busco’s work can also be seen in a special one-night holiday event at Figtree’s Café (429 Ocean Front Walk) on Thursday, Dec. 20. The event is part of the Venice Art Crawl, which takes place every third Thursday of the month from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in Venice.

For more information, visit http://www.mouchegallery.com/ and http://nickbuscophotography.com/

Photographer Scott Tansey, known for his sweeping landscapes, will also be part of the Art Crawl event on the 20th. His work is currently showing at Figtree’s Café.  The café is featuring several pieces from his “Patagonia” series. Tansey said that some of his pieces have been used as gifts before.

“I think it’s wonderful to give photography as a gift,” he said. “When you make a connection between the recipient and the photograph, the appreciation of the photograph goes up exponentially.”

For more information, visit http://scotttanseyphoto.com/ and http://figtreescafe.com/