ROCHESTER, N.Y. — 'Tis the season of giving. In Rochester, an artist who is known for hiding art around the city is at it again playing Santa to help spread his love of creativity with strangers. Illustrator Magnus Champlin's Stocking Scavenger Hunt is back.

What You Need To Know

  •  Magnus Champlin is a Rochester illustrator known for his colorful, large-scale illustrations and designs

  •  He has collected art from a dozen artists to fill Christmas stockings to hide around the city

  • You can participate by checking for clues on MagnusApollo social media pages

Magnus Champlin, known as Magnus Apollo, in his creative space, comes up with super cool, large-scale and bold illustrations. He calls it "weird stuff" and he’s proud of it. He’s made a career of it.

“I like illustrations, I like painting, I do mural work. I always want to do the next fun thing,” said Magnus Champlin from his State St. design studio.

He likes making people smile so is at it again with a Christmas tradition of filling up and hiding Christmas stockings full of art around Rochester for anyone to find. 

“I put stockings at places that need love and attention," said Champlin. "I try to find a good spot, something that matters to me."

A dozen other Rochester area creatives have donated their original artwork to the stocking scavenger hunt that begins Christmas Eve. He’ll post stocking location clues on his Magnus Apollo social media including Instagram. He says folks find them just as fast as he can hang them.

“It is amazing how fast they go," said Champlin. "I have videos of people running up and capturing other people running up and getting the stockings. It makes me happy to see them enjoy my art and it makes me smile."

Champlin is Rochester’s Artsy Santa. He’s got the beard to boot and definitely has a heart of gold.