Once again perfect weather for a day of art in Mid-Michigan. Travels included stops in Downtown Lansing, Okemos and Williamston Michigan. Russ and I started our day two blocks from the Capital during the lunch rush. That was a new experience for me. I enjoyed the hustle on the streets and businesses. Our first stop was one we happened upon after parking, Grand Art Supply 107 N. Washington Sq.; Lansing, MI 48933. TOYS! Brushes, paints, inks, clay, shine, bulk, texture, colors, panels, canvases . . . TOYS! Can you tell I was excited. I was able to control my purchase down to a just a couple things knowing I had a whole day of shopping ahead. The gentleman working was knowledgeable and helpful in assisting us with our selections.

Just down the street was our first scheduled stop. The Lansing Art Gallery located at 113 S. Washington Sq.; Lansing MI 48933 ph: 517-374-6400. The open layout was inviting. Good lighting and art presentation. Talent burst from every piece. I was truly impressed with the standards kept throughout the Gallery regarding quality. The prices were fair. The selection of wall art was excellent. Upstairs is the Exhibit Area where High School Art was on display. Award ribbons next to many pieces. This is where The Social Discourse Exhibit will be held in July. I did find out that the pieces I submitted were not selected. Bummer. That’s okay . . . On to the next stop.

Because we were so close we thought it would be fun to re-visit Impression Five Science Center located at 200 Museum Drive; Lansing, MI 48864. We hadn’t been there since we were kids. I remember it to be magical and was excited to experience a little of that again. However cool it was the magic no longer there. Replaced with wisdom I suppose. Harrumph!

A quick stop at Art Unlimited 4692 Okemos Rd.; Okemos, MI 48864 ph: 517- 349-8278, just long enough to realize it was indeed a place create your ceramic and fused glass masterpieces. This is a stop for other day. So off we went to The Framer’s Edge & Gallery located 1856 W. Grand River Ave; Okemos, MI 48864 ph: 517-347-7400 First off the bat you notice an spectacular display of frame styles. They are a work of art themselves but were not as spectacular as the selection of art already framed and for sale. The owner has excellent taste. She has many prints available, ready to be framed as well. The sales woman was genuine and friendly and was able to help Russ find a print he had been looking everywhere for. She took his information and call him back the very next day. Take a look. Hearts found naturally in nature.

Williamston was charming and fun. For such a small town we certainly had enough choices for shopping. We started at Kathy’s Kreme of the Kropp - 110 E. Grand River; Williamston, MI 48895 ph: 517-655-3732. A boutique of everything cute. Tons of small cute items for gifts. Upstairs was stuffed with 50% off bargains. Whoohoo. I bought garden accents, Russ bought a cement head!

Around the corner was a Glass studio. Sadly it closes at 2pm and we were too late. We also missed a couple Antique shops due to weekend only hours. The coffee shop however was open as well as a nice book store.

My favorite in Williamston was our last stop of the day. The building located at 118 W. Grand River Ave. Williamston, MI 48895 is home to two businesses. Bloom by owner Aly Wendt 517-655-6800 and C A Concepts Studio by designer/artist Christine Freeman 517-803-4332. These two have go it goin’ on when it comes to home and garden accents and design. The store was filled with old and new items. Mixing the old with the new with creative re-assigning was carried out eloquently also. Old Windows hung sideways from the ceiling. Engine parts were welded together to create 3 foot tall metal flowers. Two planters stood as tall as I did. Their smoothly finished exterior disguised the fact that they were palm tree trunks! Holy Moly how cool is that!

Two antique “million drawer” dressers stole my heart. Christine took my name and will call me if she finds any more on her travels. We looked at two presentation books filled with her interior design work. WOW! She really should have her own show on HGTV. I was amazed to find this kind of talent tucked away into a small store in a small town in Williamston. She is AMAZING! If you are interested in a designer I highly recommend her.

I love win-win situations. Even more, I love win-win-win situations. Three benefactors in one! The Gifts of Art Program offered through the University of Michigan Hospital is just that.

• Hospitals benefit by not having to purchasing artwork.
• Patients, families and staff get entertainment, distraction and escape from their stressful situations.
• Artists works are seen by a large number of people.

Gifts of Art brings the world of art and music to UMHS patients, their families and friends, and staff. They offer 54 different Exhibit galleries viewed by an estimated 10,000 people every single day. Donated artworks are on display for a period of 8 weeks. Items sold during or within 30 days after the exhibit will be assessed a 35% commission which helps support the Gifts of Art Program.

Make a Art Date at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor Michigan.

 

“University of Michigan Hospital Gifts of Art Program

Gifts of Art brings the world of art and music to UMHS patients, their families and friends, and staff. This comprehensive program, one of the first of its kind in the nation, was developed as an extension of the Hospitals’ commitment to excellence in patient care, research, and education.

Gifts of Art offers artistic and aesthetic opportunities for its patients, their families and friends, and staff intended to revitalize and enrich their lives, assist and enhance the healing process, and reduce the stress and anxiety often associated with health care settings. In addition, Gifts of Art provides leadership in developing and exploring the relationship between the arts and healing.”

They offer a variety of art related services including 54 different Exhibit galleries, live music and an art cart program.

EXHIBIT GALLERIES

Gifts of Art’s eight galleries annually feature 54 different exhibits, including two and three-dimensional spaces that are viewed by approximately 10,000 people each day. This makes our galleries some of the most widely visited indoor, non-museum exhibit spaces in Michigan.

The artwork on display is richly diverse in style, medium, form and subject, and provides an ever-changing sampling of the best art the region has to offer. View our current exhibits online. For a quick reference for exhibit information, including gallery locations and hours, please go to our printable Exhibit Schedule Card (pdf).

Gifts of Art does an annual Call for Entries to select artwork for the Exhibit Galleries. Find out more about our Call for Entries. In addition, Gifts of Art hosts an annual Employee Art Exhibition that offers Health System faculty and staff an opportunity to display their creative works. Learn more about the annual Employee Art Exhibition.

How to purchase art: To purchase a piece of art on exhibit with Gifts of Art, please call (734) 936-ARTS. Gifts of Art accepts checks, visa and U-M employee payroll deduction.” . . .

“ART CART

The Art Cart program is a lending library of framed poster art. Volunteers take two colorful carts of framed posters to the patient floors in the adult and children’s hospitals and offer patients a selection of artwork to display in their rooms. The simple choice of artwork is one way we try to give patients a sense of control at a time when so much is decided for them. Many times these images have a profound affect on patients and become valued “companions” in their hospital experiences.”

Contact your local Hospital’s marketing Department to see if they offer a similar service. If not, suggest the idea as a win-win-win proposition. An exhibit could start out as a “one time test run trial” and progress from there as comfort levels increase. Volunteers could run a significant amount of the time involved to coordinate. Perhaps the local Arts Council could help in getting started.

I had the best day yesterday. I spent it with a friend walking around Old Town Lansing, Michigan. The weather was perfect for this time of year, mid 50’s and sunny. We visited many Art Galleries and Studios. I have to admit I was a bit surprised by how much character was in the area. There were special touches everywhere. The restaurant we ate at called Mama Bear had Paw Prints painted on the Metal structures under the awning outside the building. October Moon has multiple large planters on the sidewalk by the road to mark her spot. I can’t wait to see it in bloom this spring. Old brick buildings and murals were also a favorite of mine.Of the galleries we visited here are my favorites.

The Artisans Circle 1236 B. Turner St., Lansing, MI 48906 517-374-9864. This is an artist co-op, which I am considering joining. They opened in October 2007 and feature locally-made artwork in a variety of media including painting, pottery, leather work, quilting, blown glass and many other unique creations. I felt the quality of work here was excellent. These are a talented group of individuals. I very much enjoyed talking with Deirdre Hunt about the possibility of partnering with these artists to sell our wares.

Haze Inc. Gallery and Ceramics 119 E. Grand River Ave., Lansing, MI 48906 517-918-8446. Haze Inc. has been in Old Town for quite some time. Hazel Hotwagner who teaches and sells ceramics owns it. At the back of this store she has a kiln and tables set up for her classes. The front half she has other artists creations on display for sale. I saw some very nice art pieces as well as many nice craft items. This is somewhat an artist cooperative as Hazel offers space to artists at a small price and gives them a place to display works and join resources to help each artist make the most from their talent. They are moving to a different part of Old Town soon. This is another location I am considering to sell my works.

Hazel is a great resource and gave me a referral to Commercial Blueprint on Cedar Street in Lansing to have my works scanned and reproduced. The reproductions I saw in the store were excellent and the Artists were able to sell them for a very reasonable price. I was impressed and will be giving them a call.

October Moon 1209 Turner St. (soon to be 119 E. Grand River Ave.), Lansing, MI 48906 517-485-4100. I absolutely loved October Moon. After I visited her store I felt like I had been somewhere special. The owner is beautiful and greets you with a wonderful smile. She is very down to earth, just lovely herself. The store is packed with a good variety of things. Lots of small boutique items, a large assortment of marinates, dressings etc., charming house wares and gift items like leather picnic bags and unique slippers. I purchased a beautiful blue bud vase with heavy magnet attached. Sounds a bit odd I know but it’s so charming. I plan to display clippings from seasonal blooms. When they wilt I won’t feel bad to toss and replace because it’s just a few blooms and because the vase is magnetic, I won’t have to worry about it tipping over or the cat getting to it. The clincher with October Moon - she wrapped my vase in tissue paper and made it pop up over the top of the bag like a gift, then tied a beautiful freshly cut pink rose to the handle with brown twine. I felt special for my tiny purchase. She gave me an ‘I’m moving card” that also said “Thank you for being a part of my little store”. I can tell she means it.

Absolute Gallery and Custom Framing 307 E Grand River Ave., Lansing, MI 48906 517-482-8845. Absolute Gallery is a large gallery receiving the most wall art award for the day. There were lots of excellent works on display at reasonable prices. Framed art on old brick walls and tons of loose prints and originals in bins to flip through, large greeting card assortment featuring artists’ works for $3 each. She also has over 7,000 frame moldings, wow!

Walking Horse Gallery and Gifts 1212 Turner St., Lansing, MI 48606 517-484-9545. Don’t let the name fool you. This is not an equestrian art gallery. They do have some very nice original equestrian works but also an assortment of well just about everything else. I particularly liked her wreaths and a metal wall piece with excellent patina made to look like an old outdoor wall lantern.

Other places we missed for one reason or another.

ae Gallery 523 E. Grand River

A Simple Elegance 317 E. Grand River

Creole Gallery 1218 Turner St. - Weekends Only

Honora Bird Studio and Gallery 1207 Turner - Enter from the Back

Little Blue Hippo Art Studio 511 E Grand River

Studio 1210 1210 Turner St.

Old Town is Wonderful and from everything I see and hear it’s growing by leaps and bounds in beauty and culture. Forget filling the gas tank. Instead I suggest taking advantage of this local attraction.