For only $160, you can have a "Maserati" table tennis racket with your own ball on the attached stand with the word "KAPOW" printed on it.
These paddles were made by John Hay, a carpenter and puppeteer in the Lansing area, and are available at the annual Michigan Manufacturing Holiday Art Show at the Lansing Art Gallery and Education Center. This is the result of a collection of more than 60 Michigan artists across the state, and it is one of many works sold through various media.
The exhibition is open to the public from 11 am to 3 pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and appointments are scheduled outside of these hours. You can also place an order through the gallery’s online store (buyart.lansingartgallery.org) for delivery or pickup at its location at 119 N. Washington Square.
Barb Whitney, executive director of the gallery, said that the criteria for selected works include the craftsmanship, marketability and consistency of styles of the works submitted by the artist. The exhibition is co-curated by artist Najeema Iman and gallery sales director Katrina Daniels.
One artist who has works in the exhibition is Linda Beeman, who lives in Owosso and works in Japanese mokuhanga watercolor woodblock printing. The technique involves sculpting blocks to carry the paint of each color needed for the final image; the colors are layered block by block into a cohesive work.
Beeman applied this technique to matchboxes, which were popular mokuhanga prints in the first half of the 20th century. She exhibited a series of miniature scenes from Michigan in this year's exhibition, which were installed in a wooden shadow box. .
The prices of cards and household items made by artists start at less than $10, and the prices of large-scale works can climb to thousands of dollars. The most expensive work is a graphite and acrylic illustration on wood by Oakland County artist Connor Acheson, valued at $2,500.
Whitney said that many of the works in the exhibition are these more expensive investment-style works. Gifts worth thousands are not realistic for many people, so the exhibition provides payment plans and lease options, and customers can rent the work for a month before committing to the final purchase.
The participating Grand Rapids artist and Solstice Handmade owner Dayna Walton made embroidery kits for beginners, with a focus on bed bugs. The kit comes with three thread colors, a printed fabric for stitching patterns, a needle and a four-inch embroidery hoop.
Walton painted the "Pondscum" mural under the Cedar Street Bridge last year, depicting an enlarged view of the algae in the Rio Grande. Daniels says that Walton brings the natural world to the audience in all of her works, regardless of scale.
"It's really interesting to see her work, on a 30-foot wall or on a small pin, and see that she is using the same image," Daniels said.
Most of the work in the exhibition focuses on sustainability. Kalamazoo artist Trevor Grabill uses reused wood to make his print frames, while carpenter Megan Shannon uses trees cut and milled from her own property to make bookends and furniture. Designer and participating artist Kamryn Whitfield's FLESH series of clothing and bags inspired by skin tone are durable and far away from fast fashion.
Whitney said that buying local gifts from artists in the state helps the gifts get closer to home and also allows shoppers to avoid supply chain issues and delays in delivery.
Whitney said: "Shocking, or perhaps not so shocking, we found that since 2020, people are very interested in buying local products." "Knowing that these artists are working in a safe space and their works are not being shipped Overseas, this is very valuable."
Contact reporter Annabel Aguiar at aaguiar@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @annabelaguiar.