Taking A Local Art Trip: Saper Gallery, Technology Businesses, Favorite Artists

Friday May 16, 2014 - A beautiful day and most of the university students have turned the town over to the locals. That means less student traffic and more art festivals and music events in the streets.  We went to the big art museum but it was closed until noon so we went to other art venues in town, what a great treat.  

Fortitude, 18x24 oil on canvas, currently at MMAG show

       In previous blogs we have noted visits to interesting venues to display our art. The last few weeks we have placed paintings in a variety of businesses supporting the local art scene. The first was the newly renovated Okemos Library, Mid Michigan Art Guild (MMAG) member show. The show highlighted the talents of members in the local art guild. The second is a start-up incubator office space for a very creative business community, the Technology Innovations Center (T.I.C.). The show was launched by live music and libations and a bonus, Maureen Ryan, one of the visual artists is also a fine vocalist. The third is a similar venue, a service center for several businesses relying on the new technologies for expansion, Force by Design. It too has wall space just waiting for the creative touch by artists. A big thank to you all for letting for us brighten your days.  

Autumn Dune Grasses, 16x20 acrylic on linen currently at Force By Design

       Our local art adventure on this brilliant day was moving along just fine, the kind of adventure that nourishes the soul, and we were not done, the morning was still young. On to our top notch and highly acclaimed art resource, Saper Gallery of East Lansing, Michigan.  We were greeted by a charming assistant who was willing to discuss the local art and how it is shaped by the bigger art world. We started discussing the works of Tunis Ponsen, a Michigan native originally from Muskegon. Tunis Ponsen is a fine mid-century oil and water colorist. Roy Saper of Saper Gallery holds a number of Ponsen beautiful works for sale. There were several fine works by other Michigan artists in the gallery. The work of an artist friend, Barbara McCleary, was its usual top form and a real treat so see in such a

Cooling of the Dunes, 20x24 oil on canvas, currently at T.I.C.

magnificent gallery setting.

       While we were having our local art adventure in East Lansing, the activity pace in town was picking up as 180 artists were moving in for the 51st East Lansing Art Festival. This should be a fun weekend. We hope some university students come back to see their city in its best artsy party mode.

Look about you for some fine art,

Joel

www.joelellisart.com  

DIA, FIA, KIA, and SAC Art in Michigan, Check It Out!

Summer is finally here with all the ballgames and family gatherings. Travel to and from these fun times will be a blessing and a lots of fun. In summer, we move around the state a great deal. Along with the family and the drop off and pickup of art entries, we accumulate a whole lot of miles on the road. There is also the bonus of new sights to explore.

Michigan is a very diverse and beautiful state that never fails to amaze the serendipity explorer. As we travel this northern U S state we are amazed by the bountiful natural water reservoir, the Great Lakes. Lake Michigan, I think, is the jewel in the Great Lakes crown. With its broad sand beaches and dense emerald forests and inland lakes that give the nature lover a superb blend of natural beauty.

If your fair is the urban life don’t miss the many charming small towns. The small cafes and bakeries with their friendly locals are as pleasant as any town in Europe. Check out Northport, Michigan - great cinnamon rolls! 

If your travels take you on the many miles of expressways don’t forget to pull off at some world class art venues and fine art galleries throughout Michigan. Detroit with it diverse ethnic population can be a lot of fun to explore. Don’t forget the Detroit Institute of Art (DIA), one of the best in the world. Be sure to stop and marvel at the grand historic and masterful Diego Rivera mural. There are many art communities that are a must see for a Michigan art tour.

Flint Institute of Art (FIA)  is as classic as any urban art venue in the country, with an exceptional permanent collection as well as classy travelling shows. Kalamazoo Institute of Art (KIA) rests in a very artistic region. The exhibits are world class. That was where we first became aware of Tunis Ponson’s work which is now under the curatorial protection of Roy Saper of Saper Gallery in East Lansing. Yes, right here in this artsy little town with big visions for art.  

A great example of smaller community superb art exhibits is Shiawassee Art Center (SAC) in Owosso where art thrives through an enthusiastic collaboration between staff, volunteers, friends of, and the community businesses and individuals. Many communities throughout Michigan have this same enthusiasm for the importance of art in the health of the community. Check them out as you travel.

Saugatuck-Douglas has some of the best art venues in the state, and a little further up the west coast of Michigan you can find other fun art communities: Traverse City where original art abounds, Manistee, and Charlevoix with contemporary galleries and old world classical paintings. These are just a few.

ArtPrize (in September), in Grand Rapids, has grown into international importance with its size and diverse venues throughout the city. One of the main attractions for huge sculptural art and smaller works in the main building gallery is at beautiful Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids. That is where we became reacquainted with the excellent kenetic sculptor, George Rickey.

I’ll keep you posted on the various venues and paintings we deliver, and here’s hoping we do a lot of traveling this new art season.

Happy art travels, Joel