If you haven't finished your holiday shopping at this point, you may feel tempted to slip some cash in a card and call it a day. But if you’re looking for a personal touch, a few local art galleries are offering unique gift options right up to Christmas.
The Lansing Art Gallery's 2016 Holiday Exhibition highlights a wide variety of gift ideas, with over 100 Michigan crafters and artists represented.
"This year we saw a big boom in ceramic sales," said Sara Pulver, gallery coordinator. "Handmade mugs, bowls and ornaments have been a big hit this year."
Ceramic works in this year's show include kitchenware items from Detroit-area clay artist Chrys Bonnay-Lewis and her studio, Pewabic Pottery, tiles with witty quotes created by Detroit-based ceramicist Melanie Brooks and whimsical tilted cups and teapots from St. Joseph artist Lynne Tan.
The exhibition features more than ceramics, however, including traditional fine arts from many mediums. Items range in size, with prices starting at $6.
Pulver added that jewelry has also been a big seller, which is typical for this time of year.
Grove Gallery and Studio's annual Holiday Art Show has also seen high numbers of jewelry sales, especially from local jewelry maker Deb Fehrenbach, who held her trunk show there earlier this month.
"We've sold lots of earrings and wearable art, like natural-dyed scarves," said Deb Cholewicki, gallery manager and an artist who exhibits at the gallery. "Soaps are also very popular this year."
Festive seasonal art has also seen strong sales.
"We've still got holiday ornaments for the tree and all sorts of stocking stuffers," Cholewicki said.
Fine art is also a big part of the show, including works by painter Julian Van Dyke, who holds an exhibition at the gallery in January.
At MICA Gallery in Old Town, the annual Art of Gifting art sale has seen stronger sales than previous years.
"We do still have a number of pieces available for purchase," said Katrina Daniels, the gallery's program director. "We have a wide variety of work, including hand-dyed silk scarves, miniature oil paintings, hand-painted cards, porcelain dishes, jewelry and more."
This year for MICA, smaller has been bigger. Daniels said that some of the most popular items have been tiny — crocheted cupcake pin cushions, hand-dyed bamboo socks and small porcelain ring dishes, to name a few.
"I believe the large array of price points have made this exhibit accessible to a wide variety of people and budgets," Daniels said.
Lansing Art Gallery 2016 Holiday Exhibition
Through Dec. 23 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday-Friday 119 N. Washington Square, Lansing (517) 374-6400 lansingartgallery.org
Grove Gallery and Studios Holiday Art Show
Through Dec. 24 Noon-5:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; noon-7 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday 325A Grove St., East Lansing (517) 333-7180, grovegalleryandstudios.com
MICA Gallery Art of Gifting
Through Dec. 23 Noon-5 p.m. Wednesday-Friday 1210 Turner St., Lansing (517) 371-4600, micagallery.org
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