Twin Cities Holiday Gift Ideas for the Art Lover in Your Life
This holiday season, skip the big box stores and support local artists with our art gift guide. From paintings to wearable art and jewelry, there’s something for every art lover in your life. Because many are feeling the pinch of inflation, we’ve included options ranging from super saver to open wallet.
Soo Art Mart
After three years of absence, the Soo Art Mart returns to the pleasure of buying art in person. The expansive gift shop takes up two-thirds of the gallery space and features works by more than 50 artists from the Twin Cities. In Betsy Alwin’s mixed media sculptures, delicate lace patterns are used in surprising ways. Abby Mouw mugs offer tranquility in a mug. Write your own future with Lunalux notebooks from Jenni Undis.
The cheapest : $4 Stickers by Violeta Rotstein.
Very expensive: $980 watercolor/mixed media painting by Suyao Tian.
Sale ends December 30. Soo Visual Arts Center, 2909 Bryant Ave. S., #101, Deputies. Opening hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wed.-Fri., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. & Sun. 612-871-2263 or soovac.org/sooartmart2022.
Ice prints
The 41st The semi-annual cooperative exhibition features 72 prints made by 34 members of the Highpoint Center for Printmaking’s artists’ cooperative. If engraving is your thing, this is the place. Choose from a variety of offerings including relief prints, lithographs, screen prints and more. Subjects range from photorealistic snapshots and Minnesota landscapes to abstraction and nostalgic motifs.
The cheapest : $45 “Kite Fishing” silkscreen print by Melissa Sisk.
Very expensive: $1,200 Monoprint “Voyage II: Phantasmagoria” by Mei Lam So.
The sale ends on January 7. Highpoint Center for Printmaking, 912 W. Lake St., Mpls. Hours: 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 12pm-4pm Sat 612-871-1326 or highpointprintmaking.org
Art unleashed on
Gamut Gallery, hidden in the downtown-adjacent Elliot Park neighborhood, celebrates its 11e annual holiday market. This year’s sale began with 1,252 works by more than 55 Minnesota artists, and now nearly 1,000 works are still available for sale (200 of which are on the website). The gallery is full of works, ranging from pottery and prints to jewelry and clothing. Shop for herbal balms at Prajna Bodyworks, funky and cheerful abstract acrylic paintings by Lauren Strom, or a plaque of a tiny green T. rex poking out of a pink heart by Gamut Gallery founder Cassie Garner. Find many more options on the website at gamut-gallery.myshopify.com. Everything (except three works) costs less than $1,000.
The cheapest : $6 robot keychain by Linnea Maas.
Very expensive: $2,400 for the dripping, trippy painting “Flowers for You #4” by Evan Weselmann, who designed for rapper Kid Cudi.
Ends December 23 in person and January 10 online. 717 art. 10e St., deputies. Hours: 11am-6pm Wed-Fri, 11am-6pm Sat 612-367-4327 or gamutgallerympls.com.
Holiday Saturdays
Looking to buy directly from artists, right out of their studios? Seventy artists open their studios for the very last holiday Saturday at the Northrup King Building on December 17 from noon to 4 p.m. For those who don’t want to brave the icy streets, browse the NKB directory directly or select a gift card from one of 27 artists. If you still want to support local artists but want to choose from more names, go directly to the Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association and browse https://nemaa.org/shop. There are approximately 180 studios at Northrup King and approximately 400 artists and arts businesses.
Dec. 17 from noon to 4 p.m. Northrup King Building, 1500 NE. Jackson St., MPs. northrupkingbuilding.com
Art for Ukraine
Although not local to the Twin Cities, the AID2ART organization offers an art sale with 50% of the proceeds benefiting Ukraine’s creative community. Artworks are created by Ukrainian artists, designers, photographers and illustrators, including Vladyslav Musiienko’s photos of snowy Kiev at night and Rusaliya Abo’s illustration of a character hiking through the universe. On December 14 and 15 only, AID2ART is offering a 20% discount, lowering prices to $20 for poster prints and $12 for postcard packs. Visit aid2art.org. Free shipping on purchases over $100.
The cheapest : $12 for postcard packs.
Very expensive: $20 posters.
startribune Gt Itly
