Lake Michigan’s coastal beauty and the Leelanau Peninsula’s charming small towns paint the backdrop for a one-of-kind self-guided art crawl.
Galleries abound within the region called Land of Delight. Encompassing the Michigan Mitten’s pinky, the Peninsula art scene lives up to the name.
Suttons Bay is a good starting point for discovering fine art capturing NoMi’s scenic environment and lifestyle. From Traverse City, hop on M-22 and travel to the beach town where Brenda J. Clark’s working gallery features her bold, colorful, powerful expressionist paintings. If you’re lucky, you might catch the graphic designer, illustrator and painter at her easel.
Continue along the lakeshore road to make Wright Gallery in Northport your next art crawl destination. Discover the contemporary abstract paintings of Pier Wright which celebrate color, form and spontaneity.
“It’s how I make sense of the world,” the artist said.
In this picture-perfect community, Northport Arts Association hosts its 2024 Members Art Exhibit this month at the Village Arts Building. Organizers pledge the show will be the “biggest, boldest, most exciting and artful event of its kind.”
A 15-minute crawl down M-22 from Northport leads to Leland’s historic Fishtown. Wander through the village to Art Shanty, a pop-up art space inside the old ice house. Operated by Fishtown Preservation Society, the rustic gallery provides artists and artisans this eclectic space to exhibit their works for one week and to court new fans. First opened in 2021, this season the ever-changing venue showcases original graphics of Michigan life, beach-inspired pottery, oil paintings depicting local beachscapes, boating scenes and more.
“Art Shanty encourages locals to come on down and for people who come once a year, it’s an added bonus,” said the Society’s assistant director Summer Meyer.
While in Leland, stop by the Old Art Building, home to the Leelanau Community Cultural Center, a hub of creative activity, workshops, shows and events. Check out the Center’s Facebook page to learn what’s on tap during your crawl visit.
Next, jump back on M-22. Travel 30 minutes south to Glen Arbor, home to a bustling enclave of artists and galleries. Owned by David Thomasma, Glen Arbor’s Synchronicity is one of the largest galleries in the region. The gallery curates the works of 95 artists, including painting, sculpture, pottery and other media, which range from abstract to realistic, traditional to contemporary pieces.
“We pride ourselves on the fact that we think we have the best artists Northern Michigan offers,” Thomasma said.
Glen Arbor is also home to one of three Becky Thatcher Design shops. Thatcher’s elegant jewelry designs reflect the artisan’s love of nature. Her collections include the Endangered Insect, Forest Floor, Petoskey Impressions and the Woodland Series.
Glen Arbor Artisans is another must-see stop in this creative community. The quaint whitewashed gallery building pops from the landscape. Surrounded by flowers and evergreens, the gallery bursts with watercolors, pastels, sculpture, photography pen and ink and handcrafted furniture created by owners Paul May and Kristin Hurlin and others.
Head 16 miles east of Glen Arbor to Maple City, a tiny village nestled in the heart of the Peninsula. Here, Good Harbor Gallery and Pottery Studio owned by Victoria and Gary Gallup inspires with imaginative pottery, original paintings, fine art prints and photography.
Just a short three-mile crawl east of Maple City, more colorful works fill the senses in the Village of Cedar, population 102. Small, but not too small to support fine art. Cedar’s Duck to Swan Gallery features the work of gallery owner plein air painter Michelle Jahraus. The soft, romantic tones of her paintings bring to life Leelanau fields, orchards, farm life, beaches and waters.
Wind back through the countryside to reconnect to M-22 via M-72 West to explore art in the heart of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Home to the park’s Visitor Center, Empire art works echo the grandeur of the beloved park. Cynthia Taggart’s The Secret Garden Gallery, housed in a 19th-century storefront, features a contemporary, whimsical and affordable fine art collection.
“Oil paintings, photographs of Benzie and Leelanau counties and pottery fill the walls,” Taggart said.
These and more galleries invite all to share the spirit and treasures of the Land of Delight through the inexhaustible creative visions of Leelanau’s many gifted artists and artisans.
Editor’s Note: This story first appeared in the Record-Eagle’s June issue of GT Scene magazine, available at locations throughout the region.