Thank you Art Fair goers

The weather was great, the art was fabulous and the 50th Ann Arbor Art Fair was a blast. A hearty "thank you" to the people who came to see us. We heard from so many people this year that even with all that the art fair has to offer, 16 Hands is a must-see. We love hearing that, and have often commented that with so many artists represented, we are like Ann Arbor's year-round art fair. Thank you again for your shopping with us, and for helping to make another fabulous art fair.

The photo above was taken by a customer during the fair, and sent to us a few days later. Thank you, Bonnie! It shows some of Jill's collection of hands that sit behind our sales counter. It made us think - we rarely get the opportunity to see the pieces people have purchased over the years, and sometimes wonder how pieces look in their new home. So, in the spirit of the blog, we're asking for photos from our customers who might like to show off some of their favorite finds. Send images of furniture, lighting, home & garden accents you've found at 16 Hands. Email them to info@16handsgallery.com with a description and/or the story behind them. We will use only first names, and will not share your contact information. We will handle resizing and formatting of the photos. Please keep individual image sizes to under 1MB, and feel free to contact us with any questions you have.

New figures by David Adix

Even though the primary focus of 16 Hands is functional craft, there are sometimes art pieces that catch our eye and just won't let us go. That was the case when several years ago, during a trip to Baltimore, MD that we saw the work of David Adix. His mixed-media figurative sculpture always get lots of attention, which, for a gallery representing over 400 artists, is really saying something. Like much of what we carry, the work has changed over the years. At first the elements that made up the sculpture were rusted. Nails, rusted wire, tools, metal parts and the like. Over time, David has introduced more color and a wider variety of materials. In his most recent examples, toys, jewelry and colored cord have been added to the mix. The presence and gesture of these figures still remains strong, along with the sense of history that the objects carry with them. There are a pair of figures at 16 Hands as of this blog posting. Both are around 32" tall. Find out more about David Adix.

Thank you, Paula Deen

When celebrities are shown using or wearing an item, it can be a great boost to the people and companies that make them. It is common to see images of actresses wearing a jeweler's designs, included in marketing materials by that artist. Beyond jewelry, home accents and kitchen items are often endorsed (officially or unofficially) by the hosts of design & cooking shows. One criticism we've heard from customers is that far too few of these products are domestically made. It's a concern that has been raised more over the past year than ever before, "who made this?", and "where is this from?". Our customers are becoming more tuned into the impact that independent craftspeople have on their local economies. We're happy that one of our most popular studios has seen this boost in the form of "Cooking with Paula Deen" on The Food Network. Tin Woodsman Pewter Co. designs, casts and finishes all of their pewter in their Oregon studio. Deen has become such a fan of their measuring cup and spoon sets that several different designs have been spotted in her kitchen, often in-hand, being used to create her signature dishes.

The cups and spoons are all lead-free and accurate for both dry and liquid measurements. Far too beautiful to just sit in a drawer, they are offered with counter-top and wall-mounted displays to keep them handy. We think of them as functional art for the kitchen. We've carried these sets for many years, and are thrilled that the use of them by Paula Deen has so strongly and directly impacted American businesses, including 16 Hands.

Find more handmade pewter by Tin Woodsman Pewter Co.