Art shopping in USA
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Dr Bob’s Studio
Self-taught outdoors artist Dr Bob is a fixture in the Bywater, and you’re sure to recognize his signature work – the ‘Be Nice or Leave’ signs that appear in restaurants and bars around town. Dr Bob’s work also turns up in the House of Blues and museums throughout the South. In addition to the signs, he’s known for his alligator carvings and sculptures of assembled found objects. Garbage-can lids, bottle caps, pieces of junked musical instruments and essentially anything that strikes Dr Bob’s weird sensibility is turned into art. His gallery is really a fascinating junkyard of art, with a sculpture garden comprising spray-painted lawn ornaments. The man himself …
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Stone & Press
A cool shop for enthusiasts of fine-art mezzotints, lithographs, wood engravings and etchings by modern American artists. Mezzotints are the emphasis here, and flipping through the huge collection (filed away in bins like records in a record store) is a good way to gain an appreciation for a largely underappreciated art form. Most of the artists featured are contemporary, and some are clearly pushing the envelope, exploring new possibilities and techniques. A startling range in texture, tone and definition is achieved in black and white and sepia hues. All works are original and printed in limited editions.
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Van Gogh’s Ear
There’s still plenty of drinkin’ and dancin’ going on in Whiskey Row’s fine historic saloons, but more recently the infamous strip has taken on a second life as Gallery Row. Deep pockets are required at Van Gogh’s Ear, where you can snap up John Lutes’ ethereal glass bowls, Dale O’Dell’s stunning photographs or works by three dozen other nationally known artists making their home in the Prescott area.
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New Orleans School of Glassworks
This school and gallery impressively fills 25,000 sq ft of an old brick warehouse. Glassworks is the sister school of the Louvre Museum of Decorative Arts, and excellent pieces are sold here. On Saturday afternoon you’ll usually see artists at work, and glass blowing is always worth seeing. Artists also specialize in stained glass, fine silver alchemy, copper enameling, printmaking, paper sculpture and bookbinding.
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Toro Mata
If your Andean trip fell through this year, Toro Mata provides a good backup plan. Inside this handsomely laid-out store, you’ll find a well-curated selection of Peruvian objects, including fluffy Alpaca rugs and cuddly stuffed animals, hand-carved chess sets and folk-art tableau, colorful tapestries, furniture and woven hats and sweaters. The friendly owners have a wealth of knowledge on Peru.
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Gerald Peters Gallery
Santa Fe’s preeminent restaurant and real-estate tycoon Gerald Peters’ gallery, two blocks from Canyon Rd, carries a collection of fine art that few museums can touch, with all the Southwest masters: Nicolai Fechin, Charles Russell, Edward Borein, Woody Gwyn and many, many more. The back room has treasures the Museum of Fine Arts can’t even afford.
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Seret & Sons
Feel like you’ve stepped into an Asian or Arabian bazaar at this giant art and sculpture warehouse. It offers a vast and fascinating collection of fine carpets, giant stone elephants, Tibetan furniture, pillars and solid teak doors – of course getting all this home take a bit of effort (or shipping money), but it’s fun just to browse.
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Old Print Gallery
This small store sells a fine array of vintage maps and prints, from the botanical to the architectural, with American portraits, gardens, locomotives, birds and New England scenes all on view. Prints are arranged by category and you can pay extra to have them framed. It’s a great place to browse and hold a bit of history in your hands.
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ArtSouth
This colony of artists’ studios is a good place to see local talent and pick up Glades-inspired artwork. It’s also a nice sight in and of itself; outdoor exhibits make the compound feel like a dreamy sculpture garden (or at least a decent free museum), and provide a good aesthetic anchor to the north side of Homestead’s main-street project.
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Nedra Matteucci Galleries
The Taos Society is on display at this top gallery, which shows the best work of Joseph Henry Sharp, Ernest Blumenschein and the rest of the gang. Don’t miss the beautiful gardens out back, which have monumental sculptures in stone and bronze, including work by Vietnam Women’s Memorial designer Glenna Goodacre.
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Poster Plus
Located across from the Art Institute, this superlative poster store carries reproductions of many of the museum’s best-known works, along with a number of fun, Chicago-specific historical prints dating from the late 19th century. Upstairs in the vintage room, European and American poster originals can go for as much as $30,000.
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Austin Art Garage
This cool little independent…well, we hesitate to call it a ‘gallery’ because that would needlessly scare some people off. Anyway, it features some pretty great artwork by Austin artists. (Hey, Joel Ganucheau: we’re fans.) Check out the website to catch the vibe, and definitely check out the ‘gallery’ if you like what you see.
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Kuma Central
A limited-edition toy shop that sells the sort of urban toys and playthings you can only find in Japan. The gidgets and gadgets and toys are all very neato, and the kids will no doubt love them (although they’d arguably be as happy with a fire truck) but it’s glaringly obvious parents are here for their own sense of cool.
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Photo Works
This is a polished showroom for the accomplished photographer Louis Sahuc ( sigh -ook), who has been shooting New Orleans for years and years. Sahuc’s beautiful prints capture timeless images of the city. They are vantages upon which even Hurricane Katrina failed to impose change.
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New Orleans Glasswork & Printmaking Studios
In an immense 25,000ft brick building, New Orleans Glasswork & Printmaking Studios is a combination studio and gallery space primarily for glassblowers and stained-glass artisans. Not only can you admire and purchase works here, you can watch artists blow glass, which is pretty impressive.
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Touchstone Gallery
One location encompasses several galleries, including the spacious, artist-owned Touchstone Gallery, which exhibits contemporary works created by some of its 30 to 35 member artists. Works cover multiple media, including sculpture, painting and the occasional esoteric installation.
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National Gallery of Art Shop
Boasts several museum shops, including one lining the underground corridor linking the East and West Buildings. You’ll find framed and unframed reproductions of the museum’s best-known works, greeting cards, jewelry, creative games and activities for kids and loads of books.
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Commonwheel Artists Co-Op
This is where you can see the work of dozens of local artists at one gallery. There's world music on the stereo, pottery on the shelves, jewelry in the case and some groovy paintings and multi-media pieces on the wall. Sure, the quality fluctuates, but it's a fine browse.
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Indian Craft Shop
Representing over 45 tribal groups in the US, this crowded one-room shop sells gorgeous but costly basketry, weavings, pottery, beadwork and carvings made by Native Americans. It’s hidden inside the Department of the Interior; show photo ID to enter the building.
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New Orleans Art Supply
If you’re one who likes to sketch while traveling, here’s a good place to go for a fresh supply of pencils and pads. Surprisingly, it’s the most central art store in New Orleans, and it’s not a bad one. The shop is an annex of the New Orleans Conservation Guild.
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Pushkin Gallery
Owned by the family of poet Alexander Pushkin, this gallery shows Russian masters including Nikolai Timkov and Vasily Golubev, who are outshone by newcomer Alexy Smirnov Vókressensky; museum-quality Orthodox icons and lacquer boxes are also on display.
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Principle Gallery
One of a growing number of galleries along King St, this approachable place often assembles some of the best collections. Principle represents artists from across the globe, and even if you’re not in the art market, it’s worth a peek inside.
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Oya Mini Bazaar
One of several West African handicraft shops in the neighborhood, Oya Mini Bazaar stocks an impressive selection of wooden masks, tapestries, small sculptures, batik prints, woven baskets and other curios. The prices are quite reasonable.
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Posterscene
Iconic images and original show posters from Janis Joplin and Dylan and the Dead make this a rock memorabilia paradise. But it isn't limited to high-end collector's items; it has a clutch of cool, inexpensive reproductions too.
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Art Market of New Orleans
Last Saturday of every month. Featuring hundreds of the area's most creative local artists, this monthly market is juried for quality and always features local food, music and kids' activities. Perfect on warm-weather days.
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