Image courtesy Saugatuck Douglas

We’ve put together a few highlights of the region with the art enthusiast in mind, beginning with the Art Coast of Michigan, which you’ll read more about in the following pages. Two hours north of Chicago and three hours west of Detroit, tucked along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, lie the charming towns of Saugatuck and Douglas, the creative heart of the Art Coast. Amidst an abundance of natural beauty that has attracted artists for over a century, visitors will find a thriving arts community filled with more than 30 galleries, working studios and art centers, and a robust lineup of exhibitions, festivals and art walks. If you happen to be there on July 5, don’t miss the Waterfront Invitational Art Fair, a juried showcase of work by 60 fine artists working in a variety of media. Later in the month, on July 26, the Saugatuck Douglas Art Club also presents Village Square Art Fair. Both events take place in a lovely park setting in Downtown Saugatuck.

George Eastman Museum, Rochester, NY. Image courtesy University of Rochester.

Rochester, New York

Otherworld, Columbus, OH. Image courtesy Arts Midwest.

Columbus, Ohio

Top: Saugatuck/Douglas, A view of the Saugatuck Area. Photo by Julien Capmeil. Bottom: Saugatuck/Douglas, The interior of J. Petter Galleries in Douglas. Photo by Craig Watson. Saugatuck/Douglas, People strolling by Button Gallery in downtown Douglas. Photo by Julien Capmeil.

Amid a backdrop of stunning natural beauty featuring rolling dunes and scenic winding waterways, Saugatuck/Douglas has long stirred the imaginations of artists and art lovers. This creative haven found its roots in 1905 when students from the Art Institute of Chicago left the studio behind to paint in plein air along the Kalamazoo River. Their passion led to the founding of the Ox-Bow School of Art and Artists’ Residency, a nationally recognized institution that continues to shape the region’s artistic spirit. Today, the area is home to an enchanting mix of galleries, studios, exhibitions and public art—celebrating creative expression across all mediums and earning its distinction as the Art Coast of Michigan.

Top: J. Petter Galleries, Reclining Figure, oil on canvas,, 34 x 72", by Jack Flynn. Bottom: J. Petter Galleries, Somewhere in Time, oil on board, 12 x 12", by Debra Reid Jenkins. J. Petter Galleries, Stratification Revelation, acrylic on canvas, 33½ x 48½", by Rein Vanderhill.

Art lovers are encouraged to explore J. Petter Galleries, a destination fine art gallery on the Art Coast of Michigan. This remarkable gallery is nestled between the charming towns of Saugatuck and Douglas, renowned for their sandy dunes, serene shorelines and vibrant arts community. Collectors travel to the Art Coast from across the country for an unforgettable art experience.

Janet Grissom, Fields of Love, oil on canvas, 18 x 36"; Janet Grissom, Home, oil on canvas, 18 x 36"

Each day Janet Grissom wakes knowing she will paint that day. She knows that the need to record her feelings and share her story will be as insatiable as it was when she was a child. This is the pattern she has chosen: Wake, study, explore and record in layer upon layer of paint.

Janet Grissom, Rocks, Earth and Water, oil on canvas, 48 x 39"

Last summer, Grissom journeyed back to Maine. Choosing to visit areas that she had not seen before, she was particularly intrigued by the coastal inlets. The cool blue water nestled along the edges of rock and tall conifers, fishing boats rocked as they waited to be used.

Barbara Schilling, Just Scratching the Surface, oil, 24 x 18"

“But I don’t adhere to these references strictly,” she adds. “Instead, I focus on capturing the energy within the painting. I believe that every work of art has a bit of the soul of its creator in it.  Using techniques and tools, the artist can be more deliberate in creating the energy they want the viewer to feel.”

Kathy Armstrong, Rust & Rivets, watercolor, 20 x 20; Kathy Armstrong, The Lotus Pond, watercolor, 14 x 28"

Armstrong, whose preferred medium is watercolor but also works in oil, acrylic and gouache, has also painted vineyard machines, tractors, ans logging and mining machines. Rust & Rivets depicts mining equipment she found in the Rocky Mountains and painted after moving to Upstate New York. She explains, “I tend to alternate between these complex manmade subjects and the freeform shapes of nature, like a late summer lotus pond that seemed to be right out of a Dr. Seuss book.” She discovered the subject of Lotus Pond while participating in a plein air competition just south of Lake Ontario. “The early morning light hitting the seedpods, in various stages of drying, created beautiful pastel colors even after the blossoms had fallen. The experience was magical.”

Saugatuck Art Traders, Pink Cottage, acrylic on canvas, 12 x 12", by Paul Pedulla.

Saugatuck Art Traders specializes in contemporary art, with a focus on prints from the Pop Art movement and paintings by many contemporary artists. Every season the gallery hosts a line-up of exhibitions featuring both local and international artists. In June, Saugatuck Art Traders presents Art of the Screenprint showcasing works by major Pop artists, followed by the Joys of Summer, a solo show of works by painter Kirk Kerndl. August brings the show Dreamy Days showcasing prints and paintings by artist Paul Pedulla. In September the gallery hosts Going with the Flow with paintings by artists Rose Ellis and Jose Gonzalez. Rounding out the fall season is Abstraction featuring works by Los Angeles based artist Stephanie Visser. —