What a great find! I want to keep this a hidden gem but I can't. It's too good!…read more Check out their concerts and summer series! The staff is helpful and attentive. I was even provided with a full list of events and a couple of extras so I can stay connected. The best thing about this gallery is that it's also a design store in a way. Come in and feel inspired ! Please check them out if you're in the area !

LaFontsee Galleries is a place you shouldn't miss. Everything they do, they excel at. They…read morerepresent some of the best artists in the Grand Rapids area and beyond. I love supporting them. They started out as a "hole-in-the-wall" frame shop over on Grand Avenue. Then they moved to their two-story space over on Monroe Avenue a few blocks north of the old Grand Rapids Press. Now they have two sites. I love that they have continued to grow. Their success is well deserved. They support artists in a big way. They help you with your presentation, ie., framing, installation, giclee printing, etc., and they have the perfect gallery space to showcase great work. Their quality of work is always top notch. When you leave your work in their hands, you know it will be handled with great care and an immense attention to detail. I've never felt fully confident with picking out frames on my own for my work, but the staff at LaFontsee Galleries has never let me down. Our combined work is still on my walls from over the years all the way to the 1990s when I moved to Grand Rapids and they opened their first frame shop. This summer, I needed to have several canvases stretched on bars for my ArtPrize entry. Linda LaFontsee and her staff performed an excellent job and helped to make my artwork a success. If I were you, I wouldn't go anywhere else in West Michigan for preparing my work for a gallery show. LaFontsee cares and it shows.

I recently bought a painting done by a dear friend and needed to get it framed. I looked into a few…read moreonline options, but decided that I wanted to stop in to Mercury Head Gallery. I'm so glad I did, because Jeri was incredible! She greeted us right when we came in and was SO helpful. She showed us lots of great options for frames and gave us tips on viewing them with the painting. It was also great that we stopped in because Jeri showed us that the painting (which is on a wood board) is a bit crooked and would need to be trimmed down to even it out so it could be framed. I'm so glad I didn't just get something online because it definitely wouldn't have worked. Once we chose a frame, Jeri got me a quote and let me know it would be done in about two to three weeks, and we can pay when we pick it up. It definitely isn't cheap, but I think it's well worth it to take care of my original art that I will cherish forever! They also provide printing services, photo capturing, art reproduction, photo printing, and photo restoration.

Love this shop and all of the people who work in it. Outstanding final product and customer…read moreservice. They even put up with me being wishy-washy on the frame on wanted to took pictures to help me make a decision. Just lovely, patient folks who work here, who truly want you to walk out happy with your purchase. I had a large piece of art framed and couldn't love it more.

This place is awesome. Fred Bivins owns this facility, he is an incredible craftsman and…read morewoodworker, one of the few Renaissance men left in this world. Fred hosts a gallery once a year with a handful of local talented artists that is open to public with great art for sale. If you can afford one of Fred's quality crafted bowls I would encourage the purchase, they are really cool.

From the owner: Wood turned items including bowls, bottle stoppers, and a variety of other wood items. Plus,…read moreletterpress-printed note cards.

I've been coming to Gallery 154 for a couple of decades now and I always love it. So many unique…read moretreasures to be found here. Walking around and looking at the walls, shelves, and ceiling is such an adventure. The ornament selection at the holidays is unmatched by any other retailer and the quality of them is exquisite. I think they're celebrating their 33rd year here - let's give them another 33 years, Yelpers!

WOWZA! Every time I leave this store I think about what I should of gotten and go back. I first…read moreentered the store a few days before Christmas and have been back 4x now. Right now the store is covered with an amazing selection of beautiful ornaments. Which are dwindling fast, but the store was covered with ornaments, hanging from the ceiling, everywhere. And such a wide selection. Just to give you an idea of a few of the ornaments: avocado, pickle, cardinal, hamburger, jalapeno and I am so not doing the place justice. The ornaments are glass blown and handpainted /decorated -truly pretty. You could spend all day in there and still see something new you missed, especially on the way out or waiting to check out. Really a lovely place. There is a wonderful selection of handmade jewelery and home decorating pieces. Very eclectic. The people there are lovely and do a great job. Check the place out for a unique gift or something for yourself.

Came here right after arriving in Grand Rapids looking for good coffee and this place went above…read moreand beyond. Fantastic coffee, excellent service, and fun ambiance. I wish I lived closer so I could have more time to try more menu items. Hopefully I can come back soon!

We strolled over here after leaving the library one day and glad we did. 1st I love the concept of…read morethis business! To have a coffee cafe and art is such a great idea! I was obsessed once I walked in! Love that the art is local and you can purchase any of it. The cafe itself was so homey and comfortable. It's not large however my jogger stroller was able to get through the door and be placed off to the side without issue. The care taken by the employee working was fantastic. She allowed us to browse the menu without seeming annoyed by our indecision lol. I got a tea infused smoothie that I could drink every single day! The baked goods were also taste and they had a good amount to choose from. We for sure will come back since we visit the library quite often.

Paint your cares away! They provide everything you need to be your own Rembrandt. Canvas, brushes,…read morepaints, easels, smocks, they got it all. And if a cocktail or two steadies your hand or juices your mojo, they offer that too! Caring staff stand on a little stage up front with a microphone and cue you as you go. It's like a Peloton class for painters--only better because you can get booze! Perfect for groups, events, bachelorette parties, team building, and more. Go make something of yourself! :-)

I recently attended a class at brush studio for the first time! I had only ever been in here during…read moreart prize but I had always heard great things and I have a friend that frequents classes here so I was looking forward to finally checking one out. We went to the paint your pet session that I believe they do once a month. We submitted pictures of our pet to them after booking (about 3-4 weeks in advance) and they provided us with a general outlined sketch that we could follow for our painting. Thank god they did this because I do not consider myself creative and this made the whole thing easier and less stressful. Typically these classes provide a step by step instruction led by a teacher/instructor but since these were all individualized pet paintings, they could not really do that. The teacher was great anyways and super friendly. She offered tips on colors and how to get certain textures or features. They were always available for questions and were walking around the room most of the time to help out. I was really happy with how my painting turned out. I felt like it really looked like my pup!! They are in a great location off of Ionia with many parking garages surrounding or you may get lucky and find some street parking. They also have a bar available with many drink options that you can pay for. I look forward to taking another class here in the future!

I've been a member and patron of the Grand Rapids Art Museum for over 6 years now. It's one of my…read morefavorite places to go relax, put down my phone, and be immersed in something else. I've loved the range of collections that the GRAM has worked to showcase. Some of my favorite exhibits have included the Jim Henson and Lee Alexander McQueen collections. The permanent gallery is also something that I find myself coming back to. The museum also keeps things fresh with different events and workshops. I've been lucky to attend several panels and discussions which have all been excellent. You can find hands on makers classes, guest lecturers, movie nights, and even musical acts. I've always loved art museums and am grateful for such a prominent museum in the middle of downtown. I would highly recommend coming here. I actually got engaged here!

We popped in on a wintery weekend morning. It was by chance that we found ourselves here. Their…read morecurrent exhibit of Lee Alexander McQueen & Ann Ray: Rendez-Vous was fascinating. It was a walk through time of the friendship and collaboration between the late British designer Lee Alexander McQueen and French photographer Ann Ray. We spent time on each design displayed. So much detail and expression. We ended our exploration of the exhibit by watching the film by Ann Ray. It was a powerful chronical of Lee Alexander McQueen's life in design. We went up and spent time in the permanent collection as well. It was interesting to see the different pieces and displays. One of my favorites was a skyscraper book case. Just a beautiful piece of furniture! This is a worthy stop.

decided to check out Cocoon Art Space for my first time on First Fridays and it was fun!…read more there were a lot of cute and cool things made from local artists. the space didn't feel too crowded and was spacious enough to walk around and look at everything from the art exhibit to the unique little knick knacks. the store is located on the corner with no designated parking lot but street parking wasn't too bad for a friday evening. i would definitely would come back to check out more things for a cute and unique gift and to support local artists!

Cocoon Art Space is such a lovely gallery. While not huge, they have done a great job in curating…read moreart in different mediums most by local or Michigan artists. They have loads of natural light from their front windows which gives their space a warmness. I appreciate that they rotate themes and embrace diversity in their art and artisans. They also offer a wide variety of more moderately priced gifts from stickers to prints also made by local artists. The staff is kind and welcoming. Parking is on the street so be aware of the meters.

Ritual Gallery is a small, but extremely personable art gallery in east Grand Rapids…read moreJeff is a super cool owner and has a lot of his artwork hanging throughout the venue. There was a body painting event and dj spinning records here the week of its grand opening. Usually a chill spot, Jeff usually has a couch out in the center room however on this night the floor was cleared for fist pumping and body painting. There is a small patio outback for smoke and drink and there was enough of a Variety of things to do on the calendar to keep you coming back. For cool, chill artsy experiences with a new feel in east grizzle, check this place out. This place gets 5/5 because: 1: home town feel, cool owner, lotsa events. 2: body painting is cool. 3: owner is super open to art and artistic expression, if you chat him up he will probably let you present. 4: walkable from many bars on the east side of gr. Good spot. 5: bathroom hidden behind a book shelf a plus.