This gallery, housed where the Chamber of Commerce used to be in the walking mall downtown, is a…read morebeaut. Floor to ceiling windows offer a great view of the artwork whether the gallery is open or closed. The current exhibition by Lissa Hahn is phenomenal -- work that explores movement in photography that creates a textured, 3-D effect without any photoshopping. Her use of super-vivid colors, vibrant photography treatments (such as archival dye sublimation transferred onto aluminum) and the incredible lighting ensured I spotted her exhibition yesterday from a half-block away (and indeed, spotted the artist herself from across the intersection and had to pop in to compliment this peacock of a person on her beautiful outfit and she turned out to be the exhibitor herself.) This is my favorite exhibition I've seen in downtown Kalamazoo in quite some time. 3-D glasses are available for viewing but I have depth perception issues and didn't find they made the pictures pop more for me than they already did. This exhibition is a must-see if you're in downtown Kalamazoo!

This art gallery a fun place to visit. They are open for the First Friday Art Hop every month, and…read moreit seems there is always something new and unique to see!

From the owner: Kalamazoo ARTisans is an artistic cooperative based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It is made up of…read moreceramics artists who seek to provide a space where artists can share inspiration, expertise and resources, and enrich the community with art and art education. Visit the gallery & visit our EventBrite page for available classes, or email kzooartisans@gmail.com to find out more!

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've been a long-time fan of Underground Creations founder Cathy Germany's artwork, so it was…read morereally informative to see her speak at a Park Trades Center event this year about how her medical struggles have informed her artistry (much of her work is anatomical anomalies, and one piece pictures an insurance card and a butcher's knife). She does both large and small-format paintings, mixed media, jewelry, you name it, and most of her works are also available as super-affordable prints and cards. Other talented artists are often featured in the Underground Creations space as well, but Germany's the mainstay. She also offers classes and commissioned works.

Went here during an art hop event and found this gem. Learned about what they do in here and it is…read moretruly amazing. My friend purchased a painting from there and she talked to one of the painters. I didn't have a chance to talk to any of the painters but I'd love to go again during normal business hours and explore some more. This is a definitely a place worth checking out. Even if you aren't into art and crafts, pls be sure to stop by and learn what they do. You will appreciate it.

This art gallery, studio and retail store was previously in Park Trades Center but has expanded to…read morea larger space on the Kalamazoo Mall/S. Burdick St., and is such an awesome addition to our community. MRC's mission is to encourage and support individuals living with a disability, and through their artWorks branch they do so by mentoring artistic abilities and providing the opportunity to participate in art hops, develop customer skills and earn commissions from artwork sales. We were fortunate that when we purchased a triptych of floral paintings at MRC, the artist who painted our pieces happened to be on hand that evening. She was over the moon delighted to have sold three of her pieces, and the beaming smile on her face is mirrored by my own each time I look at them on my wall. This is always a very busy stop on the Art Hop circuit and it's a joy to interact with the artists.

This place is always an explosion of color as the mainstay paintings in the gallery are very vivid…read moreabstractions that look like a storey-tall petri dish of protozoa infused with Crayola. We always wander through here at the Art Hop, although they were closed for the August hop. I was a little bummed because they had several new mobile/sculptures that looked like some sort of pom-pons or Fraggles hanging from the ceiling I would've liked a closer glance at (fortunately, since their walls are floor-to-ceiling windows you can still get a great glimpse of the artwork when they're closed both from the Kalamazoo Mall itself and the hallway leading to Down Dog Yoga).

This is an impressive small city museum, and I love that it is community-focused and has an art…read morelibrary and school along with the gallery space. My favorite of the current exhibits is the 'Cobalt to Indigo' Asian display. The high school pieces are impressive too. The museum is free on Thursdays and has a free parking lot across from the back of the building.

I love art museums, so I was excited to check out KIA while in town recently. Entry is only $5 for…read moreadults, $2 for students, and free for members, children through age 12, and active military personnel. There is free parking available in parking lots across from entrances on South and Lovell streets. The museum wasn't busy when we were there, which was nice as we were able to leisurely wander the galleries. It's not a huge museum, but I loved the Kyungmi Shin: A Story to Finding Us exhibit (through May 12, 2024). The artworks were stunning and I loved trying to find hidden images in each. The other main exhibit was American Realism: Visions of America, 1900-1950, which didn't resonate with me personally as much, but it was still interesting to see. The permanent collection downstairs was nice - I especially liked the Tiffany lamps and jewelry. There is a Chihuly sculpture hanging in the entryway, which is really cool to see. The gift shop is nicely curated with lots of great books, gifts, and more. Nate got a cute little cat shaped ceramic chopstick rest!

The new fall merchandise was fun to shop - this store always has great items at reasonable prices!!…read more I find the best gifts here. The staff are so kind and often you see and smile at Amy herself! The store has a unique vibe - leans toward beautiful artistry. If you're looking for a gift - walking downtown on our former pedestrian mall and popping into this little shop is a great start. There are many cute stores you can browse but this one is my favorite and I always pop in when I'm on a mission for a great gift. Who says that gift is for someone else? I love buying myself things here just as often as I find things for others!

A fun store to wander through. Tons of original art at very reasonable prices. I found a couple…read moregifts... if I decide to part with them.

This was a really cool space with lots of interesting and affordable art. It's not often you walk…read moreinto a gallery and find many items under $50! What makes the place really remarkable, though, is the people who work there. I don't know if I have ever met friendlier or more helpful people! They happily made multiple recommendations for places to shop and eat, googled things for us, drew us maps. They told us to stop into the cycle shop to meet the new puppy (awww!). And they made sure to point out that the street and sidewalk in the downtown area are heated since it was VERY cold (the last bit seems a bit excessive on the part of the city of Kalamazoo, but it was pretty awesome. No snow.). Their exhibits change every month, so be sure to visit again and again!