Otis tiles now in stock!

We are very happy to announce that we just received a new batch of handmade tiles from Otis Pottery! Otis Pottery is made up of the dynamic duo of David and June Otis. With the help of their son they produce stunning handmade tiles and functional pottery from their East Jordan studio.
Their work is wood fired in a down-draft kiln and the surfaces show the natural deposits of ash along with shino and celadon glazes. The results are quite stunning and make each tile incredibly unique.



These tiles won't be in stock for long, so swing by the gallery today for the best selection!

Northville 20th Annual Victorian Festival

Dust off your top hats and lace parasols it's almost time for Northville's annual Victorian Festival. It all happens September 12th through the 14th in downtown Northville. Things kick off with the Victorian Festival parade on Friday the 12th at 6:30 pm. Festivities for the weekend include antique car displays, Victorian teas & fashion show, old fashioned games and rides, Victorian home tours, street entertainment, free horse and carriage rides, a Victorian saloon, crafters and much more!

Visit Northville.org for more information and festival times.

Getting to know Gretchen Kramp

Gretchen Kramp's tile work features striking relief images on boldly glazed backgrounds. Her themes deal with everything from fairy tales, everyday items and animals to geometric designs. Her tiles range from an adorable 2x2" to highly detailed 8x8". We wanted to shine the spotlight on Gretchen and let you know a little more about the woman behind the tiles.

Gretchen Kramp received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan. After majoring in painting she apprenticed herself to a local ceramicist. In the middle of the 1990s, her tiles were represented in the ceramic collection at numerous local galleries. In Winter 1997, she started Gretchen Kramp Ceramic Tiles, a business that produces art works composed of one or more tiles, including murals (constructed of tiles of multiple sizes and shapes) and tile tables for the home.

Kramp's murals have become popular features at the Detroit Zoological Park. In 2000, she produced a mural for the entrance of the National Amphibian Conservation Center, located at the Detroit Zoo. In 2002, she installed a similar work at the entrance of the Nunavut Gallery in the Arctic Ring of Life exhibit. The eight-foot by ten-foot mural is constructed of more-than 650 iridescent and matte tiles. An immense polar bear stands under the motto NUNATSIAQ, which means "the beautiful land" in Inuit.

New Arrivals for Baby

Tumpette declares "Our socks rock!", and we couldn't agree more. We just got in three adorable styles of baby socks. Each style of sock comes in a gift box containing six pairs in a rainbow of colors. They are sized for little tykes 0 - 12 months and are made from a mix of cotton, nylon and spandex. We're stocking the princess design which comes in pastel colors and feature glittery gold crowns. We have another set that are designed to look like little sneakers and even have little laces sewn onto them! My personal favorite is the set thats designed to look like argyle socks. They're adorable and perfect for the little gentleman in your life.



Also new from Trumpette are these adorable onesies. They are 100% cotton and come in bold sky blue, pink, and lime green. Each onesie has "beyond fragile" screen printed across the chest and comes with a matching cap. They come in sizes 6 - 12 months and 12 - 18 months.

Nominated for best art gallery!

While we like to walk around and toot our own horn and often exclaim that we're the best gallery in the area (not to mention the funnest) it's always humbling to know that other people think the same.

Today we found out that we have been nominated for Best Art Galley for Local 4 News and Click on Detroit's "4 the Best" campaign. Yay!


Click on the photo to cast your vote for the
Dancing Eye Gallery!

We're reaching for that golden ring and you can help us snag the coveted title by clicking on the photo above and casting your vote. Or you can head on over to ClickonDetroit.com and vote for us under the Arts & Entertainment section.

Thanks a ton!

Yummy! Spiders & Caviar

The Gallery is now stocking a new line of super soft tees from Los Angeles based design house Spiders and Caviar. Their form fitting tees are made from high quality 100% supima cotton and are made right in L.A. Each t-shirt goes through an enzyme wash and receives a silicone finish to make them buttery soft. The tees, designed by Christina Cho and Tricia Tanaka, are printed using environmentally friendly water based ink and feature original artwork from the duo.


Spiders & Caviar Purdy Day tee


Each Spiders & Caviar tee has their signature eight legged friend screen printed on the back.


Spiders & Caviar Peacock tee paired with a necklace from Jack E Ohs

Stylishly Going Green

Going green is getting a lot easier these days with many companies introducing environmentally friendly products and smaller eco-friendly companies stepping out of the shadows and offering up some really cool wares.

The newest green friendly product to be introduced at the gallery is a line of handbags by Brooklyn, NY based company Engage Green. They make going green stylish with their recycled bags that come in fun and funky prints and colors. Engage Green woven paper bags are water-resistant and biodegradable. They mix their recycled paper fibers with organic cotton fiber to create bags that are stylish, durable and friendly to the environment.


Engage Green's Clutch, Satchel, Shoulder Bag and Cosmetics Pouch

Recycling Facts about Engage Green

- Less trash in landfills means lower disposal costs and less pollution from waste carting, as well as lowering the impact the discarded items themselves would have on the environment.

- Using recycled paper pulp saves energy in the manufacturing process. 60% to 70% less compared to virgin pulp.

- Recycled paper manufacturing uses up to 55% less water than virgin pulp and helps preserve our forests.

- Manufacturing with recycled paper reduces air emissions by 74% compared to virgin pulp manufacturing.

Spotlight on Pewabic Pottery

When someone mentions artisan tile in Michigan it's hard not to mention Pewabic Pottery in the same breath. Pewabic is by far the best known maker of handmade tile and pottery pieces in the area. Their bold blue and green glazes and unique arts and crafts style make them a favorite amongst collectors. They've been producing tile from their studio in Detroit since 1903 and are still going strong today.



A brief history of the studio from Pewabic Pottery:
"Founded in 1903 by Mary Chase Perry Stratton and Horace J. Caulkins, Pewabic Pottery is a studio for the design and production of architectural tile and vessels and a center for the advancement of the ceramic arts. Stratton and Caulkins' work at Pewabic and their involvement with the Society for Arts and Crafts, Cranbrook Academy of Art and the Detroit Instuiitute of Arts made substantial contribution to the Arts and Crafts movement in Detroit. Pewabic has earned a national reputation for its tile commissions and unique glazes particularly the iridescent formulas - which can be seen in homes and institutions throughout the country. Important early installations include the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C.; Christ Church Cranbrook; and the Guardian Building, Holy Redeemer Church and St. Paul's Cathedral in Detroit. Pewabic is also represented in many museums and private collections."



The Dancing Eye gallery is proud to carry a tile and pottery line with such a rich history. We currently stock Pewabic's tile line, vases and mugs. We can also happily order anything for you out of their current catalog in a variety of Pewabic glazes.

Welcome

Hello and welcome to the new Dancing Eye Gallery blog. Yay! Our blog will be the place to turn for all sorts of great news on artists and products that we feature in the gallery. We're new to this whole blogging thing, so we thank you for jumping aboard and we hope you enjoy the ride. If you're in the south east Michigan area stop in to one of our two locations and you can check out all the goodness featured on this blog in person.



Dancing Eye Gallery of Northville
101 N. Center Street - Northville, MI 48167
(248)449-7086
Hours: Mon. - Thur. 10am to 6pm, Fri. 10am to 8pm, Sat. 10am to 5pm, Sun. 12pm to 4pm



Dancing Eye Gallery of Walled Lake
133 East Walled Lake Drive - Walled Lake, MI 48390
(248)668-0731
Hours: Fri. & Sat. 10am to 5pm, Sun. 12pm to 4pm

Our web store is always open!