The Art Coast of Michigan

Feature image:  Saugatuck guide

Two small beach towns on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan—Saugatuck and Douglas—make up what’s known as the “Art Coast” of Michigan. Discover their rich history and connection to the art world as we dive into the galleries, schools, and works of public art that call this charming, hidden spot in the Midwest home.

Saugatuck, Michigan, is located on the state's Western side along the Kalamazoo Lake and River and is just a short drive from Lake Michigan’s southeastern shore, with Oval Beach being the prime spot for tourists during the summer. Founded in 1868, it was originally a port and lumber town. Its population was 873 as of 2022. 

According to Saugatuck’s official tourism website, the town has welcomed “unconventional people and ideas for more than a century.” The town became an art colony in 1905 when students who defected from the Art Institute of Chicago’s in-studio teachings began teaching “plein-air” painting along the Kalamazoo River. These artists and students later founded the Ox-Bow School of Art, which still provides an invaluable outlet for aspiring artists living in the area who can’t travel to larger cities that offer more resources. Saugatuck and Douglas are also notably LGBTQ+-friendly areas, with queer couples and individuals traveling to both to enjoy the Michigan summers since the 1950s, earning the area the reputation of the “Fire Island of the Midwest.”

Every fall since 1976, Saugatuck/Douglas has hosted the two-day Fall Gallery Stroll, allowing visitors to speak with artists, watch live demos, and enjoy all the many galleries in town have to offer by stopping in during their extended hours. Outside of the fall season, these galleries truly highlight the spirit of the Art Coast.

Amazwi —the Zulu word for “voices”—features art, sculptures, jewelry, and home goods from various contemporary African artists, aiming to give a voice to them and their cultural traditions. For more, visit Amazwi’s website or their Instagram.

Owned by West Michigan-based artist Jeff Blandford, this gallery features much of his ceramic and glass-blown work. Blandford’s work is characterized by bright colors and the use of unique materials, which is most apparent in his signature “glow glass” pieces. For more, visit Blandford’s website.

Located in the building that was once the historic Saugatuck post office, James Brandess Studio features the stunning nature-inspired paintings of Brandess, a Chicago native. A frequent practitioner of plein air painting himself, Brandess has stated on his website that he wishes to “make paintings that are powerful, encompassing, and that speak to our age. In the landscape, I seek those elements that, when they come together, touch all of our senses.” For more, visit Brandess’ website or his Instagram.

For a full list of galleries in Saugatuck, visit the official tourism website of Saugatuck/Douglas to download a digital guide.

Sculptures, murals, and other works of public art are almost everywhere you look in Saugatuck. Each incredibly different piece tells its own story, bringing joy to Saugatuck’s visitors of all ages. This is just a small selection of the various artworks you can find when out and about the town’s charming streets. 

Located just outside of Saugatuck’s City Hall, Check by Gert Olsen (2007) is a large sculpture resembling a check mark. Although likely unintentional, Check bears a striking resemblance to the Polynesian fish hook, or makau. Olsen, primarily a sculptor, has another one of his pieces displayed publicly in Saugatuck, Sunning Bear.

Located within Saugatuck’s public Rose Garden along with the next two pieces, Cyclists by William Tye (2003) features six individuals who appear to be riding a tandem bike. Each subject's long, gangly limbs draw the viewer into this sculpture, which evokes feelings of freedom and the joy of finding it within others.

Whispers by Lameck Bonjisi (2023) features two individuals with exaggerated, abstract proportions consoling one another. Made from spring stone granite—also called white spring granite—the sharp angles of the figures’ bodies contrast with the roundness and curves of their facial features.

Fountainhead by Clyde Ball (2005) is a large, abstract sculpture that might leave viewers questioning what they are looking at with sharp angles in some places and perfect spheres in others, Fountainheads is a perfect piece to admire within the quaint confines of the Rose Garden.

“Big Temptation” by Romero Britto (2007) features a mischievous, colorful-looking snake with a crown on its head and an apple sitting on its back. A gift to the children of the Saugatuck/Douglas community, this whimsical, playful sculpture finds its home in front of a playground in Village Square.

Family of Man IV by Cynthia McKean (2007) brings its bright red hues to Saugatuck’s Coughlin Park, making it clearly visible from the other side of the Kalamazoo River. The sculpture, featuring numerous human-shaped figures, changes when looked at from differing angles and when considering the negative space left by the cutouts of the smaller figures in the foreground, leaving the viewer guessing just how many figures there are supposed to be in the piece.

Girl with Puppet by Patricia Sinclair-Dagget (year unknown) showcases a young, barefoot girl sitting casually while playing with a hand puppet. This sculpture was created in honor of Bill Tillstrom, a puppeteer and resident of Saugatuck, who was best known for creating the 1947 children’s program “Kuka, Fran, and Ollie.”

Sunning Bear (2002) by the aforementioned Gert Olsen shows a simple-looking bear relaxing in the sun. Located along the docks of the Kalamazoo River, this sculpture makes for a perfect photo op during Saugatuck’s famous summers.

Located on the lawn of the Saugatuck-Douglas History Center, Niizhwaaswi Mishomis Kinoomaagewinawaan (Seven Grandfathers) (2022) by Indigenous artist Jason Quigno of the Mukwa Ndodem tribe of the Anishinaabe people, is a mesmerizing stone sculpture that draws the viewer in with its perfect patterns of swirls, curved lines, and holes which run up and down the sculpture. Reminding the people of Saugatuck/Douglas of the local Indigenous history of the area and the great Great Lakes region, this powerful piece is right at home outside of the History Center. As of late October 2024, the sculpture was decorated as part of the History Center’s Halloween event.

This vibrant mural by Erica Bradshaw, located on the side of the Mermaid Bar and Grill which itself sits along the Kalamazoo River, is a great photo op for anyone wanting to commemorate their trip to Saugatuck. Featuring an artist’s palette and paintbrush and a gorgeous sunset on the beach, this mural represents everything Saugatuck has become so beloved for among its local and tourist community.

Ox-Bow School of Art was founded by Frederick Fursman and Walter Marshall Clute, artists from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago who were seeking an escape from the industrialization of Chicago. Today, the school offers an artist’s residency program for students from schools across the country. Degree-seeking and non-degree-seeking artists alike visit Ox-Bow to study and make art on the school’s 115-acre campus, nestled in a quiet wooded area of Saugatuck. In addition to its residency program, Ox-Bow also offers summer and winter courses in ceramics, glassblowing, papermaking, and more.

Founded in 2001 by a group of local artists wanting to create an even more robust art community in Saugatuck/Douglas, the Saugatuck Center for the Arts (SCA) offers a variety of events, education opportunities, concerts, theater performances, and exhibitions at a caliber that one would expect in a much larger city. Located in what was once an abandoned pie factory, the gardens at SCA’s entrance feature numerous sculptures, including Kickstart by Kevin Barret, a piece dedicated to the “heroes and victims” of 9/11.

Douglas, the town adjacent to Saugatuck, also shares much of its history and appeal to tourists. Also originally a lumber mill town, its population sits at 1,405 as of 2022. With just as many galleries and works of public art, like Saugatuck, Douglas is an artist’s paradise year-round.

Button Gallery represents over 20 regional and national artists in an “eclectic mix of voices and expressions.” Button Gallery’s history dates back over 200 years at its original location in London. It’s named for its first owner and director in the U.S., W. Russel Button. For more information, visit Button Gallery’s website or find it on Instagram or Facebook.

Mr. Miller’s Art Emporium is a working studio and gallery featuring work from 65 local, regional, and national artists. Offering a wide range of pottery, jewelry, glassware, gifts, and collectibles, there is something for everyone at the Emporium. For more, visit them on Facebook or Instagram.

Water Street Gallery, founded in 1983, represents over 40 artists from around the world. With a location in Grand Rapids, Michigan in addition to their Douglas one, this fine art gallery offers paintings, sculptures, and glasswork, echoing the philosophy put forth by Fyodor Dostoevsky: “Beauty will save the world.” For more, visit their website, or find them on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest.

Children at Play (artist unknown, year unknown), located just north of Beery Field in Douglas, is a large, detailed sculpture work that features a group of young children balancing on a fallen log. Like many of the other public artworks in Saugatuck/Douglas, Children at Play was adorned with pumpkins in October 2024 for the Halloween season.

While they may not be known to the wider population, small, vibrant art colony towns exist across the U.S., providing a creative, welcoming environment to artists who don’t have the luxury of living near a large city. The Saugatuck/Douglas area is just one example of a unique, beloved community that artists and laypeople have flocked to for over a century, affirming that creativity thrives when passionate residents foster it.

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