COURTESY BAGGAGE BUILDING ARTS CENTRE
Artwork and handmade items from the Baggage Building Arts Centre.
COURTESY AHNISNABAE ART GALLERY
“My Grandfather’s Trail” by Roy Thomas at Ahnisnabae Art Gallery.
When you’re buying holiday, birthday or other gifts in Thunder Bay, banish the thought of a box-store gift certificate. Shopping is part of the charm as you hunt for local art to give.
A stop at the Baggage Building Arts Centre, 2200 Sleeping Giant Parkway, at Prince Arthur’s Landing, provides an array of local and regional artwork and other handmade items. You can browse photos, soaps, pottery, paintings, sculpture,candles, jewelry
COURTESY THUNDER BAY ART GALLERY
A Norval Morrisseau-inspired eco-bag at Thunder Bay Art Gallery.
and fiber arts, all done locally. The arts centre, in the historic renovated CP freight shed, features work for sale by 72 of its members. For holiday shopping, drop in during the Pottery Guild’s Christmas Sale, Nov. 18 &19, or the Bizarre Bazaar, Dec. 9 &10.
Thunder Bay Art Gallery, 1080 Keewatin St., on the Confederation College campus, features a nice selection of handcrafted Canadian gifts from candles, cards and prints to pottery by Sarah Link and Tim Alexander or beaded jewelry by Cheryl Jonah. The Gallery Gift Shop has practical gifts, too – wallets and yellow floral eco-bags inspired by the art of Norval Morrisseau, local founder of the Woodland School style of painting. Silk ties and pillow covers also feature artists from the gallery’s permanent collection, including Norval Morrisseau, Daphne Odjig and Benjamin Chee Chee.
At the Ahnisnabae Art Gallery, 18 S. Court Street, has a large collection of Indigenous art from northwest Ontario and celebrates Indigenous culture. Owned and operated by Louise Thomas, the gallery is dedicated to the art of her late husband, Ojibwe artist and renowned Woodland-style painter Roy Thomas. You’ll see his work, and that of other famous Woodland artists such as Norval Morrisseau. The gallery is a showcase for about 300 artists, including Randy Thomas, Roy and Louise’s son. You can browse original art, prints on canvas and paper, art cards, stained glass, crafted jewelry, sweetgrass and sage. And then, good luck choosing just one gift.