Holiday get-togethers won't be the same this year, but there are still plenty of ways to give artful gifts to the people you love.
While museums are closed until at least Dec. 18, many of their gift shops remain open, and some art galleries are hosting holiday sales. Bazaars have moved outside. Online options abound. Here's our guide:
Art rager: Gamut Gallery's ninth annual holiday market, "Raging Art On," features original art, jewelry and home goods by 40 Minnesota artists Dec. 1-21. Artworks range from $5 to $1,000. Check out Las Ranas' earrings inspired by astrology, tarot and tropical weather — a dangly delight of golden snakes and purple beads. Green thumbs will love Ray Alicia's air plants snuggled into chunky wooden pots. (11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wed.-Sat., 717 S. 10th St., Mpls. Select objects available at GamutGalleryMpls.com. Private shopping sessions Sun. by appointment.)
Handmade art: The Weisman Art Museum is closed, but its gift shop is open for business. Find jewelry, cards, toys, gifts for home, ceramics and other handmade items by local artists. Don't miss Wood + Feather Designs' earrings, made of wood, leather, feathers, stone and metal, and inspired by the elements and colors of Lake Superior. You can see some items on the shop's Instagram (@wamshop). For personalized recommendations, call the store at 612-625-9495 or e-mail wamshop@umn.edu. Curbside pickup and shipping options are available. University of Minnesota students and staff get 20% off Dec. 3-6. (Noon-5 p.m. Thu.-Sun., 333 East River Road, Mpls. wam.umn.edu)
Ceramic goodness: More than 1,000 pots by artists from across the country are on sale at Northern Clay Center's holiday exhibition. Thematically, the pieces range from weird to serene. Ashley Bevington's mucus-green-colored face on a vase has a grill for teeth, and burgers and drumsticks for hair, while Kevin Caufield's smooth bluish-green colored cups look like the ocean. Ceramic jewelry is also for sale. Contactless curbside pickup or shipping available. (10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 2424 E. Franklin Av., 612-339-8007 or northernclaycenter.org)
BLM merch: Minneapolis North Side nonprofit Juxtaposition Arts celebrates the season with new Black Lives Matter merchandise, ceramics, textiles and bandannas made in-house by youth apprentices. Check out the black T-shirts and sweaters with "Black Lives Matter" in white text, from JXTA's Textile & Screen Printing Lab, while the ceramics lab has made bowls and mugs covered in sharp red, black and blue geometric slices of paint. (shop.juxtapositionarts.org)
Go for glögg: The American Swedish Institute's gift shop is full of divine Icelandic chocolate, handmade imported art, blankets, ceramics and plenty of Swedish fish. Find a handcrafted miniature manger scene from Sweden or a small lundi (puffin) from Iceland with a magnetic head. Supersoft blankets and a huge selection of socks are some of the warm items available for purchase. (10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thu.-Sun., 2600 Park Av. S., Mpls. 612-871-4907 or asimn.org)
Local artists: SooVAC is not doing its annual holiday sale, but the gallery is spotlighting artists such as Amina Harper, Jennifer Davis, Paula McCartney, Suyao Tian, and Elaine Rutherford and John Ryan (aka Thirdly and Thrice) on its social media and in newsletters. Online shoppers can also buy work by Rachel Breen, Nathanael Flink and Yijia Li, all of whom have virtual exhibitions on view through Dec. 20. (soovac.org)
Challenging disability: Interact Center's Great Big Holiday Sale, up through Dec. 5, highlights local artists who live with disabilities. This year's sale includes artwork by more than 60 artists, ranging from lime-slice bead earrings by Alicia Wiese to Carl Clark's dreamy desert sunset painting "Cactus Jack." Artists receive 50% of the proceeds; the rest funds art supplies and studio programming at Interact. (shop.interactcenter.org)
Frost Fest: Franconia Sculpture Park hosts a one-day holiday market with pottery, jams, candles, jewelry, home decor and more by 20 local artisans and vendors. The event coincides with the launch of a new community ice rink that'll be open daily through February (weather-permitting), featuring a light sculpture by Jason Peters to give skaters their art fix. (Noon-4 p.m. Dec. 5, free but reserve in advance at franconia.org. 29836 St. Croix Trail N., Shafer, Minn.)
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