16 Hands began as an artist's cooperative (with 8 artists) in 1975. It ran as a successful co-op for 13 years, exhibiting only the artwork of its members. Jill Damon joined the co-op in 1978 and eventually took over the business operations.
Jill was sole owner from 1988 until 2005, when general manager and web master, Rick Wedel became co-owner. Currently, we represent over 600 artists from throughout the US and Canada, as well as several European artists. The gallery is quite diverse and eclectic.
Our primary focus is on handcrafted furniture & lighting, jewelry and wearable accessories, garden art, and functional objects for home and office in all media. Metalwork, blown glass, woodworking, textiles, painting, mixed media and any other medium that strikes our fancy are all represented. 16 Hands also has an extensive collection of unique, affordable gifts and home accents that are designed by artists but commercially made.
The third element of the gallery is our artrageous collection of greeting cards, which people travel many miles to peruse.
The common thread in whatever you find at 16 Hands, be it a mixed media collage, folk art doll, metal flower made from recycled materials, whimsical push pin set, elegant velvet shibori scarf, or figurative garden sculpture, is that the objects are impeccably designed, well crafted, original expressions. We believe that just because an object is functional, doesn't mean it has to be boring, and that objects of beauty and fun enhance our daily lives, or at least they should!
The staff at 16 Hands shares this philosophy and delights in matching up the perfect gift or work of art with your tastes. Our current inventory includes thousand of pieces, so if you don't see exactly what you're looking for on the site, give us a call and we'll do our best to help you. For years we have had requests for a catalog, but it has always seemed impossible due to the ever changing nature of our offerings, the extent of our inventory, and the limited supply of many of our items (many of which are one-of-a-kind). The Internet provides a perfect solution. My hope that this site will provide easy access to some of our favorite items to our many existing out-of-town clients, and expose us to new clients, as well as introduce some of our newest additions to our existing local clientele. Not only will we be able to promote our artists and their work, but we will be able to provide you with show announcements and our newsletter, which will include valuable information on art conservation ("care and feeding"), display and collecting.
We also hope you make a point to visit the gallery if ever you are in Ann Arbor.
Jill Damon & Rick Wedel
16 HANDS is located in downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan - between Liberty & Washington.
216 South Main St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
phone: 734-761-1110
toll-free: 877-300-8185
fax: 734-761-1825
email: info@16handsgallery.com
