READERS' PICK: Located in the charming St. Philip's Plaza at River Road, Obsidian Gallery is a feast for the eyes: finely crafted mixed-media jewelry, pottery and glass are the main offerings here, with a roster of national artists whose creations run the gamut from whimsical and ultra-contemporary to conservative. In other words, there's something for every creative temperament. In the under-$50 range, you might fall in love with a hand-blown cup or bowl, a lively ceramic pitcher, or a small item of jewelry. Their annual Day of the Dead show, one of their most popular exhibitions of the year, just opened. Its festive colors and dancing skeletons will grace the gallery through November 2.
READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP -- TIE: Apparatus, 299 S. Park Ave. Tired of garden gnomes and pink flamingoes, boring lamps and paintings of big-eyed children? Head for Apparatus, where you'll find cool, modern lawn and home decorations made locally by fine artists. Replace that flamingo with an artfully rusted steel dragonfly. Replace the garden gnome with original outdoor sculpture, from space aliens and dancing frogs to a wide variety of desert critters real and imagined. Replace your lamps with fantastic shapes and lights. Replace your pictures, your paintings, your tables. Recreate your environment as an exciting, original, invigorating place to live. You can do all of that and more at Apparatus, and still have money left over.
Pink Adobe Gallery, 6538 E. Tanque Verde Road, is a whimsical craft gallery on the city's east side. The longtime local shop covers a wide range of budgets and fancies, with jewelry, metal sculpture, colorful pottery and a plethora of other imaginative objects ranging from $5 to $1,000. The artists featured here are both local and national.
