History of Great Lakes
Art and Gifts
The journey began in 1996 when Hazel Hotwagner known fondly as Haze, founded the Haze Art Gallery on the west side of the bridge on Grand River. In October 2009, the gallery relocated to Turner Street, and later moved to its current home at 306 East Grand River.
In May 2011, the gallery transitioned from single ownership to an artist cooperative and was renamed Great Lakes Artworks.
By October 2017, the name evolved once more to Great Lakes Art and Gifts, a change made to more accurately reflect the variety of handcrafted items we offer both for display and for sale.
Sandi Leister’s Legacy
When Great Lakes Artworks was founded in 2011, Sandi Leister was one of its principal shareholders. She worked tirelessly to keep the Gallery running smoothly while also managing all financial responsibilities.
After Sandi’s passing from cancer in early 2016, we knew we wanted to honor her profound contributions to Great Lakes Artworks and the arts community.
In October 2017, we transitioned into Great Lakes Art and Gifts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, with a mission to support young artists by providing encouragement and much-needed art supplies. To carry forward Sandi’s spirit and dedication, we established the Sandi Leister Young Artist Fund (SLYAF), relying on generous contributions to help us build and grow the fund.
Our goal is to collaborate with local artists and ensure they have access to the essential materials they need to pursue their creative paths.
GLAG TODAY
Today, Great Lakes Art and Gifts is an artist-owned collaborative that promotes the work of local artists who show creativity, craftsmanship, originality, and variety. Our gallery features a wide range of carefully curated items selected by a jury of members from wall art and mosaics, to woodworking, fiber art, soaps, and much, much more.
We are very proud of the handmade artistry displayed by over 30 Lansing area Artists at any given time.