Our Artists

Saugatuck/Detroit Artist Michelle Pizzo has BFA in Graphic Design and has been an artist her whole life. Her paintings, murals and specialty finishes are in restaurants, boutiques & residential from Chicago to Detroit. Her jewelry and bottle cap art have been in boutiques from California to Florida. She also makes poster art such as the towns of Saugatuck, Douglas & the churches of S/D. She is working on “the churches of Detroit” presently. It is her lifelong passion to create and learn new mediums and experiment with different styles...”all things painted” is her motto!

When I prepare a piece, I want to connect to something bigger than myself, to be a part of the things we share that are unspoken. By creating abstract images of the body, animal and human alike, I can see beyond our differences and refocus on the beauty of our similarities. For me, this is seeing nature in its purest form, an organic reflection of ourselves.

Nick is self taught and has lived in Saugatuck since 1992, He opened Capizzo along with Michelle Pizzo in March 2021. Originally from Chicago, his early work includes magazine publisher, cafe owner (Good Earth Cafe in Holland, MI) and founder of Allegan Road Furniture and Carpentry.

Nature has always been my church. Trees have always had a grounding effect on me. My parents were very busy being professional artists when I was growing up, so I found solace playing in the dunes of northwest Indiana and Michigan where trees were my constant companions. Likewise, I’ve always had a fascination with rocks; what kid doesn’t?! Whether gathering crinoid fossils along the shores of Lake Michigan, Petoskey stones along Grand Traverse Bay, or picking rocks up in the mountains of Colorado—rocks and minerals really lit me up! I’ve taken these two loves and combined them in my sculpture. My bronze trees, mounted on natural mineral specimens, mimic bonsais as well as those found in nature. I am immensely humbled that I get to wake up each day, turn on my torch, and work on creating my interpretation of an incredible tree which can be enjoyed for generations.

Son of artists Clyde and Belva Ball, Kevin has been creating since he was a child. From a young age he decided to become an artist himself with his parents teaching and critiquing his drawings and paintings throughout the years. In the past Kevin has created in a surrealist style straight from his imagination, currently his artwork is inspired by mother nature and what it offers. For him the dunes, waves, and wonderment of the lakeshores in Saugatuck is particularly inspiring as he has gotten in touch with the environment of home in Saugatuck following 29 years of living in New York City. Working out of his parents' old studio with memories of them working side by side, Kevin paints in the serenity of calming music, memories, and the wonderment of nature. The paintings' highly detailed landscapes take months to create as he captures the essence and feeling of the Michigan shores. It’s a full circle, coming home moment for Kevin as he works and lives where he spent much of his formative years.

I’ve always been creative, but my artistic journey started on the dark alleys of European Capitals, where I discovered the various expressions of graffiti artists. Following the footsteps of Lady Pink, Futura 2000 or Miss Van, back in the 90s I realized that art is crossing every societal barrier, transcending categories like gender, race, identity or beliefs, to become a universal language and a connection catalyst. Graffiti art was always in a race of “space” against “time” where the artwork made the artists famous, without the need for their social identity. Later on, drawing inspiration from the “space and time” we are willing to share in society, the space owned by a color in my paintings becomes important thanks to the colors I lay around it. Working wet on wet, sometimes against time, the colors interact with each other, creating beautiful reactions or dramatic juxtapositions. Through my abstract work, I aim to illustrate my vision of a successful society, where everybody is enriched by the people around. "Diversity makes for a rich tapestry where all individual threads are equally important, no matter their color" - Maya Angelou

Floyd Gompf maintains a studio in Lakeside, MI. and shows locally in the Southwest Michigan area including, Red Arrow Gallery in Harbert, Good Goods Gallery in Saugatuck, Lovell and Whyte in Lakeside. His work can also be seen at Susan Fredman Design in Chicago and Lill St. Gallery in Chicago.

Joe Hindley attended the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art, Newark, NJ from 1967-1971 on a merit scholarship. He was drafted into the army, where he worked as a mural painter at Fort Riley. After the army, Hindley stayed in Kansas. He explored a variety of media, i.e. printmaking, ceramic, film and anything to expand his creative options.

Sophie Kendall is an American artist working in drawing, painting, and clay/found object sculptures and vessels. Sophie’s work explores concepts of intimacy, feminism, queerness, humor, and community. Her recent works use three dimensional clay features to bring to life her idiosyncratic but relatable paintings on ceramic vessels, portraying her own personal values and sense of humor, as well as larger social issues.

Whether in his hometown of Ann Arbor, Michigan or traveling the world, Kenny Ingle captures photos as a means of storytelling. Stories, moods, opinions, and connections are what Kenny Ingle captures and displays within his photos. ​ As a child he would sit in front of a television being captivated by what was on the screen and in high school he was absorbed with his art classes, particularly in the dark room. He had a successful career in corporate communication starting in the late 80’s. ​ Kenny is proud of a quote from an internship he had while in school in which the creative director replied to the question of if he would hire Kenny with, “No, all he wants to do is make pretty pictures.” Kenny replied with, “yes, I do.”

Kim Kubiak spent her early years in the Social Services field encouraging others in their artistic gifts. Over time Kim found herself drawn to the art world and following her own teachings of growth and self-discovery, setting out to explore and express her inner artist. Twenty-seven years ago, she visited Saugatuck Michigan and was drawn to its history of artisans, and decided make Saugatuck her home too. After experimenting with several mediums, Kim ultimately found working with her hands in clay was where Kim belongs. "As if the clay was waiting for me!" Wheel throwing, hand building and carving are the main techniques Kim uses to create her pottery. The finishing processes includes an electric kiln with glazing, pit fire with wood or the Native American smoking process which produces a rich black finish. These various combinations help create great diversity and in turn allows Kim to explore her own creative force through the medium of pottery. Along with studying with master potters locally , Kim also studied at Arrowmont School of Art in Gatlinburg Tennessee and Odyssey Center for Ceramic Art in Asheville N.C. After doing the art fair scene for a few years, an opportunity presented itself to open up her own art gallery, Kubiak Gallery, in Douglas Michigan, 2007- 2016. The Gallery had over 40 artists, with her wheel there allowing Kim to work. Kim offered clay classes and other ways to create. "I hope you enjoy my work as much as I enjoy creating it, sipping out of one of my cups to enjoying the free form of my sculpture."

Maya David has been an artist since she was a child and has always sought out fairs and competitions to participate in. She won her first award at age seven and has since won an award from the Holland Area Arts Council. In addition to being shown at Capizzo Studio, she has been featured in several art fairs around Saugatuck. Maya studied painting, drawing, and illustration at the Calder School of Art. She works in oil paint, watercolor, and charcoal. While she illustrates common subjects, her interest in surrealism inspires her to warp them.

Known for years around Chicago and the country as an accomplished guitarist and singer/songwriter, opening for the likes of Johnny Cash, Al Green, and B. B. King, Nicholas Barron has also been quietly experimenting with new forms of visual arts. A master doodler since childhood, his neo-expressionistic and colorful works reflect his ear for the poetry and hues of the Chicago streets. In fact, you can find him most days in the alley outside Barron Mind Studio in Rogers Park blending a dizzying palette with his whimsical but poetic symbolic language. Influenced by his father’s artworks and for his passion for the American tradition of the Blues, his paintings, street art, drawings and murals embrace the struggle of our times with passion and joy.

Charlie is a painter and he works in stained glass. He recently moved his studio to Saugatuck. For over twenty years, he has a studio and gallery in the Flat Iron Arts building in Chicago. He has studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Chicago Mosaic School. “I treat my work, whether in paint or glass, as compositions of light and color to create a sense of harmony and rhythm, similar to music. As music is to the ear, light and color are to the eye. They both have an emotional impact.”

Artist Keto Green is from and currently resides in Detroit. His family grew up through poverty, homelessness, and loss. Green perseveres through demanding life circumstances and uses his art a way to cope through his obstacles. His art practices have led him to sharing his struggles of evictions and oppressive poverty. Green exhibits work in Detroit and around Michigan. His paintings at first feel familiar through figural and object usage, but upon closer look the materiality proves itself interesting as well. Keto Green paints on surfaces and with found objects. A raw resourcefulness emerges itself through the figures in the paintings and through the artists physical process.

Meghan Patrice Riley creates sculptural jewelry that is engineered for wearability, durability and travel using hypoallergenic materials such as our signature nylon-coated stainless steel cable wire mixed with sterling silver, 14k gold fill, and semi-precious stones. Each element is handfabricated using a mixture of soldering. cold-connections. and textile techniques applied to metal to get our classic, soft metal drape.

“Inspiration for my work comes from my life - my experiences and things I love - jazz, space, nature, and beauty in all its manifestations.” “My sculptures typically begin with a trip to the metal yard. There among the industrial detritus, I gather my palette, much as a painter chooses their paints. From the shapes and textures I rescue, a conversation takes place - a visual conversation - that results in the three dimensional work comprising my sculptures.”

Anke Richert-Korioth was born and raised in Germany to a artistic family, her brother a well-known writer in Germany and overall family interest in music. While always being creative, after moving to Canada and the US she developed an interior design career for over 20 years. After 9/11, Anke stopped interior design and opened a studio in her farmhouse in Fennville, MI. Currently Anke works out of Illinois and exhibits her work in collections across the United States, Canada, Europe, and China. A self-taught painter, she is heavily inspired through her travels of which many snapshots are taken. Recurring themes and figures will surface throughout her works. She works in layers of photos, cut paintings, and found objects. “In my paintings I consider the relationship between abstraction and representation, exploring a fusion of both elements. The content is at once organized and chaotic, digitized and organic. Bold colors meet delicate hues within a picture plane that refuses definite identification.”

An outsider homeless woman in Chicago creates alluring figural and object-oriented pieces through available materials. The textural applications of color are bound through linear outlines and patterns. Peace Prophet lives and creates art on the streets of Chicago to survive. While not much else is known about the artist going by “Peace Prophet,” her art is shown and heavily sought out throughout many galleries and private collectors in Chicago and Michigan.

John Fox is a Native American Artist part of the Pokagon Band of the Potawatomi Nation. He currently works and shows his work in Saugatuck, Michigan. John says, “The Pokagon Band have endured thanks in part to their Seven Grandfather teachings: the values of Wisdom, Love, Respect, Courage, Honesty, Humility, and Family.” These ideals are embedded into both John’s personal and artistic paths. The appreciation and balance John finds in nature is returned to the surfaces he creates art on.

Jacob Wendt is a self-taught artist originally from Midland, Michigan. He spent most of his life as a classically trained Chef and Master Sushi Chef. He owned and operated four restaurant concepts before semi-retiring from the industry to focus on his art. Jacob Wendt currently lives in Saugatuck with his wife and sons. He creates and shows work in Saugatuck. His art includes mediums of wood, acrylic, flours, and any other object he finds interesting at the time. His works are environmental and atmospheric. The usage of application of medias creates pockets and outlets of interest.

Matt’s works are simple, unfettered and vivid in color and content. He is able to capture the innocence of youth and the unending fun that all of our childhoods embodied. He uses atypical and elemental mediums: Pine and plywood shapes, paint in house paint, Paper Mache, handmade painted furniture pieces, spray painted vintage windows, metal sliding cutouts and his newest of mixed media and sculptures of recycled vintage parts. Creations from the sublime to the bizarre, Matt’s world is a place for everyone.

Michael Sweeney passed away peacefully on July 26, 2020 at the age of 73, surrounded by family and friends. He was an artist, musician, author, poet, intellectual, biographer, historian and a connoisseur of wines, spirits, and cigars. He was born and raised in Midland, Michigan and lived much of his life in Saugatuck, where he founded the Saugatuck Douglas Historical Society. Below is a quote from Michael, describing his connection with painting sunsets: “I have always been fascinated and haunted by sunsets. As far back in childhood as I can remember, I purposely looked in the sky at twilight, whether in town where the sunset reflected from the tall steeple across the street from my house, my grandfather’s farm where the setting sun washed color through the open fields, or the expanse of the Great Lakes and its vast afterglow. I’ve always been compelled to take note of the event. I started painting them in an attempt to express my reaction in ways that photographs could not.”

Unmistakably, we are becoming mix of global cultures and DNA information, preserving and passing along our individuality despite a visibly narrow range of human typology and the constant, ever-changing combinations. Now more than ever, we should understand that humankind is both homogeneous and interconnected, yet at the same time, individuals remain unique due to their family journeys and heritage. What we once thought we knew about “us” is increasingly being framed as the "HUMAN RACE," where skin color, ethnicity, or gender identity will no longer be used as societal differentiators. My work speaks about healing, unity, and equality - about becoming one functional entity, sharing similar features, feelings, and emotions. It envisions a desired reality highlighting the diverse, where the focus shifts away from percentages and statistics to the well-being of the whole. By celebrating diversity, I’m showing previously unseen details of our society, suggesting that we can function as ONE perfectly healthy organism, regardless of appearance, visual differences, gender identity, or beliefs.

Jake Watling forms his graphic narrative imagery by combining his recorded ideas and experiences with a personal language of signs and symbols. The signs and symbols take many forms, including: people, text, signage, cars, architecture and religion. Jake Watling received his B.F.A. from the College of Visual Arts in Minnesota. He has exhibited his artwork throughout the United States. His work can be found in many private collections as well as the Museum of Modern Art collection in New York. Watling currently lives and works in Oakland, California.