Playing cards with the work of local artist Mel McCuddin are available at Art Spirit Gallery in Coeur d'Alene.
If you're an arts supporter, you already know the benefits of supporting the visual and performing arts, including your network of like-minded friends and family. Shopping for them is like shopping for yourself, with plenty of events, memberships, subscriptions and art-centric items throughout our region. You're not an arts supporter? Don't miss out any longer! Check out these suggestions for ways to support — and enjoy — our local arts scene.
FOX THEATER MUG
If you've ever attended one of the amazing performances of the Spokane Symphony, then you know how special the Fox Theater is. As the Symphony's home base, the Fox has been Spokane's favorite downtown venue for 90 years! Help the music and event lover on your list start the day off on an "up note" with a commemorative Fox mug designed by another of Spokane's faves: artist and printmaker Chris Bovey. $12 • Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox • 1001 W. Sprague Ave. • foxtheaterspokane.org
ARTSY MASK
If the person on your shopping list is of the mask-wearing variety (which we hope, because we need all the help we can get to end this freakin' pandemic), the MAC's reversible art masks (in the gift shop) make every day an art day and allow the wearer to express themselves accordingly. Channel the tranquility of Monet's water lilies or embrace the struggle of Frida Kahlo's double-sided self-portraits. And for outings that inspire increasing the decibels, do so artfully with a mask depicting Edvard Munch's iconic 1893 painting, The Scream. Include a museum membership with that mask ($35-$50) so the wearer can attend cool events like Thursday Night Live for free. $19 • Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture • 2316 W. First Ave. • northwestmuseum.org
MEL McCUDDIN PLAYING CARDS
Not many artists in our region are as prolific as Mel McCuddin, who's been painting for more than 50 years and recently completed a solo show at Coeur d'Alene's Art Spirit Gallery. Priced by size, McCuddin's paintings sell anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. You, however, could start your very own McCuddin gallery (in miniature) with a set of Mel McCuddin playing cards. The deck features 54 of the beloved octogenarian's artworks (52 standard cards plus two jokers). $10 • The Art Spirit Gallery • 415 Sherman Ave., Coeur d'Alene • theartspiritgallery.com
COEUR D'ALENE SUMMER THEATER SUBSCRIPTION
For some people, it takes a few solid months of cold weather to begin dreaming about sleeveless tops and sunshine. For the theater fan on your list, a 2022 season pass to Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre adds not just one but three more reasons to think warm thoughts. The CST season, which runs July-August, includes three productions. Mamma Mia! will have everyone singing ABBA tunes, while Little Women, The Broadway Musical is a contemporary twist on a classic coming-of-age-story. CST's 2022 season concludes with hilarity from the holy Little Sisters of Hoboken in none other than Nunsense. $131-$153 • Coeur d'Alene Summer Theater • 4951 Building Center Drive #105 • cdasummertheatre.com ♦