Handmade in the USA

We want our belongings to work as hard as we do. That wish sometimes clashes, gladiator-like, with artists’ urge to make art that does not, on the surface, seem to offer such immediate usefulness. But not at MADE art boutique, where daily inventory and scheduled exhibits both show off what happens when inspired artists and craftspeople turn their hearts and hands to making magic with everyday objects. MADE’s “Bank: Artist-Made Banks” exhibit includes various handmade coin banks that run the gamut from whimsical to political. If Erin Glaser’s wall-mounted container, smothered in shiny, colorful paillettes, gives visitors a subliminal poorbox feeling, all the better for its eventual owner. And Jon Ebinger put so much care into his work, creating a waist-high thrill ride of polished wooden channels that send coins switchbacking like a runaway train into a turned wood bowl, you’ll want to put as much care into saving your pennies.
Fri., July 3, 6-9 p.m., 2009