Bear And Bird Boutique Gives Budding Collectors An Easy (And Affordable) Entry Point

By TRICIA WOOLFENDEN (/PEOPLE/TRICIA-WOOLFENDEN)

Between Art Basel, Art Palm Beach, and the American International Fine Art Fair — plus dozens of galleries from West Palm to Wynwood — South Florida’s well-heeled art collectors are pretty well covered. That leaves room for niche galleries like Bear and Bird Boutique + Gallery in Lauderhill to cater to fledgling art buyers and up-and-coming artists. “Our goal is to introduce people who don’t collect to how they can create a collection,” said Amanda Magnetta-Ottati, co-owner of the 700-square-foot gallery located on the second floor of the ever-popular Tate’s Comics .”We have lower priced art that’s good.”

The gallery opened in 2007 and has showcased a mix of South Florida and national artists, some of whom had their first show in the budget-friendly gallery. Magnetta-Ottati said she is happy to see artists “outgrow” the gallery — whether in stature or commanding price — and said “I think they look back fondly on their time with us.”

As Bear and Bird has come into its own, Magnetta-Ottati said the gallery is starting to build a local collector base. Art fans know to anticipate shows featuring artists who are “new enough and talented enough” to be both affordable and worthwhile, she said. “They’ve seen over the years that I can find people when they’re at the start of their careers,” Magnetta-Ottati said.

The gallery’s current show, “Girls vs. Boys,” has a straight-forward but playful theme. Four female artists (Sashiko “wishcandy” Yuen, Mab Graves, Danielle Estefan, and Erika Taguchi-Newton) go head-to-head with four male artists (Ryan Hungerford, Tripper Dungan, Greg Kletsel, and Aurian Redson) on the gallery walls. Magnetta-Ottati asked the artists to submit their best work and the results, 50 in all, were enlightening: “They were really true to their genders.” Pieces in the show are priced anywhere from $20 to $775 and some of the pieces are available in the Bear and Bird online store.

Upcoming shows stick to the gallery’s theme of serving both local artists and art buyers. “Starter Art 2″ runs April 26 to June 22 and features pieces priced at $100 or less, for the “beginning collector.” Later in the summer is “The Little Golden Years: Modern Artwork Inspired by our Favorite Golden Books.” The show — June 28 to August 10 — is guest curated by Heidi Kenney, of My Paper Crane fame. Participating artists will receive a vintage Little Golden Book from the gallery and are asked to reinterpret the books as if they were illustrating for them today. The big fall show, “Mysteries of the Unexplained: Exploring the Supernatural,” is a “local artists mega show” open to South Florida artists of all ages.

“Girls vs. Boys” continues through April 20 at Bear and Bird, which is located at 4566 N.
University Drive in Lauderhill.

Link to original article, may or may not stay viable over time:
http://wlrn.org/post/bear-and-bird-boutique-gives-budding-collectors-easy-and-affordable-entry-point

My home workspace area...

I find that large clear jars are a great place to corral my large assortment of lil interesting things. I can’t bear to give them away or toss them out… so I have to put them SOMEWHERE! I just love little cute things, especially weird lil things! I have jars like this all over my home honestly, but this specific one is FULL of stuff from my childhood. Let’s take off the dusty lid and take a look inside together…

Ahhhh! There it is… the taxidermy mouse in the dress and bonnet (center bottom) and I forgot all about the taxidermy mouse in the pink sleepsack too! Lol, gross and awesome! I seem to still have a bunch of my old Charmkins too… those are still adorable! Ha…! There’s my old blue unicorn velcro wallet, it always annoyed me that his magical horn was curved.

I collect a number of lovely things still – but as I am (much) older and (somewhat) wiser the things I seek out to add to my collections are more obscure and rare. Over the years the things I actively collect always evolves, it is not that I get “bored” with them… I think I just get ENOUGH of them! …or sometimes almost ALL of them… haha! Things like mounted insects, Alice in Wonderland paper advertisements, vintage sideshow photos, rubber squeak toys and arcade tokens are all still a PART of my collection, but I very rarely add new finds to them at this point – they would have to be VERY special! I’ve simply seen too much. I currently collect: Wooden Carved Figures; Needle-Felted Creatures; Cacti and Succulents/Plants; Original Artwork and  Crocheted Dolls/Things – in addition to any particularly cute random thing I find! My dear Anna Pants is always on the lookout for interesting objects that she thinks I would like… since I don’t get out searching much anymore! She’s a super good finder.

These are just two random shelves showing a tiny little slice of my “stuff”. You can see some adorable and weird Needle-Felted creatures on the left there… a couple by artist Kit Lane and that green bunny is by Violet Pie. Hand carved tiki head by local Tom Fowner and a stunning small painting by Naoto Hattori. On the right, you see a couple glass domes filled with random small cool things and a lil windup mouse that looks sooo “modern” to me. Also… check out the adorable fat booty nesting doll versions of us that was a gift from our dear friend Sas Christian. The tiny pink one on the end is Rosemary as a baby! Priceless!!

So what was my purpose in writing this looooong rambling blog post? Hmmm…. oh yes! I wanted to show you a couple of very special new items we have in the boutique & it got me thinking about how I always try and carry  (whenever possible) unique items that I think are special enough for MY collection and hopefully YOUR home as well!! Usually that is a pretty tall order, since the things I most adore seem to be one-of-a-kind or rare these days… but if I try hard enough I can sometimes find things that are just the right fit in terms of price and awesomeness! Here are two new additions the the boutique’s selections (and additions to my personal collections of course):

The lil darlings you see above are the truly adorable and impossible to kill crocheted cacti from Toshwerks out of California! I find these extremely appealing to the eye and to the touch, they are all unique and totally adorable. I really can’t fathom any plant lover not being thrilled with getting one of these as a house warming or holiday gift. They are just PRECIOUS! I want them to sell super fast so I can order more, they give me smiles. Seeing as I collect actual cacti and succulents along with interesting crocheted items, these are a must have for me. I really want to hoard them ALL for myself, but that just isn’t practical… LOL

These cute lil weirdos are also currently available in our boutique and are handmade in Olympia, Washington by the talented Kristen Etmund. Needle felting is one of my favorite kinds of craft and when its done well the creations are truly adorable or other-worldly! These guys here are solid and about 5″ tall, I really can’t choose a favorite… though I may be a bit partial to the Wolf in Sheep’s clothing since my lil baby boy’s middle name IS Wolfgang.

Also, while on the subject of needle-felting, check out this magnificent masterpiece by needle-felt artist Kit Lane… it was a part of our Peculiar Playmates exhibition a few years back. Even though it did not sell during the show, we went ahead and purchased it and made it a part of our ‘gallery collection’ – in the hopes that it will find just the right home one day! I wish it for myself, but I simply don’t have the space… it is quite large for a needle-felted piece! Needle-felting is a craft/art that I one day hope to tackle and make some interesting creations of my own, as of now I have never tried it and only have a dim grasp of how it even works… I think there is some sort of magic and a fair amount of smooshing involved.

I have to admit that when I started out writing this blog, I didn’t intend for it to be an epic rambling of what I collect and what I like/think… but maybe that ‘s what I need to do more of. Anyone who knows me knows that a large portion of what we sell, especially upstairs in the boutique is a direct reflection of our family and the things we enjoy/appreciate. Sometimes that works out well for us and the objects sell to our customers, sometimes it doesn’t. Quite often it doesn’t… Things I love the most may end up sitting on the shelf for years and years… Which is a bummer – but we will never stop trying to bring to South Florida a wide variety of interesting items that carry our own personal seal of approval.

I hope that a few people take the time to read this long ass blog, since it took me a while to write it, and I will do my best to do more blogs like this in the future … giving a little bit of background information and insight on why we are carrying certain items which will also probably help to highlight them!

Warm regards,

Amanda

Steve Sansweet, who is genuinely a nice man, took time out from his busy day to pose for a quick pic with Amanda and Anna!

As described on his website, “The Rancho Obi-Wan Experience (booth #1235) at Star Wars Celebration VI, exhibited items ranging from the first prototype Boba Fett laser rifle (1978), to unproduced Star Wars action figures, to an incredible two-foot high pinata of Luke on a tauntaun. About 300 special pieces from the world’s largest private collection of Star Wars memorabilia, owned by Steve Sansweet, will be on display at the 800-square-foot exhibit. Rancho Obi-Wan is a nonprofit museum depending on the generous support of the public to share the excitement, fun, and friendship that Star Wars has brought. Its motto is “Inspired by the Force of Imagination.”

Clockwise from left: Luke Skywalker by Dianna Oates; Tauntaun and Luke by Heidi Kenney; Tauntaun Carousel by Mariangela Tan; The Max Rebo Band by Hillyhill; and Salacious Crumb by Allison Hoffman

We (Amanda, Tate, the kids & Anna) spent the week in Orlando for the duration of Star Wars Celebration VI because our “parent” store, TATE’S Comics, was running the Dark Horse Comics booth during the event. Rosemary had a really great time meeting all kinds of “bot-bots” (as she calls them) and playing in the huge pile of Lego Duplo blocks they had setup there for the younglings to enjoy. We really got a ton of amazing photos, I’ll include a couple of the best ones here just to give you taste!

5 month old Baby Tate being cradled lovingly by a HUGE momma Wookiee! He loved it!

Rosemary Jane in the Lego throne that Tate made for her.

Sweet lil Baby Tate just hanging out with Jabba!

Anna Pants with Warwick Davis. Chris Hardwicke modeling one of her "tie fighter" ties, handmade from vintage bedsheets!

Trapped in the Bacta Tank... :-0

That’s all for now… signing off with full intentions of posting more often (as always)!

-Amanda

Since I’m not an official food blogger, I will just give you tiny bit of info on why we like the place and how far they are away from TATE’S/Bear and Bird, plus link you to Urban Spoon for reviews and details…!

All of these restaurants have been “tested” multiple times by us… nom nom! The prices are all very reasonable – especially once you taste it! None of these are “fancy fancy”, but all are clean, fresh and locally owned. No fatty corporate chains… it seems like the owners of these places actually CARE about their restaurants, which is important to us.

Hope you enjoy them as much as we have! Promise we wouldn’t steer you wrong. We don’t like crappy meals! Please tell them that we sent you over!

Painting by Justin DeGarmo; from our personal collection.

Bash Wine Cafe – 1.5 miles from TATE’S/Bear and Bird

Food here is really delicious, anything from salads to steaks. A really nice place to take a date or a small group of friends for some great food and conversation! Features local art on the walls and lots of wine and beer if that’s your thing!

Link to Urban Spoon reviews and directions… 

Marumi Sushi – 3 miles from TATE’S/Bear and Bird

Open until 1:30 in the morning! This is where local sushi chefs go AFTER they get off work to eat and hang out. The food is that good. If you like fresh sushi or Japanese comfort food, you will love this place and go back ASAP!

Link to Urban Spoon reviews and directions… 

India House – 2.7 miles from TATE’S/Bear and Bird

The menu here is HUGE and they have a bunch of tasty naan options. There are meats and flavors from all over India. It is usually pretty empty and the food is quite great!

Link to Urban Spoon reviews and directions…

Woodlands Pure Vegetarian South Indian Cuisine – 0.5 miles from TATE’S/Bear and Bird

Vegetarian option for those of you who swing that way! People we have sent there usually end up being big fans and return time after time to nom on their tasty non-meat options.

Link to Urban Spoon reviews and directions…

Thai Thai – 3 miles from TATE’S/Bear and Bird

Lots of dusty fake orchids, which is lame – but good pad thai and other thai dishes. They also have decent sushi… but we never get sushi when we eat here! For that we always go to Marumi!

Link to Urban Spoon reviews and directions…

La Bamba – 4.2 miles from TATE’S/Bear and Bird

We get take-out from this Mexican restaurant at least once a week. It is fresh and fast and really yummy. Pollo ala Plancha and Shrimp Fajitas are a couple faves… and the mild salsa is just perfect with their crunchy tortilla chips.

Link to Urban Spoon reviews and directions…

Bamboo Noah’s – 6 miles from TATE’S/Bear and Bird (on way back to 595)

Really fresh and diverse menu. Makes me feel like I am eating healthy food that makes my tummy smile. Also they have cupcakes and whoopee pies sometimes!

Link to Urban Spoon reviews and directions…

I would love to hear what you think, if you try any of these places! Drop us an email!

-Amanda (& Tate)

He approves!

-Amanda

Seems like 90% of my blog posts are me APOLOGIZING for not posting more often. But… I have a good excuse! I made a person!

This little guy came out a month ago and he and his (nearly 2 year old) big sister have been keeping me busy busy. Lucky for me I have a great team who keep things running smoothly while I micro-manage them from home. ha ha…

We have some awesome new product coming into the shop in the new few weeks and are doing a bit of sprucing up and rearranging as well before the next show opens. No resting on our laurels for us!

Next art show opening on May 5, 2012 is going to be extra specially awesome. All the art in the show will be priced at $100 or less, with the intent of getting fine folks to jumpstart their art collections! Collecting art is a bit addicting, in a good way. …and I have seen WAY TOO MANY blank walls in the homes of fun, creative people. You know who you are!

-Amanda

So, when you want to give your kid (or yourself) an amazingly soft and loveable new friend – you KNOW where to come to find them. These lil guys look even better once they are loved up and scruffy too.

Rosemary absolutely LOVES Jellycat plush. They all got kisses too.

Nice, fresh plush display... probably won't stay orderly for long! These guys are wild!

Assortment of super cute and soft bears and bunnies! <3

Monkeys big and small... lil donkeys... soft, colorful, floppy buddies and more bears!

This smile says it all... these guys will bring you or your kid JOY!

]]> http://www.bearandbird.com/2012/01/28/brand-new-jellycat-brand-plush/feed/ 0 http://www.bearandbird.com/2012/01/23/the-2012-bear-and-bird-business-card-is-off-to-the-printer/ http://www.bearandbird.com/2012/01/23/the-2012-bear-and-bird-business-card-is-off-to-the-printer/#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:29:15 +0000 amagnetta http://www.bearandbird.com/?p=2459

My goal is to have the 2012 card printed by the END of 2011, but hey priorities. There was just too much to do and too little time the past few months. But, now… now it is done! Thank you once again to the inimitable Aurian Redson for his charming illustrations.

The introduction to the book is fantastic as well, it was fun to learn about his journey from childhood potato drawings to where he is today. Don’t be lame and skip over the intro since it’s “a lot of words” – you will enjoy the book approximately 38% more once you read it!

Way back in 2007 Mr. C was a part of our “Cute Attack” show – his pieces were small watercolors featuring medieval knights at odds with cute  creatures who seemed to overwhelm with their size and sweet lil faces! The outcome of the “Adorable Battles” is not on record, but we all know that cuteness always wins!!

After thoroughly enjoying this lovely book, I was thrilled and WAY surprised to see that we were mentioned in the acknowledgements! Such a kind, thoughtful gesture really speaks of the nature of Scott C. Even the little people (like us) who he worked with along the way were remembered. Makes me feel like hugging and eating pizza!

Thank you Scott C. and have a happy new year all!!

-Amanda

Art by (L to R): Jerrod Maruyama, Danielle Estefan, Aurian Redson

This is our favorite show of the year, with so many great pieces (over 150) for such great prices (as low as $15!)… you totally don’t want to miss the lovely brunchtime opening! It’s the Sunday before Thanksgiving, so you know you can make it! If you’re not able to trek over to us on Sunday, rest assured we will have the work available for online purchase lickety-split… that’s fast!

Art by (L to R): Holly Schaefer, Ryan Hungerford, Erika Taguchi-Newton

All the artwork is 8×10 or smaller and affordably priced for gift giving. Local, national and international artists with a wide range of styles & subject matter. We are starting out with over 150 pieces in total, there will be the perfect gift for someone here… maybe even YOU!

Art by (L to R): Patrick Maxcy, Ryan Fowler, Sara Leigh

Small Stuff is the show opening that you will kick yourself for missing, because you will totally want dibs! So, round up your cool friends, bring your mom, expose your kids to art… it is going to be LOVELY!

A few excellent reasons you don’t want to miss the Small Stuff opening:

• Truly fantastic art for great prices, really great!
• It is cash and carry, so you get to take your new artwork home as soon as you buy it!
• If you don’t come to the opening, you will MISS OUT on some great art. Since it goes home right away you won’t even get to SEE the best stuff unless you come to the opening!
• Mimosas!!! …and doughnut treats!
• Start your holiday shopping right BEFORE Thanksgiving, that way you can feel like you’re ahead of the game. Art=awesome gifts.

Plus, the super added bonus is that you are supporting a family owned business and independent artists at the same time… like MAGIC! Holiday magic…

Includes artwork from: A. Pants; Amanda Valdes; Amber “Ambird” Seegmiller; Aurian Redson; Benjamin Constantine; Bianca “Bee” Medina; Bong Redila; Brandon Reese; Brandy Rumiez; Brian Butler; Cassie Hart Kelly; Christine Curry Coates; Danielle Estefan; Danny Brito; Dave Perillo; Dutch Door Press; Edau; Elisa Sassi; Erika Taguchi-Newton; Giselle Gonzalez; Holly Schaefer; Jamie Fales; Jarod Rosello; Jerrod Maruyama; Joanna Barnum; Johannah O’Donnell; John Kissee; Jordan Steele Thompson; Karen Watkins; Kay Garcia; Kristin Tercek; MAp-Map; Michael Fleming; Natalia Pierandrei; Nathan Stapley; Patrick Maxcy; Ripley’s Odditorium; Rob Bridges; Ryan Fowler; Ryan Hungerford; Sandra Lucia; Sara Harvey; Sara Leigh; Steven Macleod; Thomas Ascott; Tiffany Battel; Todd Nolan; and MORE!

Link to Flyer