Welcome to Laughing Fish Gallery and Art Café, a cheerful space where art and creativity come together! Browse our collection of unique, handmade pieces perfect for your home or as meaningful gifts, or pull up a seat in our Art Café and paint your own wooden project, each one hand-carved by Shelly. Whether you’re shopping, creating, or dreaming up a custom fish design, there’s always something joyful waiting for you here.
Laughing Fish Gallery
Visit us in our new location at the Grand Traverse Commons! We are located on the 2nd floor, take the stairs by Cuppa Joe and follow our signs. Or, take the elevator to Kirkbride Hall and we’re right next door.
1200 W. Eleventh St. | Suite 207 | More parking behind Building 50
What is Art Cafe?
Art Café is a relaxed, drop-in painting space where you can pick a hand-cut wooden project, grab some paints, and create your own happy art. Each project is carved and designed by artist Shelly Drews, and you can even book a table ahead to save your spot.
We provide everything you need to complete your Art Café project, including paints, brushes, and even hair dryers - all included in the cost of your project.
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The short answer: everyone! Our Art Café projects are perfect for ages 5 to 105. Come paint solo, bring friends, or plan a creative outing, whether it’s a book club get-together, girls’ night out, bachelorette party, birthday celebration, or any reason at all to make something fun!
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$10-$50+
Our Art Café projects are available at a range of price points, beginning at just $10. When you choose to paint your project in person, all paints and brushes are provided at no additional cost. For your convenience, we also offer a hair dryer station to help speed up the drying process, allowing you to complete and take home your artwork the same day.
If you take your Art Cafe project home to paint you will need to also purchase your own paint and brushes ( don’t worry, we sell these in-shop! )
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Drop in
Stop by during open hours and say hello. No reservation needed.Choose a project
Pick out an Art Cafe project from Shelly’s hand-cut designs.Check out and set up
Pay for your project, find a table, and get your supplies. Paints, brushes, water cups, and paper towels are complimentary.Paint at your own pace
Relax and create. Ask for color or technique tips anytime.Dry and detail
Use our hair-dryer station to speed up drying so you can add final touches.Take it home
Once it is dry, you are all set to bring your artwork home the same day.
You can also book a table in advance if you already know your schedule! Simply scroll down to our calendar and choose a time that’s most convenient for you.
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You can paint in-person at our Art Gallery located in The Grand Traverse Commons. We are located on the 2nd floor in Suite 207. Take the stairs by Cuppa Joe and follow the signs to us, or take the elevator to Kirkbride Hall and we’re next door.
1200 W. Eleventh Street, Traverse City MI 49684
Park in the lot across from Pleasanton Brick Oven Bakery and you’ll be just steps away from us!
You can drop-in or book a table in advance if you already know your schedule! Simply scroll down to our calendar and choose a time that’s most convenient for you.
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Any type of acrylic paint will work on our wooded Art Cafe projects. We recommend, Folk Art Multi Surface Paints - They’re what we use!
What We Do…
We are a mother-and-daughter team of artists creating whimsical, happy art to brighten your home. Along with our signature pieces, we offer Art Café projects; hand-cut, paint-your-own creations designed for both in-person and at-home painting.
We happily take orders for custom artwork, focusing mainly on our carved wooden pieces like fish, bears, dogs, cats and other woodland creatures. Each design is carved and painted in our signature whimsical style, making every custom piece a one-of-a-kind addition to your home.
If you would like to order a custom piece, please send us an email here.
Happy Art for A Happy Home.
We first opened Laughing Fish Gallery in the charming town of Suttons Bay in 2019, pouring our hearts into creating a space filled with joy, color, and creativity. For nearly six years, we loved sharing our art with visitors from near and far. But after Kirstie’s son was born in 2023, we realized that balancing motherhood and the demands of running a physical gallery was becoming more challenging. In late fall of 2024, we made the tough decision to close our brick-and-mortar shop. While this chapter has closed, our passion for creating hasn’t changed! We’re still making and sharing our art online, bringing the same love and creativity to every piece; just with a little more flexibility for family and new adventures.
Creating art takes time and each piece is a labor of love, from the first sketch to the final wire eye on each fish. Whether it’s Shelly carving and painting her whimsical fish or Kirstie weaving a sunset inspired tapestry, every creation is made with care and creativity. We believe that art isn’t something to rush; it’s a process of inspiration, craftsmanship, and joy. While we may not always have a huge inventory, every piece we offer is made with heart, and we’re so grateful for the patience and support of those who appreciate the time it takes to create something truly special.
If you’d like to be the first to know when new creations are available in our online store, be sure to sign up for our newsletter (fill out the form below)! We love sharing our latest work with you.
