We are excited to be in collaborative efforts with a wide range of artists! Check out our partners who are currently featured in the gift shop!
Summer Baldwin
Sarah Megan Jenkins
Sam Stolte
Catie Daniel
Christian Bailey
Jerrod Partridge
Historic Ocean Springs Association
David Spencer
Philip Levin
Sarah Posey
Tom McCool
Chelsea Prince
Oliver Preus
Allen Williams
Clay Hardwick
Ligia M. Römer
Kelsey Wishik
Jerika Broussard
Solange Ledwith
Paulette Dove
Glenn Miller
Welcome to the Mary C. Gift Shop!
Our gift shop is a vibrant celebration of the incredible talent within our community, showcasing a diverse array of handmade items crafted by local artists. By choosing to shop here, you not only discover one-of-a-kind pieces but also directly support the creative spirits that call our region home. From captivating artworks to skillfully crafted goods, every purchase contributes to the flourishing local arts scene. Embrace the spirit of community and shop with us at the Mary C Cultural Arts Center Gift Shop – where every item tells a story, and every story is rooted in our local heritage.
https://www.summerbaldwin.com/
I am a former New York City-based currently Gulf Coast-based actress, dancer and choreographer. Since moving to the Gulf Coast, I have been performing in and around New Orleans, Louisiana and Ocean Springs, MS. In 2013, I was featured in a 2 minute promo on WGNO’s “News with a Twist and also voted as one of the TOP 3 Performing Artists of the Year for RAW: New Orleans for my performance of, The Betty Dance, on the low-flying trapeze. My favorite New Orleans project so far has been being cast as Betty in the black and white short film noir, The Dead Man’s Number, directed by Jackson Hill. The Dead Man's Number won the Audience Choice Short Film Award at the 2013 Fairhope Film Festival, a Gold Remi Award at the 2014 Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival and I was nominated for Best Actress in the 2015 Philadelphia Horror Film Festival and 2017 Southern Shorts Awards. My most recent film work includes playing the lead female role of Beth in Cornbread Cosa Nostra directed by Travis Mills. My professional choreography experience began with two low-flying trapeze duets Whatever You Think is Best (2011) and petite bash (2012) at Soundance Studios in Brooklyn, NY. Work on the Gulf Coast includes If It Suddenly Rains, performed inside the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi, MS and Ever So..., which was apart of the 2013 New Orleans Fringe Festival. My most recent original stage work, Aloneliness, was a collaboration between mixed-media artist Julia Reyes, sound designer Billy Louviere, dancer Katy Gaines and singer Leah Rodgers. Other work includes two improvisational duets with Leif Anderson, 40 Years Between Us at The Mary C. and Movement is Born at the Walter Anderson Museum of Art. My most recent project, Aloneliness: a screendance, was a dance film collaboration with MS Gulf Coast-based filmmaker Rachel Searcey (A Girl and her Goldfish Productions). As Director of Dance and Theater at Rock U 2 in Ocean Springs, MS, I strive to offer non-competitive, safe and creative dance and acting classes to children and adults of all ages and skill level.
http://www.sarahmeganjenkins.com/
Nature provides balance, stress relief, a stronger mentality and can leave one feeling physically refreshed. From weather patterns to the cycles of the season, nature's beauty flows through the earth from top of the atmosphere to the deep ocean bottoms. My work, which ranges in materials, seeks to capture this push and pull of nature's all encompassing energies and remind the viewer that they too can find tranquility through nature's rhythm. I work from home as a full time artist in the small town of Madisonville, Louisiana. My studio is constantly filled with many canvases, bags of clay, and plants.
https://www.instagram.com/stoltepainter
https://www.catiedaniel.com/
Catie Daniel is an Ocean Springs, Mississippi native where she has lived the majority of her life. She is mostly self taught but has earned an Associates of Art from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and is primarily a watercolor painter as well as a ceramic artist with over 20 years of producing functional tableware. Catie is represented by the Griffin Art Gallery in Jonesborough, TN. Her work can be found at the Waterhouse Gallery in Pike Road, AL and in the Mary C. Cultural Arts Center in Ocean Springs, MS as well as Bay Elements in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Catie recently exchanged the beaches of the Gulf Coast for the mountains of East Tennessee (Blountville). She continues to paint and make pots in her home studio there, while leading a simple life of faith and family.
https://www.christianbaileyceramics.com/
I am a just a dirty hairy potter from the piney woods of south Mississippi. I earned a BFA in Sculpture form the University of Southern Mississsipp and also a Masters of Education. I put both of those degrees to work showing high school students the wonders of art. I have always been drawn to the worn, the old, the soon to be replaced found in life. These things that served purpose but are no longer desired. The layers breaking down, showing through, being reborn even as they age and wear away. Clay has a history of serving purpose of holding firm against wear until broken. It is the canvas with the physical properties that allow me to create my visions of dystopian future days and speak my truth. Many of the techniques I utilize are also rooted in that same purpose serving life, until being replaced by the new. I take heart in knowing that my pieces will serve a purpose until they don't and they too will be replaced by the new. My work can be purchased here at my online store, found in the Ohr Okeefe Museum of Art Gift shop is Biloxi, Ms and at the Local Creatives Gallery located inside the Mary C O’Keefe center in Ocean Springs, Ms.
https://www.jerrodpartridge.com/home
Jerrod is a full-time studio artist while also teaching drawing and painting workshops. He has exhibited his work in Japan, Italy, and across the United States. Jerrod and his wife Jessie own and run Palmette, a flower shop and art gallery located in the Springs Hotel in downtown Ocean Springs, MS. He leads Visual Explorations trips to Europe each summer, and he is also owner and co-creator of Art Space 86 which uses events to provide opportunities for artists and enrich communities through art. Jerrod and his artwork have been featured in Portico Jackson Magazine, Northside Sun, Find it in Fondren, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine, Number: Inc Arts Journal, Magnolia Magazine, Northeast Ledger, Madison Magazine, and the Scott County Times.
https://www.hosaoceansprings.com/
We believe in the unique charm of Ocean Springs. The Historic Ocean Springs Association is a local non-profit community organization whose members simply love Ocean Springs. HOSA was organized in 1989 with the mission of preserving & promoting the ambiance of this unique, picturesque, and historic city. Today, HOSA is still comprised of individual and business members who recognize and appreciate the exceptional quality of life and rich culture we enjoy here in Ocean Springs. We love the past, present, and future of Ocean Springs.
A member of The Mississippi Gulf Coast Gem and Mineral Society, David Spencer creates beautiful handmade and affordable jewelry.
https://www.doctors-dreams.com/?fbclid=IwY2xjawEnNB9leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHamb7pCTpSlMiw2GV09knp2ZathLRYI8t78L7UJ87CXcaqcmn-pKkErw0w_aem_XB5oZgMUaxwUEwdM1SrG0A
I’ve always been a writer. During college I edited the college newspaper. I graduated debt free from medical school, earning enough from sales of my writing to pay my tuition. Raising my family and tackling my career slowed my writing output for two decades, and once the children were off in college, I settled down to learning the craft. I published my first novel, “Inheritance,” in 2007, delighting in its successful landing on the local best-seller list. Eighteen books later, came "Andrew Comes Home (2015)," winner of five major awards, including the Grand Prize in the Dixie Kane Classic. If you’re looking to start out reading my books, I recommend this one, Southern literature with a touch of romance. I’ve now published 31 of my own books. Raising my children, I adored reading juvenile literature, knowing someday I'd produce my own.
https://www.sarahposeyart.com/
Sarah Posey (United States) graduated summa cum laude from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a B.F.A. in Painting in 2021. Posey has exhibited internationally and nationally, including MINI/MIRO at Manifest Gallery and the Yellowstone Art Auction 52. Her current artistic interest is in examining Western death culture through the lenses of ornamentation and superstition with the hope of spreading death positivity throughout the world. She works in a variety of media, including oil and acrylic painting, time-based media, and sculpture.
https://www.facebook.com/MccoolsWoodWorks/
https://carltherooster.myshopify.com
Chelsea Prince is the Author of “Carl the Rooster,” a children’s book based on the life of a beloved local icon. She is the Outreach Coordinator for the Mississippi Coast National Heritage Area with the Department of Marine Resources and manages the Ocean Springs Historical Society Facebook group. Chelsea enjoys spending time with her husband and three children exploring the outdoors.
https://www.preusoriginal.com/
Born in Indianola and raised in Webb, Oliver grew in Mississippi like the crops down the road from his childhood home - with love and patience from his family and friends. His creativity, fostered by those who saw his potential, was culitvated over the years as he sought education in Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning. He earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in the two related fields - one from Mississippi State University and the other from Auburn University. From there he became a Landscape Architect and began a professional path where he would help build new places for people to enjoy. His love for art was reignited during this time through his creative talents. Preus Original was created out of a unique style of painting by a man with a unique name. Over time the methods and media have expanded and changed, but the foundation of Preus Original has remained the same – tell the story. Every drawing, painting, or photograph is created and used for that purpose.
https://www.allenwilliamsstudio.com/
Allen Williams is an award winning illustrator, concept designer and fine artist. From a young age a pencil and paper were an escape and a refuge for Allen. Now nationally and internationally known, for over 28 years Allen has applied his talents to everything from illustration for gaming companies and book covers, to concept work for major motion pictures and television. His vision for such projects ranges from illustration to concept work and creature and character designs. Allen’s personal work has a strong basis in reality but always flows into otherworldly aspects. He primarily works in graphite, gouache, and oils. Multilayered images arise in his work, in which the fragility and instability of our seemingly certain reality is questioned. Allen’s drawings directly respond to his surrounding environment and he uses everyday experiences and objects as a starting point for many of his pieces.
https://echomech.com/
Clay Hardwick is an artist, videographer, and video editor and often creates under the name “ECHOMECH.” He is originally from Jackson, Mississippi but currently lives in Chatt anooga, TN.
Clay's artistic journey began in his early teens when he got his first digital camera and was able to manipulate digital images, a whole new world of visual art opened up. Years later in 2009, Hardwick would go on to graduate from Millsaps College, focusing on Digital Arts. He developed a passion for telling stories through digital mediums.
Over the years Clay has won dozens of awards in regional film festivals, been nominated twice for Regional Emmy, Davey and Telly Awards mostly for his work on music videos or documentaries, both web, television and film. He has done work for many national and regional clients, including PBS, Walmart, the Human Rights Campaign, HomeServe, Catalyst Sports, and others.
https://www.ligiamromer.com/
Ligia M. Römer, Ph.D., is a licensed architect with a doctorate in philosophy. Born and raised in Curaçao, she came to the U.S. to study architecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), in Troy, NY. Upon graduating in 1988 with both a B.Arch. and B.S. in Building Science, she moved to New York City where she worked at Furnstahl & Simon Architects until acquiring her license to practice architecture in 1991. She then returned to graduate school to pursue a doctorate in philosophy at the CUNY Graduate School & University Center, in Manhattan. During her graduate studies Römer started teaching architecture as an adjunct professor at RPI and established her practice Bouwkunst, in New York in 1992, specializing in residential design. Upon receiving her Ph.D. she continued teaching architecture, at Mississippi State University and University of Louisiana at Lafayette (formerly the University of Southwestern Louisiana), including design studio, drawing, and architectural history, as well as aesthetics and philosophy of architecture. As her teaching brought her down to the Gulf Coast, Römer settled in Ocean Springs, MS, in 2000. She joined the faculty at Tulane University School of Architecture in New Orleans, LA, as an Adjunct Professor from 2000‒05 and 2008‒09 while continuing her practice in residential design. In 2010 Römer shifted from academia into the institutional art world. She was appointed director of the Dusti Bongé Art Foundation (DBAF) in 2019, where she served as registrar and curator since 2015. Before joining the DBAF she worked at the Walter Anderson Museum of Art as registrar. At the DBAF she managed the 2019 publication of Dusti Bongé, Art and Life; Biloxi, New Orleans, New York—the first major survey examining the artist’s career. Römer worked with author J. Richard Gruber, Ph.D., to conduct research, liaise with the Bongé family, and oversee the collection of imagery and new photography. Additionally, Römer contributed to the development of an exhibition of Bongé’s work Piercing the Inner Wall: The Art of Dusti Bongé organized by, and presented at, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in 2019.
https://www.worksbywish.com/
Kelsey Wishik is an interdisciplinary artist from the Southeastern US. Her practice includes sculpture, installaation, painting, drawing, and designing and explores themes of consciousness, shared identity, micro/macro relationships and transformation. Through sculpture, two dimensional works, music, and movement, she seeks to discover the diverse capacities of creativity as a unifying language and form of responsive intelligence. Her work has been exhibited in public and private settings as well as nationally and internationally including the National Museum for Women in the Arts
https://www.jerikabroussard.com/
My art is an attempt to birth blessings into the world through each creation. Archetypal images such as the “Serpent” or use of relics represent some of the darker aspects of life and human suffering. However, I turn these images from suffering to beauty in an attempt to tame the dragon and bring light to the darkness. The process of creating allows for me to see new perspectives, open up my mind to divine guidance, and navigate to positivity in my inner world with the intention of reflecting this to the outside world. In my experiences, the works of art speak to me, guiding me to growth, transformation, and my highest self. Simultaneously, the art aspires to do the same for the viewer.
https://swampgirlglassllc.com/
‘Balance’ is a body of work that looks at the relationship of material and form; how they rely on each other as well as affect each other. The glass components highlight the interior and exterior form because of its property of translucency. Typically when we look at form, we focus on the exterior shape. These particular forms allow us to glimpse inside and consider the interior form, how it also plays a part in determining the exterior shape. It is a synergetic and mutually influential relationship, and because of that, neither is no more or less important. Solange Ledwith began working with glass in 2002 at Chico State University, CA, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree. Shortly after, she made her way to Los Angeles where she completed her Master's of Art degree at California State University of Fullerton.“I was fortunate to be able to study with and work professionally with LA's finest. It was there that I learned to love the delicate art of precision glass working.” To further advance her working skills and knowledge, she spent many summers at the Pilchuck Glass School in Washington where she was exposed to incredible talent that came from all over the world. In 2010, she made her way back to her birth home, Louisiana.“It was here that I really began to learn about myself and what is important to me; my love for family and home, and my appreciation for how precious life is.” Solange’s core foundation remains fond of the delicate aesthetics of precision glass and has now found a way to balance that precision with more colorful and playful designs.“I love what I do, and my world has become more playful and brighter because of it. My hope is to share that delight for life and glass with all of you.”
https://www.facebook.com/paulette.dove.5/
Paulette Dove works to develop paintings that tell a story and make people question their purpose. An image is not only captured, but challenges the viewer to seek out an understanding of the painting. Dove uses rabbit heads on human bodies with red balls (in striped paints) as a metaphor placed indiscreetly in the paintings. This is her way of presenting stories about people and their decisions. The red balls represent “opportunities.“ An educator, artist, and a native of Biloxi, Dove has been painting and exhibiting on the gulf coast for many years. She is a member of the Ocean Springs Art Association, President of the South Mississippi Art League and board member of the Mississippi Art Colony. Her work has been displayed throughout the South. Paulette received her B.F.A. and M.Ed. from The Mississippi University for Women and William Carey College. Her education includes Louisiana Tech University, Savanna School of Art, Bascom Center for the Visual Arts. She has taught for 30 years in Mississippi and West Virginia. Paulette has also served as an educator at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, as well as the Walter Anderson Museum of Art. Paulette prefers to work in oils, mixed media and clay. She currently works from her Side Door Studio in Biloxi, Mississippi.
https://glennemilleretchings.com/exabitions/
I am a lifetime artist whose life and artwork have been heavily affected by hurricane Katrina. Before the storm I was predominantly an etcher and figurative in style. After the storm I began working on a series of abstracts as an outlet for the pain I witnessed during the aftermath of Katrina.
