Cold Nose Warm Art in Petoskey

July 20, 2005

Abby the dog’s eighth birthday was March 31 this year. So what better time to open the gallery named for the beloved Mack family’s pet than that exact date? Kathy Mack thought that was a pretty good idea, and she did just that, settling Cold Nose Productions in on Mitchell Street’s new “uptown art district” in Petoskey and bringing her colorful, eclectic, friendly artwork to a new audience.
Kathy started painting art and furniture when her son, Colin, was around three years old (he’s 10 now). With Abby the dog always around, Mack was subsequently always laughingly picking dog hair out of her drying artworks; so brainstorming a name like Cold Nose Productions was a, er, no-brainer when it came right down to it.
“Now that Colin’s graduated from fifth grade, it’s time to do something with my art - it’s taking over my house!” Mack laughs. “So I figured I needed a bigger place to both store my stuff and earn some money.”
Mack’s Cold Nose Productions gallery is bright and cheery, a dance of color, odd shapes, and whimsy, which is one of Mack’s favorite elements of her art. “Fun, functional, and whimsical - those are my catchphrases,” she confirms.
For her own art, she continues to do painting, mostly on all shapes and sizes of furnishings, and also does some fiber art which is proving to be quite popular. “I usually just start with one or two colors and go from there, especially where the furniture is concerned. I also do a lot of custom work for people, where they give me a wallpaper or color sample and I do something to go with their decor.”
Hats, Mack says, are making a comeback, so she’s on top of that trend, too.
“I crochet some really neat hats out of fabric strips,” she enthuses, “I use linen and cotton, and add men’s ties to accent. They’re really fun, and they’re going over so well.”
Mack also carefully selects the other contributing artists for her gallery, which showcases a wide and quirky range of talents from all over. Recent Petoskey High School grad Chad Chickering, who is going to the Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids in the fall, has several of his pieces in the Cold Nose gallery, including a rocking chair covered entirely in yarn, a table slipcovered smartly in sweaters, and a painted diagonal stripe chair that plays tricks on the eyes. Toril Smith’s acrylic and pastel paintings of women are particularly popular with gallery visitors, as are Mary B.’s high energy painted furnishings and zany paintings. One of contributor Erin Scudder’s works really stands out, a found object mirror covered in a black and white theme of old brooches, jewelry, and pearls. Several jewelry designers can be found at Cold Nose, too, from The Bead Sisters to Izisjewels by Diane Grace - there are chunky stones, glass beads, more delicate stonework, and even some less expensive stuff for those on a budget. There truly is something for everyone.
Artists are taken on consignment, and Mack is up to over two dozen contributing artists so far - pretty good for a gallery that’s only been open for a few months.
She’s definitely staying busy.
“I did a few art shows with my works for a while, and that was interesting,” she explains, “But I hadn’t realized how physically hard it would be doing those. Having this shop is a lot nicer. I’m not a business person, I’m an artist, and this is all kind of new to me. I did retail for six years for American Spoon Foods, but this is just... different. First of all, it’s my own money,” she chuckles, “and secondly, this time I’m doing it all myself.”

Kathy Mack’s Cold Nose Productions gallery can be found at 437 East Mitchell Street in Petoskey’s new “uptown art district,” telephone 231-348-8271.