10 Finds at Mullaly’s 128 Studio & Gallery

Shop these sculptures, paintings, and vessels in Elk Rapids

By Kierstin Gunsberg | July 5, 2025

School’s out and so is the sun! For a cool and creative reprieve, grab the kids and hop on over to Mullaly’s 128 Studio and Gallery in downtown Elk Rapids. (Seriously—you’ll see why below.) That’s where owner Barb Mullaly has been welcoming visitors of all ages for more than 30 years.

“My husband was an artist,” Mullaly says of William (Bill) Mullaly, who co-founded the gallery with her. “He worked for General Motors for like 38 years, but he also was an artist.”

Even now, his presence is still felt in his studio which can be found filled with his years of paintings and sculptures at the back of the gallery. “He was a painter. He was a sculptor. And then when he retired, he decided he was going to take up metal smithing… someone called him a Renaissance man. He tried everything.”

He also believed that art should be approachable, especially in price, which is why instead of keeping the gallery’s prices hidden away, each piece is displayed alongside its price tag—that way, no one is falling in love with an out-of-budget piece, explains Mullaly. “My basic philosophy is that you should come in and enjoy.”

And, she adds, that goes for the youngest of art connoisseurs too: “I welcome kids in here. I do. I will have people come and say ‘Don’t bring the kids in’ and I say ‘No, bring them in.’ And if they’re really small, carry them because then they can see more things.”

While you’re at it, introduce them to these 10 finds from artists all over Michigan (and some a little further away) and their eclectic mix of mediums, styles, and perspectives.

Piece 1
Title: Blood/Breath

Artist: Nancy McRay
“She’s very prolific. She’s working on a very big piece now,” Mullally says of northern Michigan fiber artist Nancy McRay, whose body of work often shows scenes pulled straight from the local landscape, from Elk Lake to Ayers Road in Williamsburg where she’s based. Woven in the rich blues, greens, and sunset tones that define our region, several of McRay’s wool hanging tapestries can be found at Mullaly’s, including the four foot long "Blood/Breath." On her website, the artist explains that this autobiographical piece explores her connection to living in “this wonderland of water…The very same lakes and river system is depicted inside the area of my lungs.”

Piece 2
Title: Oasis

Artist: Kate Moynihan
No one relishes being inside during northern Michigan’s all-too-brief summer, but the work of Holland-based artist Kate Moynihan brings the warmth of butter yellow dunes and ochre blooms to any indoor space, no matter the season. Mullaly has several of the painter’s pieces in the gallery this summer, including “Oasis,” an ode to those peaceful moments in nature that live in memory long after they’ve passed. Moynihan, who was once also a gallery owner for over 25 years, “Works with both the brush and the palette knife,” says Mullally, adding, “My husband would love to see that.”

Piece 3
Title: Brass Sculptures

Artist: Scott Nelles
One of the biggest (literally, these pieces are quite hefty) finds at Mullaly’s is the collection of brass sculptures by metal artist Scott Nelles, who sand casts from his studio less than three miles south of the gallery. Nelles’ playful pieces range from twee pairs of birds to mid-century, little-green-men era aliens and their accompanying spaceship. His pieces are each designed and cast over hundreds of hours. Starting at $30, they’re also accessible across budgets, and if one slips through a curious kiddo’s grip they’re pretty darn durable, notes Mullaly.

Piece 4
Title: Thorn Vessels

Artist: Andrew Madvin
Much less indestructible but still whimsical, the Thorn series by Andrew Madvin features hand-blown glass sculptures from his Thorn Vessels collection. With their lake Michigan hues, these pieces are a statement whether displayed solo or clustered to splash their colors against each other when the sun hits just right. A Detroit native, Madvin studied glasswork at the California College of the Arts before returning to Michigan to establish his studio, Axiom Glass, in Royal Oak with his brother Robert.

Piece 5
Title: Peaceful Morning

Artist: Salina Kalnins
In a place where the serenity of a bayfront sunrise is often overlooked during the morning commute, artist Salina Kalnins brings it back into focus with “Peaceful Morning.” Like all of her work, the painting begins with a nautical chart, this one mapping Lake Michigan and favorite NoMi waterways like Good Harbor Bay and The Manitou Passage. Kalnins then layers acrylic over the chart, explains Mullaly, creating a waterscape where the map subtly peeks through beneath. It’s a super cool find for nautical buffs and lake lovers alike.

Piece 6
Title: Polymer clay sculptures

Artist: Kim Bocek
While many of the artists featured in the gallery hail from all over the northern Midwest, Kim Bocek is a hyperlocal talent based in Elk Rapids. Bocek’s intricate polymer clay sculptures twist, curve, and lift right off the canvas, creating multi-sensory pieces that beg to be touched. And for anyone who adds one (or a few) to their own collection, they certainly could!

Piece 7
Title: Pin/pendant sculptures

Artist: Mary and Spencer Watson
“I think these are so unique,” says Mullaly of the wearable sculpture jewelry by husband and wife duo Spencer and Mary Watson. Though the two artists create their own independent work out of their Chicago studio, they collaborate on these one of a kind pieces featured at Mullaly’s—sculptures that double as pins or pendants. First, Mary gathers beachcomber treasures like agate, pearls, red river jasper, and citrine to shape a Picasso-like figure, then adds one of Spencer’s hand-carved stone faces to bring it to life. Unique, indeed.

Piece 8
Title: Copper Flame paintings

Artist: Dan and Frances Hedblom
Dan and Frances Hedblom, another husband and wife team, instruct anyone hanging one of their metal art pieces to grab a clean rag and some glass cleaner to “remove your friend’s fingerprints.” And it’s easy to see why anyone would be tempted to swipe a finger across the glossy surface of one of their copper flame paintings. Far from being industrial or cold, these pieces are mesmerizing displays of light, color, and movement, created through a heat-based technique that draws out the natural beauty of the copper used to create them.

Piece 9
Title: Clay sculptures

Artist: Sharon Stelter
One of the newest collections to hit Mullaly’s this summer is Sharon Stelter’s clay sculpture series, “All Dressed Up.” At first glance, the earth-toned sculptures look like stone. But hold that gaze for one more moment and the whimsical details—a puffy bird in boots, a lanky bunny sporting overalls—start to pop out and with them, so does the artist’s desire to interpret the world as a simple and joyful place.

Piece 10
Title: Paintings

Artist: Moira and Douglas Racich
While they don’t create pieces together, Mullaly can’t show off one Racich artist without including the other. Douglas, a former dentist turned painter, works in egg tempura and watercolor, painting still lifes from his home studio on the Leelanau Peninsula. His daughter, Moira, works in acrylic, with pieces from her Dark Sky series currently on display at Mullaly’s. The series, which seems to glow even under the gallery lights, is the closest any NoMi explorer will get to experiencing the night sky in all its unobstructed celestial glory…save for a midnight trip to the dunes.