Tomorrow is Black Friday, which unofficially signals the start of the holiday season in the U.S. While we’re not big fans of long lines, crowded stores, or waking up at 5 a.m. just to grab the latest gadget from Apple, we do appreciate a thoughtful gift, especially when it comes to handcrafted works of art that won’t break the bank.
Check out our end-of-year holiday gift guide for the perfect present, whether you’re shopping for your bestie or picking out stocking stuffers for your niece and nephew. Best of all, you’re supporting creative culture with a unique gift from some of our favorite artists. Happy shopping!
Brandi Milne
Brandi Milne’s exuberant body of work Everything I Ever Was draws inspiration from the artist’s two favorite holidays: Christmas and Halloween. Brandi’s pieces, sparkling under a gelatinous sheen, are stuffed with toys, games, ornaments, and characters from the artist’s childhood in the late 1970s and early ‘80s. She calls the work “a collection of surreal-spun tales laced with the cold hard truth about what it feels like to be fully human—Everything I Ever Was is my wild, bright, blazing human expression.”
While most of the works from Brandi’s 2022 exhibition at Corey Helford Gallery are sold out, you can still grab two prints from the gallery’s online shop: The show’s centerpiece, “Everything I Ever Was” (above), and the gorgeous pineapple and cherry dotted “And the Days to Come.”
Shop Brandi Milne here.
Two Tickets to Paradise: From Cult to Comedy
Written by longtime friend and frequent NOT REAL ART collaborator Katie Love, Two Tickets to Paradise is a heartfelt and hilarious memoir that traces Katie’s life from an oppressive cult to a thriving comedy career. Katie is a skilled comedic writer who turns every tragedy into an opportunity for healing and laughter. The book makes a wonderful gift for anyone who likes to laugh until they cry—and vice versa.
Shop Two Tickets to Paradise here.
L.A. Artists
Written by Katie Love and released by NOT REAL ART parent company Crewest Studio, L.A. Artists surveys 22 contemporary artists living and working in the sprawling metropolis.
While their accomplishments are impressive, the artists included in Katie’s book boast another badge of honor: They’re all past winners of the NOT REAL ART grant, an annual program that awards financial support and press coverage to artists who explore, experiment, and disrupt the status quo. All featured artists span our 2019, 2020, and 2021 grant cycles.
Shop L.A. Artists here.
NO COMPLY
Curated by Anne Martin of Sugar Press Art, the NO COMPLY exhibition commemorates Gregory Clewlow, an influential photographer, skater, and curator who passed away in 2021 due to heart problems. As Anne’s husband and business partner, Gregory was instrumental in the success of their business, Sugar Press, an eco-friendly print studio based in L.A. NO COMPLY merges some of Gregory’s favorite things: art, friends, and skateboarding.
Shop NO COMPLY here.
GRØSS Magazine
Victor Gonzalez founded GRØSS Magazine fresh out of college with a gleam in his eye and few assets to his name. Fast forward seven years, and the once wobbly publication has blossomed into GRØSS Creative Studio, a thriving media company also known as the GCS Agency.
The magazine is a treasure trove of forward-thinking modern art, design, and writing, but their online shop is stocked with more than reading material; you can also rep the brand by rocking its very cool logo stickers, t-shirt, and duffel bag. Pick up GRØSS VOL. 4 (pictured) with an eye-opening cover design by Play Studio.
Shop GRØSS Magazine here.
Sophie Gamand
Sophie Gamand is the patron saint of pit bulls in flower crowns. “For decades, pit bulls have been demonized by society and portrayed as hellhounds,” the French photographer says of the idea behind Pit Bull Flower Power, an ongoing series that celebrates the playful and affectionate nature of the breed. “This unjust reputation has sealed the fate of millions of dogs, who face prejudice around the world, [and] languish in shelters where they are the most euthanized [of any breed].”
Show your support for man’s best friend with a signed copy of Sophie’s book, Pit Bull Flower Power, a cozy throw, or a set of 10 postcards (pictured).
Shop Sophie Gamand here.
Kacie Lees
Working across multiple disciplines, including neon, video, and print, Kacie Lees recreates iconic symbols that pulse with color, light, and energy. Her neon work balances the simple language of hearts and stars with aimless, unpredictable pieces that capture movement and emotion like lightning in a thin, pliable tube.
Visit her online shop to see Kacie’s skill and range with multiple mediums. We’re partial to her “Homer/Uranium” poster (pictured), but you can also snag a cool hoodie, lightning bolt stickers, or her Neon Primer, an “educational text illuminating the hidden nature of light via the craft of neon bending.”
Shop Kacie Lees here.
Humpty Dumpty
This year, muralist Amanda Lynn fell from high-rise scaffolding while working on a project. In support of Amanda, archival print studio Sugar Press Art presents Humpty Dumpty, a virtual benefit show featuring a selection of work from Amanda Lynn and her friends at Sugar Press.
Curated by founder Anne Martin, Humpty Dumpty includes work from Lady Mags, Elle, Ursula Young, Gloria Muriel, RISK, Pursue, Jet Martinez, Alonso Delgadillo, Monty Montgomery, Tatiana Suarez, Henry Lewis, Monty Montgomery, Nicholas Danger, Jorge Gutierrez Garcia, Prairie Prince, Leon Loucheur, Lucien Shapiro, Megan Shaffer, and Erin Yoshi, among others. The show corresponds with an exquisite new print drop from Amanda, “Paradise” (pictured), now available for purchase through Sugar Press, along with the rest of the work in Humpty Dumpty. All proceeds from the show benefit Amanda Lynn directly in her recovery process.
Shop Humpty Dumpty here.
Lacey Eidem
“A large part of my character-related work is centered around the theme of not quite fitting in,” says Minnesota artist Lacey Eidem, who captures cultural oddballs like Urkel and Hunter S. Thomson in her deceptively childlike work. “By highlighting the struggles of feeling like an outsider, I hope to create a space where people can feel seen,” she continues.
Lacey’s online shop is filled with quirky prints and holographic stickers of Taylor Swift, Dolly Parton, and Prince (pictured)—perfect for stocking stuffers.
Shop Lacey Eidem here.
Artsville Holiday Gift Guide
Our sister company Artsville, based in Asheville, North Carolina, celebrates contemporary American arts and crafts throughout the Appalachian region. This year they’ve assembled an old-school holiday catalog featuring nine artists from their virtual gallery. (Don’t worry, the catalog is virtual too—and free).
The catalog includes handcrafted ceramics, jewelry, prints, and paintings from Asheville’s thriving artist community. The Artsville Collective is a zero-commission gallery, so you can rest assured that your dollars go straight into your favorite artists’ pockets.
Shop the catalog here.