Jocelynn Brown: Handmade

Discarded, unwanted yield newfound beauty

Broken bits of wooden furniture outside the door of his downtown Detroit studio is a familiar sight for mixed-media artist Donald Calloway Jr.

A full-time artist for the past 20 years, Calloway began his career as an illustrator but is probably best known for his more recent work, three-dimensional mixed media. He builds whimsical sculptures out of "roadside finds" and discarded wooden items, like the broken pieces of furniture left at his door by supportive neighbors. Through his playful imagination, the unwanted items become works of colorful art.

The piece seen here is from a series called "Rediscovery."

"The statement I'm making is, lost by neglect, redeemed by love," he says. "They are the rediscovered beauties, like roadside finds and old pieces of furniture."

Collectors of his work, priced from $40-$15,000 and sold under the name Little Bit of This, Little Bit of That, include prominent lawyers and judges. Several pieces are owned by Michigan Consolidated Gas and the Detroit Children's Museum.

A Detroit resident, Calloway is also a community arts program instructor at the Center for Creative Studies, where he teaches high school students painting, mixed media art and sculpture.

He sells his work out of his studio and at major art festivals in Michigan and across the country. His work has been featured in several Detroit galleries, including Arts Extended Gallery and the Detroit Artists Market.

Twice a year, he hosts a Cheap Wine and Chicken reception, an unveiling of his most recent work, at his studio.

"It's the art show with the party flair; there's music and dancing," Calloway says.

His next art party is set for 7 p.m. Dec. 5 at 743 Beaubien St., Loft 510 (above Niki's Pizza) in Greektown.

Detroit News staffer Jocelynn Brown is a longtime Metro Detroit crafter who knits, crochets, beads and makes soft-sculpture dolls. You can reach her at jbrown@detnews.com or visit her blog at detnews.com/craftblog.