DECEMBER 2 • 2021 | 23

OUR COMMUNITY

N

ow in its 41st year,
Birmingham Bloomfield
Art Center’s Holiday
Shop is an annual tradition
where Metro Detroiters can buy
unique gifts from more than 200
top local artists.
Opening Dec. 2 and run-
ning through Dec. 21, the
3,000-square-foot retail area
will include an expanded home
goods section in 2021, plus
additional baby and children’s
gift items.
This year, BBAC’s Holiday
shop, which is free and open to
the public, will also see a selec-
tion of renowned Jewish artists
and artists selling Judaica. Here
are three artists with Jewish
connections to look for at the
annual shopping event.

PATTI TAPPER
Jewish artist Patti Tapper centers
her art around the idea of living
a colorful life. Since the age of 7,
she has had a passion for paint-
ing, beginning by work-
ing with pastel paints
and later transitioning
to oil paints.
As an adult, she
received a bachelor of
fine arts from Bowling
Green State University
to continue pursuing
her love for art on a

professional level.
In addition to painting,
Tapper also works with mixed
media sculptures, but the items
she’ll have for sale at the BBAC
Holiday Shop are her vibrant
earrings made of clay.
“I like to work with bright
colors,
” says Tapper, a member
of Temple Israel. “I work in
polymer clay and usually add
some metal components.
”
Tapper, who has been making
jewelry for 20 years, is particu-
larly drawn to the color green,
especially a chartreuse green
that she integrated into her
unique earring designs.
“That’s my favorite color,
” she
says of the shade.
By adding metal accents like
gold or silver leaf as well, Tapper
says her homemade earrings can
be dressed up or

down for everyday wear or spe-
cial occasions.
“Polymer clay is awesome
because it’s a very lightweight
material,
” she explains. “You can
do a huge earring and it’s not
uncomfortable for the wearer,
which I love.
”
Tapper also has a set of ear-
rings for sale made with both
metal and pearl.
“I got a kick out of pairing the
metal with pearls because a lot
of times, pearls are seen as really
delicate and dressy,
” she says. “I
wanted to pair them in a differ-
ent way so people could wear
them with jeans or with their
workout clothes, whatever they
do during the day.
”

MARTHA
ZAUSMER
Martha Zausmer
had an unconven-
tional entry into
the world of art.
At the age of 52,
she began her
career making
fine art, now

practicing for more than 30
years.
“I went back to school,
” she
says of the transition in her
50s, graduating at age 60 with
a bachelor of fine arts from
Wayne State University. From
there, she went on to teach chil-
dren’s classes at BBAC, where
she’ll be selling her Jewish-
themed cards during the holiday
show.
“Birmingham Bloomfield Art
Center has been a home away
from home for me,
” she says.
“It’s really a place of safety and
encouragement and good art.
”
Zausmer’s fine-art cards for
sale come in a series of five
designed with Jewish symbols.
“I painted a collage [on them]

PHOTO CREDIT

Meet three artists with Jewish
connections participating in
the BBAC Holiday Shop.

Art for the
Holidays

continued on page 24

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Linda Buck’s mezuzahs

Martha
Zausmer’s
printed cards

BBAC Holiday
Show

Dec. 2–Dec. 21, 2021
10 a.m.–6 p.m. Monday-
Saturday; 12 Noon–4 p.m.
Sundays
1516 S. Cranbrook Rd.
Birmingham, MI 48009