Camouflaged behind dull sand-colored walls and an unobtrusive display window lies a treasure trove of art in Saper Galleries.
This large, three-room gallery, located at 433 Albert Ave., displays paintings, sculptures and pottery from about 150 artists. But because of its location, the shop is often easily missed. But, for people in the know, it's a place to frequently visit.
Todd Rosa, a 36-year-old Detroit resident, who once took classes at MSU, said whenever he comes into the Lansing area he makes a point to stop by Saper Galleries.
"There's not many places like it," he said. "It's a nice, pleasant, modern gallery."
Saper Galleries tries to serve the multitude of art preferences found in the university area, said framing specialist Jennifer Cuthbert, who has been working at the gallery for more than a decade.
Roy Saper, owner of Saper Galleries, said it is difficult to choose which artists to include in the exhibits because he receives about 500 portfolios per year.
"I like that which is truly amazingly great," he said. "It is not just the 'wow' factor that makes the work stand out, it is balance, uniqueness in terms of medium, imagery, control and other factors that are clearly subjective but together stand out way above the "competition."
In order for an artist to have an actual exhibit in the gallery - which consists of multiple works shown apart from the general melee of the rooms - the artwork must rank an 11 on a scale of one to 10, Saper said.
Saper Galleries currently is featuring the work of Bill Mack, who creates relief sculpture. Relief is a 3-D projection, or object, from a flat background. The front room of the gallery displays 12 pieces by Mack in materials varying from mixed metal to bonded sand.
The sculptures are of men and women and focus mostly on the themes of love and lust. The Mack exhibit will continue through April.
"He skillfully creates a sense of depth and dimension, suggesting the full body, when in reality it may only be half there," Saper said. "He is better than good."
In the back rooms, thin glass vases stand on pedestals surrounded by molded wire sculptures of male and female bodies, and paintings follow the stylings of Claude Monet to MC Escher.
The diversity of the art works is one of the reasons the gallery has done so well, Cuthbert said. The gallery also has moved with the times, expanding the building and creating an Internet store that aids income.
Saper Galleries offers a variety of services, such as framing and matting, but art is the primary source of profits, Cuthbert said.
Rosa said he enjoys many of the pieces at Saper Galleries, but since he prefers to buy actual pieces rather than copies, he has yet to purchase a substantial piece from the East Lansing venue.
Although many of the pieces on exhibit are too pricey for students to buy, arrangements can be made, Saper said.
"I know what it's like to have eyes that are bigger than the billfold capacity, so we make an extra effort to allow flexibility," he said.
