White Church Gallery — Attraction in Port Austin Township

It’s a rare event where we go away stunned by a new visit experience in the Thumb. However that’s what it felt after leaving White Church Gallery in Grindstone Michigan. Located in rural remoteness of an old Methodist church in what was the heart of a long abandoned 1800’s grindstone quarry operation, the owners Michael and Carrie Zaitz have created an artist oasis at the tip of the thumb.

Doing a search on Yelp showed that White Church Gallery is the first true dedicated art gallery in the Thumb. The uniqueness of the restored church and remoteness of location makes it an amazing place. Carrie told me that they had to totally renovate the church. “Mother Nature had taken over”, she mentioned with smile and a little eye-roll. They have been working on the gallery for over three and a half years. The center piece of this renovated church is a beautifully restored qua-trefoil stained glass window at the front of the gallery crafted by Tom Newton. You can sit on a the pews of the old church at across the street at Rybak’s Ice Cream on the front porch. Carrie has pictures of the renovation process on her White Church Gallery Blog.

In 2016 the gallery has expanded to house a wood working shop and a large scale studio for Mike Zaitz's larger then life paintings found in the main gallery. The White Church Gallery will be the home plate for the upcoming Thumb Artists Studio Tour, June 18-19, along the Lake Huron shoreline between Port Austin to Caseville. Artist have open studios for the weekend. It’s a great way to see the beautiful lake shore while stopping at studios along the way to view the artistic process and purchase gorgeous...

A gem created off the beaten path. Critical art pieces amongst a plethora of unique offerings. Fused with some amazing sound tracks and the charming and welcoming personalities of the galleries artist in residence and the boutiques curator this is a bucketlist must. Before or after some splendid ice cream across the street and a dip of the toes in the Great Lake...

Try to come out here at least once a year, always unique finds and selections of personal and hand crafted items from beautiful artwork to hand made jewelry and candles. Gallery owners are such interesting individuals who I always enjoy chatting with when I visit. Looking forward to my next trip. Support local. Support the unique. Support each other. Visit White...