Decades of our handcrafted artwork to see and buy

If you’d have told me 44 years ago that the new little Deli we were a couple of months from opening would one day have an annual art show at the Ann Arbor Public Library, I’d have given you one of those skeptical raised-eyebrow, “there’s no way” looks that some of you know so well. We were hoping for many things when we were getting ready to open our doors for the first time in March of 1982, but I’m pretty sure that an art show wasn’t on anyone’s list. That said, nearly half a century later, it’s a significant element of what makes Zingerman’s magic. If we had started out using stock photos instead of hand-drawn illustrations, Zingerman’s would be a very different business today.

Ian Nagy has been illustrating for us for well over 30 years now. He is not, of course, the only artist who has contributed their skills to making the Zingerman’s Community of Businesses (ZCoB) a more artful place. But he has created so much great work over the years, and his beautiful, amazing, remarkable art skills have become so deeply associated with what we do that maybe I’ll start telling people who ask that Ian is actually “Mr. Zingerman,” not me!

In truth, it’s almost certain that anyone reading this enews will have seen some of Ian’s amazing art over the years. There’s something special, though, about being able to see a lot of Ian’s art in one place at the same time, not on a label, newsletter, t-shirt, or poster, but rather hanging on the wall, gallery-style, all at the same time, the way great art is so often shown.

“The Art of Zingerman’s: A Feast for Your Eyes—Second Course” is at the Ann Arbor District Library’s downtown location. You can come see it any day of the week from 10 am to 8 pm. The show is an exceptional exhibit of over 100 pieces of Zingerman’s artwork. It’s free, open to all, and runs through February 27.

Reflecting over the last few weeks about the impending art show opening, I realized that I’m rarely very far from Ian’s remarkable art. As I type this piece, I’m sneaking a quick look at the lovely sunflower he did on scratchboard for the cover of the pamphlet “A Revolution of Dignity in the Twenty-First Century Workplace,” and the apricot drawing he recently made for “Why Democracy Matters,” which comes out next month. You will likely have seen Ian’s work all over the walls of our businesses over the years, and it’s featured in every Mail Order catalog you get in the post. It’s also on print newsletters, menus, clothing, posters, and packages. Maybe you’ve seen it on our various delivery vehicles and in Zingerman’s emails that are delivered to your inbox. I see Ian’s stunningly beautiful scratchboard drawings every time I stock or sign one of the Zingerman’s Press pamphlets or books, or hand out one of my business cards. Ian’s art is also present whenever I show someone the new Zingerman’s snowboards and skis made by the artisan producer Gilson Snow in Pennsylvania. By Ian’s own estimate, he’s created around 7,000 images, and he’s still going in beautiful fashion.

Of course, over the years, other great art-makers have joined Ian in contributing their skills to the ZCoB cause. This show also features work by two other longtime art contributors: Ryan Stiner and Phil Stead. Of this second annual show, Ian offers:

This time around, I’m happy that we are displaying work from former Zingerman’s coworkers, illustrators Ryan Stiner and Philip Stead, as well as myself. It lets us show a wider variety of interpretations of the look and feel.

This all makes me think of the late educator and business leader Diane Ragsdale. She lived in Minneapolis and was a leader at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design. Ragsdale was much loved throughout the Twin Cities’ arts community. She was, it seems, a magical figure. Sadly, she passed away from cancer two years ago this week. She was 57. Ragsdale once described one of her courses as “not aimed at putting beauty in service of business. My aim is the opposite. I want leaders to put business in service of beauty.”

Zingerman’s is an organization that has made real, almost unintentionally, what Ragsdale was writing about. The library exhibit is evidence of it, but what’s more important is that we have actively employed Ian and many other artists to “help create Zingerman’s” for nearly all of the four-plus decades we’ve been doing business. Art here is not an add-on or an effect. Art is woven into pretty much everything we do. And Ian, in spirit and in illustration, has been a part of pretty much all of it for three and a half decades now.

In her final published article, Diane Ragsdale explored the idea that we’d do well to embrace “processes that will by necessity and with intention ensure that we arrive at destinations we cannot imagine, much less describe.” It sounds a lot like magic. The kind of magic that Ian Nagy has shown himself to be so incredibly adept at making—and continues to show each day. I am amazed by every piece he’s done.

Hang our art in your home

Warning: This Exhibit May Increase Your Need for a Nosh

You might already know that Zingerman’s aesthetic is instantly recognizable and well-known here in Ann Arbor and across the country. Illustrator Ian Nagy developed Zingerman’s distinctive style; he joined the Zingerman’s team a few years after the Deli first opened (and still works here today!). Over the years, several other illustrators have also contributed to our catalog of one-of-a-kind artwork.

This exhibit features the work of three illustrators—Ian Nagy, Philip Stead, and Ryan Stiner. These pieces, hand-done in pencil, ink, and paint, capture the spirit of fun, food, and community that is Zingerman’s. (And they’re all available to purchase!) From zany characters like Dutch cows wearing wooden shoes and a cinnamon roll weightlifter to artful still-lifes of artisan olive oil bottles and packages of coffee beans, throughout the years, they have created more than 10,000 images—packed like a Zingerman’s gift box with beauty, whimsy, and the unexpected. Experience their delicious details and colors up close and in person… but please do not lick the art.

Exhibit Info:

Ann Arbor Downtown Library 

Lower Level Program Room 

Tuesday, January 6 through Friday, February 27

Open daily 10 am to 8 pm

This originally appeared in the January/February edition of Zingerman’s News—check out the rest of the newsletter!

Ever seen a nerdy taco? Well, now is your chance! Upstairs at the Deli, all throughout September, you can check out the Food Mascot Student Art Show, where along with math-loving Mexican food, you’ll also get a glimpse of dancing cheese, sushi with attitude and much, much more.

The exhibit is a collaboration between Zingerman’s and Ann Arbor Art Center. As part of their recent Summer Creativity Camp, the center hosted Food for Thought, a week-long session exploring our favorite subject: food! The kids who attended designed candy packaging, created sculptures, and with the help of Zingerman’s poster artist Anne Kellogg, they also spent a day animating food.

A long time fan of Zingerman’s art work, AAAC Youth Programs Manager, Jean Spindler, was really excited to have Kellogg teach the class. The fact that Zingerman’s art is done by hand was an added bonus.

“One of our goals for the program is to expose kids to a wide variety of working artists. When they meet and talk to a real-life working artist, it makes a career in art more accessible,” says Spindler. “It opens their minds to the possibilities out there and gives them the confidence that this person is doing it and with hard work, they can too.”

Kellogg tells us she had a blast. “They seemed to really enjoy it! I had fun, too, and definitely came away with a renewed respect for teachers and people who work with children every day. They were incredibly creative and were especially–this was a surprise to me–excited about Zingerman’s and about the art exhibit,” she says.

To help explain the process of animating food, Kellogg brought along a half wheel of Manchego cheese. With that as a visual, the class discussed a few tricks of the trade, including the importance of giving food distinct personalities and creating clear settings for the characters. Then, the students got a chance to create their very own food mascots to be featured in the exhibit.

Though the choices were difficult, “Best in Show” ribbons were awarded to some of the works by the Deli MerchandiZing Collective. However, all the food mascots are fantastic–don’t miss the chance to see them for yourself this month!

Check out some pictures from the Food for Thought class below:

 

The Food Mascot Student Art Show is a free exhibit upstairs at Zingerman’s Delicatessen until September 30.