I recently spent an evening at the Saginaw Art Museum. E.I. Couse was a Saginaw native, so it makes sense the museum would have a comprehensive representation of his work, set off in its own gallery. This is “An Offering to the Great Spirit,” oil on canvas from 1922, hung in the museum just last fall. From the signage: “Couse portrays a Native figure in reverent communion during a pipe ceremony. Rendered with academic precision and Taos-inspired sensitivity, the painting reflects his effort to represent Indigenous ritual with dignity, symbolism, and a poetic vision of harmony between ceremony, spirit, and human presence.”

Mark Piotrowski’s “On the Edge of Sunshine,” 2022, enamel on shaped aluminum, part of his exhibit “It’s All Connected” at the Saginaw Art Museum through April 25. https://www.saginawartmuseum.org/exhi…/markpiotrowski2026/ | https://www.facebook.com/markpiotrowski

Mark Piotrowski on his work “Teeter,” 2022, enamel on shaped aluminum: “Teeter balances smooth surfaces against unpredictable line. While the composition feels polished, its internal motion suggests instability, echoing how lives often hover between control and chaos. The work reflects a quiet truth: even when systems appear stable, they are always in motion, always at risk.”

Richard Lewis’ “Nkisi Lena Horne,” gouache color Sharpie and color pencil on watercolor paper (2026), part of his exhibit “The Price of the Ticket” at the Saginaw Art Museum through April 25. Several of his portraits had “nkisi” in the title, a word the exhibit does not explain but I understand from other sources to mean an object or material substance invested with sacred energy and made available for spiritual protection. https://www.saginawartmuseum.org/exhibi…/richardlewis2026/ | https://www.instagram.com/richardelewis4/?hl=en Lewis will be at the museum April 9 to discuss his work.

Richard Lewis’ “Boxing Portrait – Freddi,” ink and watercolor on watercolor paper (2024). There are numerous “boxing portraits” on display, at least one depicting a boxer, but again no explanation.