The daily digest of Twin Cities culture | Secrets of the City

In an age when we can fill our homes with an abundance of uniform, sleek, inexpensive, mass-produced goods, the gracious imperfections of handmade objects provide a particularly human comfort. A few artisanal pieces incorporated here and there into your living spaces, whether it's a simply constructed paper pendant lamp or a bit of ornate whimsy for your yard, lend your surroundings the warmth of a maker's hand. And with the variety of lovely, functional objects offered up by Minnesota's talented craftspeople, the hunt for just the right piece for your garden or living room may prove almost as gratifying as the pleasure you'll get once that one-of-a-kind treasure has taken up residence in your home.

Music Stand by Ross Peterson, wenge, quilted maple, Goncalo Alves.
This elegantly crafted music stand by Ross Peterson, for which rare figured woods have been re-sawn and laid out to showcase the natural grain, is similar to one commissioned from the artist by President Bush as a gift for Japan’s Emperor Akihito. www.mnartists.org/Ross_Peterson

Cocktail Cart (top) and Treadirondack (bottom), by Dean Wilson
Wilson’s whimsical cart offers a playful, stylish home to the booze that sits atop it. His retrofitted lawn chair-cum-vehicle will be the envy of your friends. www.mnartists.org/Dean_Wilson

Neruda Pendant by Claire Moyle, recycled paper, 2006.
Claire Moyle’s contemplative play on word and light is a thoughtful accent for any reading nook. www.mnartists.org/Claire_Moyle

Ellipsoid Table by Tim Gorman, maple, walnut, bird’s-eye maple, bubinga veneer, ebony, oak, birch plywood, brass, 2006.
This opulent, Deco-inspired table by Tim Gorman would be equally at home in sleekly modern or eclectic, antique-filled living spaces. www.mnartists.org/Timothy_Gorman

Birdhouse by Mari Newman, wood and paint.
The homey charm of Mari Newman’s rough-hewn birdhouse is designed to warm up any garden corner. www.mnartists.org/Mari_Newman

Jack Splash Lotus by Holly Anderson Jorde, glazed stoneware & acrylic painted wood, 12"h x 24"w x 16"d
Jorde’s beautifully executed ceramic sculptures are both elegant and fanciful like childhood toys refashioned for grown-ups. www.mnartists.org/Holly_Anderson_Jorde

Perpich Bench by Glenn Gordon, Mesabi black granite, steel, curly redwood, 2004.
This bench, constructed in 2004 in honor of Rudy Perpich, is made from black granite native to Perpich’s Mesabi Iron Range and
an extraordinary plank of highly figured curly redwood recovered a few years back from a lightning-struck stump left standing by 19th century redwood loggers. www.mnartists.org/Glenn_Gordon

Modular Media Shelves by Keith Moore, birch, 2002
These funky shelves offer functional storage with playfully fluid lines.
www.mnartists.org/Keith_Moore