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2022 Gift Guide: $30 or less

Rachael Crouch, Creative Content & PR Intern

Nov 30, 2022

A selection of books and games from the Wexner Center Store, laid out on a solid green background

Need some fresh gift ideas for the holiday season? We took a look around the Wexner Center Store to gather some vibrant, creative, and thought-provoking options—all of which are under $30. From graphic novels and page-turning memoirs to fun, stress-relieving puzzles, there’s something for just about everyone!

 

Play the Patriarchy: A Card Game, $19.95

A multicolored game box for Play the Patriarchy: A Card Game. The design features illustrated female figures against a pink background.

Created by viral satire website Reductress, this fast-paced, witty card game is the perfect gift for the No-BS, tongue-in-cheek girlboss in your life. The 300-card deck has hilarious and timely subjects and prompts that create nearly endless possibilities! Consider this a Cards Against Humanity for rebellious anti-establishment feminists.

 

Guerrilla Girls Tea Towel, $24

A dark pink tea towel covered in text topped by the headline, "The Advantages of Being a Woman Artist"

Spice up a loved one’s home with a versatile tea towel decorated with the dry-humored irony of the Guerrilla Girls! Suitable for framing or practical uses, this Pepto Bismol-pink tea towel is emblazoned with the graphic text from the feminist art collective’s iconic 1988 poster Advantages of Being a Woman Artist.

 

The Art Book for Children, $19.95

The cover of Phaidon's Art Book for Children. In the design, the letters of the title are made of cut-out construction paper, placed against a solid yellow background.

This hardcover adapts Phaidon publishing’s bestseller Art Book for younger art lovers. Designed for parents and kids to enjoy together, The Art Book for Children details thirty important artists and their most famous works, encouraging children to look closely and use their imagination to discover the beauty and wonder of art!

 

Banksy: A Graphic Novel, $24.95

Cover art for Banksy: A Graphic Novel. A male figure in all black with a hoodie and a face mask looks straight ahead in the foreground. A cityscape under a night sky with purple clouds is in the background.

Written by Francesco Matteuzzi with vibrant illustrations by Marco Maraggi, this newly published graphic novel takes on a difficult challenge—the creation of a biography of one of the most famous artists working today, one who has managed to remain completely anonymous. This fictional account of Banksy’s life (told through the eyes of two fictional graffiti artists who are detained by police) chronicles the artist’s rise to notoriety, from his beginnings in England to his conquering of the largest galleries, museums, and auction houses in the world.

 

Music is History by Questlove, $18.99

The cover for Questlove's Music is History. It features an illustration of a vinyl record emerging from the bottom and a collage of multicolored circles rising from it like a sun ray.

A captivating author and and analyst of music and culture, The Roots's drummer Questlove is back with another thought-provoking, entertaining book. Focusing on the years from 1971 to the present, Music is History discovers connections in the American tapestry, especially concerning how critical moments in our culture—from blaxploitation to disco—shaped Black identity. Questlove also includes memories from his lifelong love of music and pop culture.

 

Little Puzzle Things, $15

Three Little Puzzle Boxes side by side. The box covers reflect the completed puzzle pictures: a shrimp, a cone of french fries, and a bowl of ramen

Why not give the gift of buildable food on a chilly winter day? These miniature puzzles allow one to assemble their favorite craving wherever they please—from the comfort of their home or even at their desk on a lunch break! Variations include bowls of ramen, French fries, shrimp, and ice cream. Gift your loved one with a little bit of brain food—a limited edition one at that!

 

Magda Archer Jigsaw Puzzle, $26

The box for Magda Archer's Happy Everything puzzle. It has an illustration of a baby duck riding the back of a baby deer on a pale blue background.

Wanting to give a special someone a bigger brain workout? This 204-piece puzzle of a cheerful, colorful graphic from London-based artist Magda Archer does the trick while you’re tucked away inside during a snowstorm or need an escape from screen time.

 

Foxy: My Life in Three Acts by Pam Grier, $25

The cover of Pam Grier's autobiography Foxy: My Life in Three Acts. It features the author with her body curled toward the camera. She has loose, tightly coiled hair and a direct, confident gaze. She's wearing a fur collar coat with tall black boots.

Did your loved one catch the legendary auteur Pam Grier when she spoke at the Wex in November? Treat your favorite cinephile in your life to the icon’s captivating memoir: a vivid, wild journey through an amazing life. From her experiences as a backup singer and her time starring in Coffy, Foxy Brown, Mars Attacks!, Jackie Brown, and The L Word, Pam Grier holds nothing back.

 

Manifesto: The Art Movements Game, $14.99

The cover for Manifesto: The Art Movements Game. It features illustrations of Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, Frida Kahlo, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and a Guerilla Girl, as well as a reference to Rene Magritte's Man in a Bowler Hat..

Complete with 52 vividly illustrated cards of the most iconic artists in history, this version of Go Fish is perfect both for a game night in or for introducing the little one in your life to art history. Manifesto’s creative gameplay tests your knowledge of matching artists from Andy Warhol to Frida Kahlo to the art movements that they took part in. The box set also includes a booklet that details the fascinating histories behind each artist included in the deck.

 

Wex “Art is For Everyone” Merch, $18-36

A dark gray T-shirt with anthropomorphized illustrations of the Wexner Center grid and tower walking side by side and waving. Above them, white text reads, "art is for everyone." Below them, multicolored text reads "wex."

Rep your local arts community hub with brand new Wex merch! Designed by OSU students and Wex design interns Lilyana Bryan and Marcy Paredes, this whimsical, cheerful design features our new mascot, Griddy, and his tall best friend. Choose from a hoodie, a cream T-shirt, or a gray T-shirt. Just like art is for everyone, just about anyone would love one of these!

 

Photos: Rachael Crouch

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