Barack Obama holds a quilt of his family at the White House, made by Susan Walen. It was part of a folk art exhibit for the Ann Arbor Democratic Party's Labor Day picnic at the Elks Pratt Lodge. (Photo by the writer.)

The Chronicle first heard about Doug Kelley’s collection of Obama folk art when we met him at a health care forum last month, so when we learned that he’d be exhibiting part of it at the annual Ann Arbor Democratic Party‘s Labor Day picnic, we headed to the Elks Pratt Lodge on Monday to check it out.

The collection – two pairs of dolls, a quilted hanging, a hook rug, a walking stick, and several other items – includes original, somewhat eccentric work by artists from Ann Arbor and across the country.

Kelley gives frequent exhibits from his extensive Democratic Party archive – on Oct. 3, he’ll be displaying a collection of items related to voting rights at the annual meeting of the Washtenaw County Democratic Party. That meeting will feature civil rights activist John Lewis as guest speaker. But the Labor Day display was unique in at least one way: “It’s the first exhibit I’ve ever done that offers free peanuts,” Kelley said, pointing to a plastic dish filled with nuts for the taking.

So as rank-and-file Dems noshed and mingled with elected officials on the wraparound porch of the Elks lodge, we chatted with Kelley about some of the more unusual pieces he’s acquired.

Obama Dolls: Kathy Snyder

Local dollmaker Kathy Snyder had never before attempted a political subject, Kelley said, but she made two sets of Barack and Michelle Obama dolls for Kelley – and has now sold more than $1,000 worth of the dolls through the local Democratic Party.

Skylar Pryor plays with Barack and Michelle Obama dolls made by local craftswoman Kathy Snyder. They're sitting in a wooden toy swingset that Doug Kelley, who owns the collection, found at Treasure Mart. (Photo by the writer.)

One set of dolls stands 21 inches high – the Michelle Obama doll in this set wears a hand-painted red-and-black dress modeled after the one she wore at the election night celebration in Chicago’s Grant Park. All of the clothing is meticulously crafted, Kelley says: “They even have underwear!” Snyder’s 17-inch Obama dolls sell for $50 each or $95 for the pair. The 21-inch Obamas cost $195 for the set.

Wall Hanging: Susan Walen

Earlier this year Kelley got a call from his son Peter, who was in the Washington, D.C. area at a quilt show. “He said, ‘You’re never going to believe it – all the quilts are about Obama!’” Kelley recalled. The show had been organized by Bethesda, Md. artist Susan Walen, and Kelley ended up acquiring two of her quilted wall hangings. The one on display at the Labor Day picnic shows the Obama family at the White House. For the record, Kelley notes that the dog pictured in the quilt is a different breed from Bo, the Obama’s Portuguese water dog. Walen made the quilt after they’d announced plans to get a puppy, but before they actually chose one.

Kelley also brought a copy of a book put together by Walen: “President Obama – A Celebration in Art Quilts.” In it, there’s a picture of the other quilted wall hanging he owns, which was too large to bring to the Labor Day picnic. Titled “Dear Mr. Obama …” it includes an image of Obama and a nine-page letter that Walen wrote to him – she discusses the piece in an interview published on the Alliance for American Quilts website.

Doug Kelley with Steve Shepard's portraits of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. (Photo by the writer.)

Obama/Clinton Portraits: Steve Shepard

Steve Shepard is an artist from Gautier, Miss. who won best of show several years ago at the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair – that’s where Kelley first learned of his work. Shepard suffered financial losses in the wake of Hurricane Katrina that have prevented him from traveling back to Ann Arbor, but Kelley has kept in touch and purchased several pieces, including portraits of Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Kelley made a point of noting that the artist had not been advocating an Obama/Clinton ticket – it was Kelley’s decision to frame the two portraits together.

In addition to the work on display at the Labor Day picnic, Kelley also owns another piece of Shepard’s artwork: A portrait of Obama painted on a seven-foot-long slice of cypress wood.

Walking Stick: Victoria Fox Robertello

Artist Victoria Fox Robertello lives in Britton, Mich., and is a regular at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market, where she’s best known for making elaborate fish out of driftwood and other found timber.

But during the 2008 presidential campaign, she made several items that are now in Kelley’s collection. For Monday’s display he brought three of them: Two wooden signs that Kelley and Patrick Boeheim, a Washtenaw Democratic Party officer, carried in the 2008 and 2009 Ann Arbor July Fourth parades; and an elaborately painted Uncle Sam walking stick, made from a crooked piece of wood that forks into two “legs.”

A detail from a walking stick by Victoria Fox Robertello made during the 2008 presidential campaign. (Photo by the writer.)

More Obama Folk Art

Rita Barnard of Ann Arbor made this hook rug using a poster that Doug Kelley provided as inspiration. (Photo by the writer.)

A close-up of the Michelle Obama doll made by Kathy Snyder of Ann Arbor. (Photo by the writer.)

Detail from a quilted wall hanging by Susan Walen, showing the Obama family at the White House. For the record, the puppy next to Michelle Obama is not a Portuguese water dog. (Photo by the writer.)

Scenes from the Ann Arbor Democratic Party Labor Day picnic

Congressman John Dingell and his wife, Debbie Dingell, right, talk to Lois Mayfield on the porch of the Elks Pratt Lodge. (Photo by the writer.)

Jeff Irwin, a Washtenaw County commissioner, with his daughter Sylvia, talking to radio talk show host Lou Perry. (Photo by the writer.)

Conan Smith, chair of the Ann Arbor Democratic Party and a Washtenaw County commissioner, sells tickets to the Labor Day picnic with Kathy Wyatt, vice chair for membership and outreach of the Washtenaw County Democratic Party. (Photo by the writer.)

The folk rock band Birds of a Feather played together for the first time on Monday. From left: Lisa Pappas, Cory Snavely, Vicki Dischler and Michael Weiss. The decision whether to play again as a group "depends on the reception we get today," Weiss quipped. (Photo by the writer.)

Iced cookies in the shape of Democratic donkeys, Congressman John Dingell's contribution to the Labor Day picnic. (Photo by the writer.)