"TOP 100 RETAILERS OF AMERICAN CRAFT ANNOUNCED"
1999-07-31 until 1999-07-31
Retailers of American Craft
Philidelphia, PA, USA United States of America

The 1999 Top 100 Retailers of American Craft were announced at a ceremony and dinner held July 31, 1999 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. The presentations were made in conjunction with the Buyers Market of American Craft, the national trade show at which artists exhibit their original designs in production and limited-edition work to craft retailers from across the country.

In its fifth year, this is the only program of its kind for which craft artists vote for top retailers. More than 20,000 craft artists from throughout the U.S. and Canada were polled by NICHE magazine, the national trade publication for craft retailers and sponsor of the program. Criteria for selection included treating artists with courtesy and respect, paying on time, promoting and marketing American crafts, giving back time and energy to the craft community, and mentoring emerging artists.

At the ceremony, The Real Mother Goose of Portland, Ore., Top Retailer in 1997 and 1998 joined the '96 and '97 Top Retailer Appalachian Spring of Washington, D.C., in the Craft Retailers Hall of Fame.

New Morning Gallery of Asheville, N.C., took top honors as the 1999 Craft Retailer of the Year. Owned by John Cram, New Morning is part of his trio of stores which includes Bellagio and Blue Spiral 1, both in Asheville. Each gallery offers a distinct mix of craft work.

Other retailers in the 1999 Top 10 are (not in rank order): Abacus, Portland, Maine; Craft Company No. 6, Rochester, N.Y.; Dashka Roth Contemporary Jewelry & Judaica, New Orleans, La.; Hanson Galleries, Houston, Texas; Nancy Markoe Fine American Crafts Gallery, St Pete Beach, Fla.; Pismo, Denver, Colo.; Signature, Mashpee, Mass.; The American Artisan, Nashville, Tenn.; Topeo Gallery,>New Hope, Pa. Five hundred and thirty-five galleries, retail stores and museum shops from 40 states, the District of Columbia, one Canadian province and the Grand Cayman Islands were nominated, with 27 states and the District of Columbia represented in the Top 100 Retailers of American Craft.

There is a close working relationship between artists and retailers in the craft community, noted Wendy Rosen, publisher of NICHE magazine. Together they build the image of the artist and the gallery far more effectively than either could alone. We salute them both here tonight.

In addition to NICHE magazine, The Rosen Group publishes AmericanStyle magazine for collectors of fine American crafts and produces the Buyers Market of American Craft, the world's largest wholesale arts event held biannually in Philadelphia.

Related Links:

Indepth Arts Resources for the State of Pennsylvania

Other Important Exhibitions in Pennsylvania