On top of winning the Niche Award for Top Online Retailer at the American Crafts awards show we received some friendly praise from those involved in the Arts & Crafts movement. Here is a snippet:
"My congratulations to Best American Arts, receiving the Top Online Retailer of American Crafts award in just your 2nd year of business says so much about not only your business acumen but even more about your own creativity and personal integrity. I wish you continued success as you grow!"
Wendy Rosen, Founder, The Rosen Group / Rosen Media Arts Marketing Founder, AmericanMade Alliance and Arts Business Institute
As the holidays and new year approaches we pledge to continue to offer our customers (and our artists!) the highest quality service while providing the best in design and craftsmanship.
So yesterday I mentioned the greening of Siyeh Studio. I am very excited about where I am now in the process and that it matters to someone other than me--there is a growing number of galleries and other vendors who support green art. So how am I green? Think Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
Reduce. I have a zero-waste process for my production work. For the Morceaux de Verre pieces there is no unused scrap, and the small amount of mixed frit left from each piece is reserved for another new series called Frittered. In addition to reducing my materials use, I limit my energy consumption as much as possible. I fire at night in the summer and cool with fans instead of air conditioning. I hope to have my schedule worked out enough to fire in the morning in the winter and use fans to move the heat from the kilns through the studio for secondary heating. My lighting is all fluorescent--even the front porch light bulbs are long-life fluorescent spirals. The attic has been finished off so I can have insulation blown in--further reducing the energy needed to heat and cool.
Reuse. The most exciting development in the studio is efficient water management. I took a class in making rain barrels last Saturday and came away with five--three for the studio and two for the house. Two of the studio ones are designated for grey water from the studio sink and lap grinder and the third is for the gutters (which I have to buy and get installed in the next couple of weeks). All the water is for the new landscaping I am putting in the front and back yards. I already use very little water in the studio, and being able to reuse everything but what goes down the toilet is going to be GREAT.
I go through a lot of sheet glass and many, many 5-lb jars of frit a week. The sheet glass comes packed between sheets of thick fibrous paper that are good for weed control in the garden, art materials for paper mache, drawing and painting for J and her school. The frit jars are #1 plastic and recyclable, but I am never short of people who want them for storing screws, nails, small toys, pasta, crafts--the list goes on. Whenever I have a sack full of empties I either give them to my carpenter Dan (who parcels them out to his friends and neighborhood handymen) or I take them to J's school and leave them in the conference room for the teachers and other parents.
Recycle. I have applied for my own studio recycling bin for all mixed paper, old magazines and diet coke cans. Cardboard boxes and fluorescent light bulbs require runs to two different drop-off locations. I got the addresses this morning and I think it'll be worth it to make a run every couple of months.
 | Cufflinks |
 | Messenger Bag |
 | Wine Stoppers |
 | Leather Set |
 | Picture Frames |
 | Pad Portfolio |
Over the past several years Lucinda has worked with the 
artist community at Passion Works Studio. Passion Works is a collaborative arts community in Athens. Ohio arts. "Housed within a vocational workshop for adults with mental retardation and developmental disabilities, Passion Works Studio supports arts collaborations between artists with and without disabilities. The creative process at Passion Works places Passion Work Artists together with Resident and Visiting professional artists to create outstanding and beautiful works of art." From that exchange of ideas and talents came a unique line of jewelry inspired by the drawings and paintings of many Passion Works artists.
Lucinda is known for her "Protect this Woman" Bracelet. Made of sterling silver, 18 Kt, and 14 Kt gold, the bracelets are encrusted with 4 beautiful stones. The inside of bracelet being is stamped with the uplifting phrase "Protect This Woman".
This month we would like to present the Los Feliz Village Street Fair.
Best American Arts is honored to be nominated by America's artisans for Best Web Site, Best New Store, and Top Retailer for 2008 through NICHE Magazine, the leading trade publication for fine American craft. NICHE polled more than 10,000 professional craft artists throughout the U.S. and Canada, seeking craft retailers who are committed to fair business practices and to growing and strengthening the American craft community.
A new favorite is The Urban Angle Bag by Carol Kohn. This collection of handbags is a Niche Award 2008 Finalist. The 2008 NICHE Awards competition is "open to any professional craft artist over the age of 21 who is actively involved in the design and production of craftwork supplied to galleries and craft stores."
