A glimpse behind the scenes

As part of our mission of Connecting Americans with American Art ®, We are always looking for new artists, collections, and fresh variety for our gallery. This enables us to constantly immerse ourselves in a variety of media and styles. We also try to keep up-to-date collections from all the artists we represent. This means we are always always receiving and unpacking fresh, new creations. Thing can get a bit hectic when we are shipping and receiving on the same day. Here are some images of our current stock and some items waiting for unpacking. . .

America Thinking Green

As evident from our current front page, we have been focusing on the green and sustainable efforts of our artist community, supports, and partners. From GG2G's eco-friendly handbags to the recycled glass jewelry from Smart Glass, many of the artists we represent share our concern and devotion to the environment. Recently, we have worked with the Los Feliz Village Street Fair and provided support through their GREEN SCENE effort.
Today, I came across a blog post by another of our artists Brenda Griffith of Siyeh Studio. Brenda's blog about her life and art work can be found at http://glassincarnate.blogspot.com . I want to share with you an excerpt from her June 3rd, 2008 post entitled "The Greening of Siyeh Studio".

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.

I would like to thank Brenda for sharing her thoughts on sustainability and setting a fantastic example for not only artists but those producing work everywhere.

Father's Day History and Gift Ideas

In the United States, the first modern Father's Day celebration was held on July 5, 1908, in Fairmont, West Virginia. It was first celebrated as a church service at Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church South, now known as Central United Methodist Church. Grace Golden Clayton, who is believed to have suggested the service to the pastor, is believed to have been inspired to celebrate fathers after the deadly mine explosion in nearby Monongah the prior December. This explosion killed 361 men, many of them fathers and recent immigrants to the United States from Italy. Another possible inspiration for the service was Mothers' Day, which had been celebrated for the first time two months prior in Grafton, West Virginia, a town about 15 miles away. Unofficial support from such figures as William Jennings Bryan was immediate and widespread. President Woodrow Wilson was personally feted by his family in 1916. President Calvin Coolidge recommended it as a national holiday in 1924. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson made Father's Day a holiday to be celebrated on the third Sunday of June. The holiday was not officially recognized until 1972, during the presidency of Richard Nixon. (from Wikipedia - Father's Day)

Cufflinks More men are wearing cufflinks… and not just with suits. Select a pair that matches his personality perfectly and he’ll think of you every time he wears them!

Messenger Bag This gift is not for every guy out there, it’s simply too different. But it is for the perfect gift for some guys…maybe the guy you’re shopping for today?

Wine Stoppers These unique items are our most popular gift for men, but women and couples appreciate them too. They add a touch of class to every glass of wine.

Leather Set If you think your dad has everything, think again. This leather set includes a wallet, a card holder (business or credit!), and a golf log... even a casual golfer likes to keep track of his outings!

Picture Frames This gift is something everyone appreciates. Every father needs a place to display a special memory. You can include your favorite photo to make this an even more personal gift.

Pad Portfolio This leather cover fits a standard notepad and makes the perfect notebook for the office, meetings and travel... plus it's easily refillable! The durable leather will last for years and only look better with time.

It's your opportunity to get the perfect gift for dad, or that soon-to-be graduate in your life... shop for gifts now.


Thanks for supporting America's artisans.