ackground:
Artique - Civic Center opened in 1980 in the Lexington Convention Center and originally served as a venue for co-owner Kathy Stutland's hand-painted batiks and as a showcase for international crafts. Within a month, the Stutlands developed the idea of
promoting fine American crafts in the gift arena. The store started out in an 850-square-foot space and now fills a 4,500-square-foot space. The convention center is a tourist destination, so the gallery offers a wide range of work, such as regionally o
riented crafts.
"We promote crafts targeting the gift market in a special way," says Mike Stutland, co-owner. "We focus on the celebrations and the special times in people's lives, and feature gifts with meaning and significance that have a longevity to them."
In 1996 the Stutlands opened Artique - Lexington Green, a second store within The Mall at Lexington Green.
Kinds of crafts sold:
jewelry, glass, pottery, metal, wood, mixed media
Currently looking for:
"High-quality crafts with an uncommon flavor to them -- something that answers the question 'Who's buying this gift and for what occasion?'" says Stutland.
Signature crafts:
creative jewelry, fine wood boxes, miniature fairy sculptures by Susan Snodgrass, Penny Lane and Stephanie Blythe, functional, pottery and blown glass by Genesis
Exhibitions:
There are a minimum of six to 10 exhibitions a year; most of them are held at Artique - Civic Center. The exhibitions are usually theme shows representing groups of artists.
Artists are found through:
networking, American Craft Council shows, The Rosen Group's Buyers Markets, regional shows, the Internet
Pricing:
$2-$3,000
Gallery size:
Artique - Lexington Green is 2,000 square feet, and Artique - Civic Center is 4,500 square feet.
Number of artists currently represented:
more than 850 artists at each location
Non-craft items sold:
local food products
Services offered to customers:
artist biographies, product information, gift-wrapping, wedding and gift registries, on-staff interior designer, in-gallery consultations, personal shopping service, layaway, custom orders, daily shipping
Gallery location:
Artique - Lexington Green is located in a well-traveled retail mall; Artique - Civic Center is located downtown in The Lexington Convention Center.
To submit work to the gallery:
Call to make an appointment, and send samples along with return postage.
Why selling crafts:
"I have a love for handcrafted things," says Stutland. "My wife is an artist,
and I am a designer. I believe it is a basic human need to create and be creative.
The happiest people in the world have incorporated the act of the creative process
into their lives.
"I got into crafts because it gives me a lot of joy to provide a marketplace to show the endeavors of so many talented people. It gives me satisfaction to be a part of the creative community."
Kirsten Coughlin is editorial assistant of The Crafts Report.
