2008 NICHE Top Retailer Award Winners Announced

Retailers Honored for Growing and Strengthening North American Craft Community

Philadelphia, Pa. (August 3, 2008) —Winners of the 2008 NICHE Top Retailer Awards were honored on August 3, 2008, in a ceremony held at the Philadelphia Buyers Market of American Craft. The coveted Top Retailer Award was presented to 33 retailers and gallery owners in several categories.

Sponsored by NICHE magazine, the exclusive trade publication for retailers of American craft, the annual Top Retailer Awards program recognizes craft retailers who are committed to fair business practices and to growing and strengthening the North American craft community.

Earlier this year, professional fine craft artists throughout the U.S. and Canada nominated more than 600 galleries, retail stores, arts nonprofits, museums and guilds in various categories for the 2008 competition. More than 300 applications were submitted for consideration by an independent jury of craft industry professionals.

“This awards program honors galleries and retailers for their commitment to supporting the artists,” said Wendy Rosen, publisher of NICHE magazine. “It’s not about the biggest sellers or fanciest shops. The ‘Top Retailers’ are often mentors who work hard to build and maintain good relationships with emerging and established artists.”

A complete list of the 2008 winners follows. Winners in each category will be published in the Autumn 2008 issue of NICHE magazine and are now posted online at www.AmericanCraft.com.

2008 Top Retailer Awards Winners:

Retailer of the Year
Grovewood Gallery, Asheville, N.C.

Top Retailers
The Artisan Connection, State College, Pa.
As Kindred Spirits, Rockville, Md.
Avalon Gallery, Delray Beach, Fla.
Barnstone Gallery, Phoenixville, Pa.
Boulder Arts & Crafts Gallery, Boulder, Colo.
Calypso Twist, Walnut Creek, Calif.
Don Drumm Studios & Gallery, Akron, Ohio
Don Muller Gallery, Northampton, Mass.
The Grand Hand Gallery, St. Paul, Minn.
Hanson Galleries, Houston, Texas
Jane Sauer Gallery, Santa Fe, N.M.
Kela’s Glass Gallery, Kapaa, Hawaii
The Laughing Dog Gallery, Vero Beach, Fla.
Left Bank Gallery, Wellfleet, Mass.
Mary Lou Zeek Gallery, Salem, Ore.
Max’s, St. Louis Park, Minn.
Moonstones Gallery, Cambria, Calif.
Pinnacle Gallery, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Poppy, Columbia, Mo.
Pura Vida Gallery, Jerome, Ariz.
R. Grey Jewelry Gallery, Boise, Idaho
Signature Gallery, Huntsville, Ala.
Timothy’s Gallery, Winter Park, Fla.
Wave Gallery, New Haven, Conn.

Best Advertising/Direct Mail Campaign
Eclectic Galleries, Jacksonville Beach, Fla.

Best Arts Nonprofit
The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, Pa.

Best Customer Newsletter
Craft Company No. 6, Rochester, N.Y.

Best Guild Store
Ontario Crafts Council, Toronto, Ontario

Best In-Store Event
Florida Craftsmen, Inc., St. Petersburg, Fla.

Best Local Community Outreach
Mary Lou Zeek Gallery, Salem, Ore.

Best Merchandising
Pura Vida Gallery, Jerome, Ariz.

Best Museum Store
Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, Mass.

Best New Store
Haven Gallery and Fine Gifts, Austin, Texas

Best Website/Online Marketing
Best American Arts, Columbus, Ohio

About NICHE magazine
NICHE magazine, www.nichemag.com, is published by The Rosen Group, a Baltimore-based arts marketing, publishing and advocacy firm. The Rosen Group also publishes AmericanStyle magazine, www.AmericanStyle.com, an arts lifestyle magazine for enthusiasts, collectors and travelers, and produces the Philadelphia Buyers Market of American Craft, www.AmericanCraft.com, the nation’s largest wholesale craft show.

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For more information and to interview NICHE magazine staff or any NICHE Top Retailer Awards winner, contact Jean Thompson at 410.889.2933 x218 or jeant@rosengrp.com.