All that glitters is not gold at AmericasMart.

This just in from AmericasMart.

The two images above were received by me as a registered attendee of NORS at AmericasMart. The gold jewelry photo is from an advertisement for a company at AmericasMart that is buying gold jewelry (6S-343B if you are interested), and the other is (obviously) for a company that turns photos into "paintings". Prior to the merging of the gift and rug shows I did not receive such a wide range of advertisements, but now they seem to come daily in the weeks leading up to the show.

The take away message...

Ladies and gentlemen, rug dealers young and old, far and wide, if you value the long term success of your business, I implore you to read what I am about to write with earnest attention.

"Success is based on knowing your customer and catering to their needs. You can not however be all things to all people. If your customer is the type of person who purchases "paintings" made from photographs or sells gold jewelry indiscreetly at a trade show then by all means continue to attend and purchase rugs from AmericasMart. If on the other hand your customers would do neither of these things (or at least use such a high level of discretion as to afford them near perfect secrecy in doing so) then I suggest..." Well I think we know what I was going to suggest.

This is a time of great uncertainty as to where and in what form the next great rug market will be. Clearly, and in defense of AmericasMart, I think they know their customer quite well and are aggressively targeting them, but it is also clear that the truly upmarket rug (and by extension customer) is not to be found amongst their demographic.

Disclaimer

It should be noted that no judgment as to the merits of the companies represented above has been made, only a brief discussion of their demographic, which is apparent in their advertising.

Thank you for reading.

Nova Scotia Rug Hooking Craft embraces a new Aesthetic and New Direction

PRESS RELASE

JULY 6, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nova Scotia Rug Hooking Craft embraces a new Aesthetic and New Direction.

Dartmouth, NS – It’s been said before, but you’ve never seen hooked rugs like these (unless of course you’ve been offered a sneak preview!). Red Spruce is pleased to announce and confirm that its Debut Collection will be shown in its entirety at the previously announced opening on July 17, 2009 during a gala at Argyle Fine Art, in the Historic Properties on the Halifax waterfront. The opening will be from seven to nine (7-9) in the evening, and feature twenty-two (22) designs that comprise the collection to date. Guests will be able to meet the artists, designers, and hookers behind the work, and have the opportunity to try their own hand at making a rug.

The collection features the work of local and international artists: Anna Stowe, Kimberly Vallis, Andrew Quon, Brandt Eisner, Nick Brunt. Robin Gray, Keith Bentley, and Jared Betts.

Local entrepreneur and self-described ruggist Michael Christie has combined his passion for handmade rugs with the native Nova Scotian craft of rug hooking to create carpets of unique and extraordinary beauty, what he calls “Handwork Rugs and Carpets”.

“When I look at what we are making compared to the low quality rugs from southeast Asia that are sold as hooked rugs, it just didn’t seem fair (to the artists, designers, hookers, or the rugs themselves) to call our wares hooked rugs, and so the term “Handwork” was born. It’s borrowed from the German “handwerk”, meaning literally “handicraft”, which truthfully sums up what we do.”

Beyond craft though, every carpet made by Red Spruce is a fully attributed work of art. Each hand involved, be it of the artist/designer, the grapher, the dyemaster, or most importantly the rug hooker, contributes to the aesthetic beauty of the finished carpet. And while the unique and modern designs of Red Spruce are not ordinarily seen in hooked rugs, it is just this juxtaposition of the new with the time honoured, that creates carpets and rugs of inimitable character.

Red Spruce. Makers of Handwork Rugs and Carpets from Nova Scotia. Designed by Local, Canadian, and American artists and designers, handmade in Canada, made without Child Labour, available ready-made or made-to-order. Commissions of exemplary pieces are also accepted. www.redspruce.ca

For further INFORMATION, IMAGES, or to arrange an INTERVIEW, contact:

Michael Christie at 01 902 482 0460 or homeoffice@redspruce.ca