Sadly, we won’t be doing Freebie Fridays this week. I’m sorry to disappoint everyone.
Gotcha! I may be a day late, but I couldn’t help myself! To make up for that lame trick, we’re giving you the chance to win an awesome freebie this week!
Model Metalworks is a husband-and-wife team with a passion for handmade pieces of art and for supporting traditional artisan communities. They work with 23 families who weave pine-needle baskets that represent their cultures.
Model Metalworks has partnered with us to give you the chance to win a handmade pine-needle tray with handles. For a chance to win, answer this week’s question before 12/11c, Monday, April 5. Be sure to provide a valid email address so we can contact you if you win.
This week we want to know: How do you support your local community when it comes to design? Do you refuse to shop at chain furniture stores and visit smaller, local showrooms instead? Do you support the artists and designers in your town? You have until 12/11c on Monday to answer. Click for official rules.
I AM A local artist- I share my talents with others through instruction- Every Christmas my artist friends and I put on a Christmas party for handicapped adults who live in foster care- We do a lot of the shopping for this event at our local Goodwill. We find many new donated items- and at Goodwill good deeds help twice-
I shop at Goodwill looking for interesting antiques and artsy items that people donate-
We have a Habitat for Humanity ReStore in town. When I want to do a project, I go there to get new or gently used items. They are in great shape, save me a lot of money, and support the community. This also stops perfectly good building materials from ending up in a landfill. The money made from sale of donated items goes to building affordable housing in the area. If I have leftovers from the job, I'll just re-donate them for someone else to be able to use.
I love unique handcrafted items. I support my local artistians by purchasing at their shops and going to the many local arts & crafts shows. My last find was 2-beautiful blue pottery mugs I have my tea in. I am currently looking at local talent for a detailed Florida Scenic waterway painting. It's the fun of the search and the joy of seeing amazing items people have created from the wonderful flavor of local produce to the enlarged shell sculptures that I just saw this week at the Orlando City Hall exhibit Ten Women.
Just purchased a new home and my current obsession is finding a handcrafted dining room table made from reclaimed wood. I have found a couple of local craftsmen who make them and can't wait to get out and see them!
Obviously we would love to shop around the local vendors in our farmers market, from the fisher mans trough the jewelery makers. sometimes even for buying a birthday gift I just peak in there and try to get something from them, so I can get a unique gift better than everyone else in the party. Sometimes love to shop from them in order to appreciate their work. Fortunately state of Washington and Seattle area is very good with supporting the local artist and designers. Even in some kind of regular kids shop, I can find hand woven cardigans and hats easily or even able to ordering of what I want to the producer directly with a pleasure for both parties, isn't it adorable? I used to make my own craft and sell them, but since we moved to Oklahoma no one support it locally and I had to end up doing this and changing my way for choosing another path to work on.
I personally love to shop furniture from local showrooms than the chain stores, because they have always carry their own unique selections based on their taste and style while they could be even more cooperative with the price than the chain stores. Sometimes it is possible of a big percentage discount if they know you are a designer or referred by a designer. They also usually carry better variety and quality of brands, which is a hassle to shop around in big chain stores. another plus for local smaller furniture showrooms, is that you really work with a designer and you can get real help, money is not the only issue for them, though in the big chain stores bunch of people who may not know much about design but know a LOT for sale are available and make me crazy to shop with them. Therefore I even don't step in their shop and try to acknowledge every one about that too!
We buy all of our flowers and plants from local farmers instead of going to chain stores.
I shop at the local farmers market and we have a local store that makes pottery and carries paintings from local artists.
HOW WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE! We do it a little bit differently! There are fantastic charities that are local but do work all humanitarian work around the world and support microbusinesses. We shop on line to purchase products from local run charities and purchase Jewelry, Stationery and handicrafts from artisans. One of those is Rising Star Outreach and we purchase art from those in Leprosy colonies! It's BEAUTIFUL!!!! Each purchase goes to support the artists affected by leprosy. That's just ONE example! (yeah, we also shop the farmers markets and thrift shops that support local churches, like St. Vincent DePaul, Deseret Industries, and Goodwill and Salvation Army. Another is Pearls with a Purpose! I could go on and on about shopping with Charities. Of course, we check out the charities first to make sure they are responsible and transparent in their funds. It goes without saying that when you reduce, recycle and reuse, it benefits EVERYONE!!! Also, all additional donations are TAX deductible too!
Keeping our money in towm is always our first option but quality is key also!!!! There are truly places that miss the boat but hey we're close to so many bbig cities so shopping is a breeze, if needed!!! Handmade pine needle baskets just have to rock!! Nature & health! Way to go!!! Lovin' my own neighborhood pine trees so just go for it!!!!
Absolutely support the local artists in my city! Every year I buy a ticket for a non-profit art gallery collector's draw (where local artists contribute an original piece of art that is given away in the order drawn; i.e. the first name drawn gets their pick of all the art, the second name gets pick of remaining art, and so on until every name has been drawn – great fun!), and I buy regularly from local artist at art festival and shows.
Hey Karli! Are you an April fools jokester!?!?!?!?
I buy local artisan made accessories to dress up the home. And when I can I buy my larger pieces, or find them at second hand stores for refurbishment.
I try to support many of the local artists in my community and the greater Atlanta area. The things that I have brought are great and I treasure them.
I support local art by attending local art shows & first friday's…its great to see how many different things are out there , that I would otherwise not even be exposed to…
I live in the SC Lowcountry and use handmade seagrass baskets throughout my home as well as handmade pottery and artwork. My favorite artwork is VERY local as it is made by my children, but I have an original portrait of my middle son by a SC native and I shop for my outside plants from local nurseries instead of large national chain stores. I also try very hard to use stores such as the Habitat for Humanity restores so that I can become more "green" and also support the building of homes for people here in our SC Lowcountry area.
When we bought our house, we had just moved to the Denver area. We bought alot of our stuff from the big retailers. Now that we have lived here for awhile, I have discovered some great little out of the way shops for home furnishings, gifts, and clothing. My older daughter is an artist and she has shown me even more things as she develops more contacts in the industry. I love this because I would rather by a quality item from a local small business or an artist! This way we are supporting our community and also keeping the dollars local.
I live in a small town so I am able to support the local talent by going to the shows and openings, which are usually in the museum or coffee shops. Also, whenever I can I purchase from our local talent.
I like to find items that are not mass produced, so I often check out antique shops and try to avoid the big chain stores. As a freelance photographer, I prefer to purchase artwork from other artists. Also, with a can a paint, I can make any old furniture "new!
Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill have incredible arts and design energy, resources, events, and opportunities – you can't miss!! From friday art walks to arts and music festivals, and incredible creative forces that bring us Spark.con in the fall – there is so much here to energize design!!
I live on the prairies of South Dakota in a small community. I am an artist at heart and so I like to support those types of people who also like to create. I have bought several items from local talented people like pieces of jewelry, baskets, paintings, photography, quit pieces and even a handmade coyote caller for my husband.
I have a wonderful opportunity here in Albuquerque, NM to support local artisans from many cultures. We have the Rio Grande Arts and Crafts festival here about four times per year, I am able to visit Native American Pueblos and Reservations for purchasing authentic handmade items such as jewelry, pottery, handwoven rugs, baskets, etc. I love to shop at Morningside Antiques here in Albuquerque in order to furnish my home with eclectic pieces that provide interest and a sense of history, I am able to go to art sales at the University of New Mexico and buy drawings and art pieces that have been made by students there, I enjoy shopping in Old Town for jewelry or at many shops here in town that are locally owned. All this, and I'm only an hour from Santa Fe, one of the largest populations of artists in the country. I'm am truly fortunate.
I live in WASH.D.C. area, i love to shop Georgetown shops. Also enjoy shopping in old town alexandria VA. Also like to shop antique stores in VA. and also MD. I support all local artist; we have many to choose from.Great place to live;
I definitely support artists!~
I love the Farmer's Market. There are lots of good deals and it's all local!
We have various art fests and street markets where local artist can showcase there work. It's a great way to find cool new stuff.
I live in the heart of Old Town, Fort Collins, CO. We support our local artists intwo ways: 1) by featuring their work in our own renovated 1892 blacksmith's shop, turned residence; and 2) attending all the local arts and crafts shows and fairs that are held throughout the year practically right outside our front door. Our home is full of original works of art created by local artists and artisans.
We always support the local community when ever possible from the farmers market, local art shows, antique shops to restaurants as the service and the product seem to be much better than from the big chain stores.
I have local artwork and have purchased a lot of our furniture from the local consignment store.
Several towns I've lived in and visited have had artists cooperative shops–they've been great places to pick up something with local flavor, and a source of surprisingly affordable gifts–paintings, prints, jewelry, and pottery
Being married to an artist and together we raised our daughter, an artist, we do support local artists as much as possible. I prefer to shop at the mom-and-pop stores in my community when we can. We try to always use local labor too We purchased a fixer-upper home many many years ago. We have re-done practically every aspect of our property from the outside surfaces (roof, plaster, new windows and landscaping) to the inside (all surfaces indoors have been replaced; drywall, paint, doors, etc). Everything with one exception. Our master suite remains original. It needs work. It was our next project but the economy dictated our having to wait even longer for that remodel.
I like to support local and non corporate artisans by buying from small shops, antique shops, galleries, thrift stores, shops that feature artisans from third world countries, craft markets or directly from the artist.
We are still Dawn and Jeff Blanco. We live in the small country town of Kaufman Texas. I didn't mention that in the paragraph above. We love our town.
I just discovered a gallery that sells original oils, watercolours, and acrylics by local artists near a park I often visit. I found 2 artists whose work I just love. I am saving up to purchase an acrylic on canvas.