| NICHE
Top 25 Retailer of American Craft Awards
Niche Magazine, the exclusive trade publication for retailers of
American Craft, announced the winners of the inaugural Top Retailers
Awards program at a ceremony at the Pennsylvania Convention Center
on Friday, July 21, 2006
Previously, artists voted for the Top 100 Retailers of American
Craft. In an effort to improve this awards program the format was
changed, resulting in an independently juried awards program recognizing
craft galleries and retailers, arts non-profits, museums and guilds
for growing and strengthening the American craft community. The
new Top Retailer Awards features a broader outreach and a more structured
judging process, enabling greater competition.
More than 18,000
professional fine craft artists throughout the U.S. and Canada made
nearly 700 nominations for the 25 Top retailers and gallery owners
as well as new categories:
—Best Arts Non-profit
—Best Merchandising
—Best Customer Newsletter
—Best Local Community Outreach
—Best Advertising Campaign
—Best New Store (less than 5 years old)
—Best Museum Store
—Best Guild Store
—Best Online Marketing or Website
—Best In-Store Event.
Mackerel
Sky Gallery of Contemporary Craft was voted one of the Top
25 Retailers of American Craft and also
received the Best Customer Newsletter award. This
is very exciting for us, even after having been named one of the
Top 100 Craft Galleries for the past 12 years in the old award system.
The criteria for the nominations included the following:
—Craft Retailer is committed to fair business practices.
—Craft Retailer honors all contracts (including consignment
contracts) and agreements with customers, employees, colleagues,
vendors and craftspeople.
—Craft Retailer complies with all government regulations regarding
the identification of countries of origin.
—Craft Retailer supports the American Craft community by building
productive partnerships with artists.
—Craft Retailer uses advertising to promote goodwill and customer
loyalty.
—Craft Retailer educates consumers on the quality and value
of American Craft. |
