May 10, 2007

Family operated gift shop and art gallery celebrates 35 yearsBy Michaela KennedyThe Jamestown Press

Jamestown Designs turns 35 this week, and all are invited to an open house on Saturday, May 12, to celebrate the event. The shop is famous to locals for its custom framing, art and gifts offered with warm, island hospitality.Helen Anderson and her two daughters, Carol Anderson and Deborah Swistak, are the founders of the store. They spoke candidly about their odyssey as a stream of customers passed through, some buying presents and others looking for jewelry. One visitor, back from a winter trip, was so happy to see Helen that he swept her into his arms for a dance. Everyone who walks through the doors is instantly charmed.The three women launched the gift shop in 1972, just three years after the Newport Bridge opened. Their initial location was in the Hunt Block, the storefront row facing East Ferry, according to Deborah. With Helen’s business knowledge and her daughters’ ideas, they made a perfect team.

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