Made in the USA Showcase to Debut at NYIGF
White Plains, NY – In response to increasing requests from retailers seeking American-made products, GLM will introduce a “Made in the USA” showcase within Handmade at the February 2008 New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF). This showcase, which will feature 30+ exhibitors for its inaugural edition, extends GLM’s current exhibitor identification system to include a physical concentration of American-made products on the exhibit floor.
“Nearly 400 exhibitors, representing about 15% of the overall NYIGF exhibitor base, classified themselves as ‘American made’ producers during the last market. While these companies participate in each of the Fair’s divisions, a significant concentration exhibit in Handmade,” said Dorothy Belshaw, GLM senior vice president and NYIGF director. “With increasing requests from buyers – and exhibitors – to identify products by their provenance, we thought it made most sense to launch this type of exhibit floor showcase within the Handmade division.”
From whimsical watches to wind bells to hand-carved wooden accessories, an intriguing collection of handcrafted products have been jury-selected to be presented within the “Made in the USA” showcase. The 31 companies selected to participate in this new initiative reflect a wide range of categories, from jewelry to clothing to home and garden accessories, with multi-media crafts including work in wood, metals, leather, ceramics, textiles, paper, and more.
“The work presented within the ‘Made in the USA’ showcase bears witness to the distinctive cultures of their respective home states, exemplifying and celebrating the country’s diversity from Arizona to Virginia, and everywhere in between, ” added Belshaw.
“Made in the USA” Participants Include:
- Alison Evans Ceramics (Greenfield, MA), Ceramic tableware inspired by the sea
- Art Department (Dorchester, MA), Ceramic accessories, jewelry, seasonal and accessories
- Aster + Sage (Providence, RI), Handbags, decorative and personal accessories
- Aurora Fused Glass Jewelry (Hull, GA), Glass and silver jewelry
- Avner Zabari, Inc. (Miami, FL), Consoles, tables, cabinets, and other furniture
- Bandana/Yardbirds Co. Inc. (Louisville, KY), Metal decorative accessories for home and garden
- Big Dipper Wax Works (Seattle, WA), Beeswax candles
- Danica Design (Rockland, ME), Fine art photography
- dbO Home, LLC (Sharon, CT), Home accessories and tableware
- e ko logic (Troy, NY), Hats and accessories made from recycled cashmere sweaters
- Erda (Cambridge, ME), Contemporary handbags and totes
- Goose Rocks Designs (Arundel, ME), Glass wind chimes
- Great Falls Metalworks Inc. (Paterson, NJ), Sterling silver and 14 karat gold jewelry
- Heartwood Creations (Rockford, IL) Finely crafted wooden gifts
- Janet Ontko/Clay Forms (Fresno, CA), Ceramic tiles and plaques
- JL Walsh Metalsmith (Bozeman, MT), Contemporary jewelry
- KDA’s Unique Handmade Jewelry (Raleigh, NC), Jewelry designs by new artists
- Kentucky Craft Marketing (Frankfort, KY), A juried selection of Kentucky-crafted products
- Mariasch Studios, Inc. (Lynbrook, NY), Handprinted decorative accessories for home and personal use
- Marye-Kelley (Houston, TX), Hand decoupaged accessories
- Metal Monk, Ltd. (Greenport, NY), Sterling silver and semi-precious jewelry
- North Country Wind Bells Inc. (Round Pond, ME), Wind bells, buoys, garden accessories
- Rebecca McNerney Designs (Phoenix, AZ), Contemporary beaded sterling silver and gemstone jewelry
- Sandy Vohr’s Leather Zoo (Northville, NY), Leather bookends, paperweights, banks, baby gifts
- Scott Potter Designs (Portland, ME), Elegant decoupage, servingware and decorative accessories
- Stroke of Art (Lakeland, MN), Whimsical watches and clocks from vintage pieces
- Sugar Post (Salt Lake City, UT), WWII Army Helmet, Art for home, office and garden
- Tamara Hensick Designs (Los Angeles, CA), Small sculptural objects with message in sterling/bronze/pewter
- Tea Thyme, Inc. (Pine Crest, FL), Ceramic painted tableware and accessories
- The Constance Collection (Midland, VA), Functional and decorative items for heart and home
- Whitney Designs Ltd. (Essex, VT), Handpulled drypoint monotype prints
For more than 20 years, Handmade has offered buyers an extensive, juried selection of handcrafted items across such categories as tabletop, ceramics, textiles, home decor, jewelry and apparel. Handmade exhibitors, 575 accomplished makers and artisans, represent 35 American states and 13 countries worldwide.The division features a wide range of American-made product, as well large concentrations of global and contemporary resources. Handmade runs Friday, February 1, through Tuesday, February 5, 2008, on Level 1 and the 4th Level Galleria of New York Citys’ Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
NYIGF is the nation’s premier gift and home accessory marketplace, with 2,700 exhibitors featuring an extraordinary breadth and depth of design-driven home fashion products and complementary giftware. NYIGF is held concurrently with EX∑TRACTS: New discoveries in beauty and wellness at the Javits Center and Home Textiles Market Week at the Javits Center and Pier 94, 230 Fifth Avenue and 7 West 34th Street. More than 40,000 buyers from around the world are expected to attend.
Additional information and registration is available online at nyigf.com, or by contacting George Little Management, LLC (GLM) at 1-800-272-SHOW (7469), or (603) 665-7524.
