Limited Edition Prints Have Arrived

After much too-ing and fro-ing the first of the limited edition prints have arrived and will be available at the Fair Trade Cafe from this week onwards. We hadn't appreciated quite how long or how expensive it was to ship a few prints to Nicaragua and back. Ultimately, they arrived back in the USA, having been signed by artist Luis Varela, via a relative living in Miami! All's well that ends well and they did arrive safely on Friday.

These, we hope, will be the first of many sets of limited edition prints by a variety of artists from around the world. It is a great way for collectors to acquire some very fine works of art at a price far below that of the originals. The first in our series, as I said, is by a Nicaraguan artist, Luis Varela Aguirre and is entitled 'Cascada'. I have to say that Luis' work is among some of my favorite - the detail and the vibrancy of his works are truly remarkable. There is a great 'vibe' to his paintings.

Luis, originally from Grenada, has exhibited both in Europe, Israel and the USA, as well as Nicaragua. We hope soon to have our limited edition prints available online through this blog. The blog is currently being redesigned, so watch this space. The print run is limited to 500 copies; each 28" X 20" in size, are all signed and numbered by the artist, and cost $250 unframed.

Phoenix Light Rail Celebrations

Even though the Roosevelt Station wasn't one of the official 'celebration' stops, the Fair Trade Cafe was 'a buzzin'. Everyone had a great time and the Phoenix Light Rail was greeted by overwhelming enthusiasm by Cafe patrons. The new light rail system should prove to be a boon for downtown businesses and having the gateway to the arts district station right opposite should make the Fair Trade Cafe a premier stop for commuters and visitors alike.


Yesterday also saw the conclusion of our Christmas Fair Trade Art Exhibition and this week sees a return to our regular program of exhibitions of the works of local artists, this month with the work of Vav - see cafe website for details. We shall. of course have a selection of Fair Trade art and crafts on display at the Cafe and are looking forward to the imminent arrival of our first five limited edition prints of Luis Varela's 'Cascada'. Watch this space!

Fair Trade Cafe Joins Phoenix Light Rail Celebrations

On Saturday, 27th December, from 10am - 5pm, Phoenix celebrates the opening of its new light rail system - having put up with the disruptions over building the thing for the last couple of years! Station celebrations will occur along the entire 20-mile METRO alignment. There will be music, activities and exhibits at many park-n-ride and light rail station locations. Shuttle buses will be available to take you back to your car. Rides will run from 10am - 8pm and are totally free.

As the Fair Trade Cafe stands right outside the light rail station serving the downtown Arts District - Central/ 1st Ave and Roosevelt - we are taking part in the celebrations with pavement art and craft displays and, of course, plenty of Fair Trade coffee! I shall also be down there from approximately 10am - 2pm giving guided tours of our Fair Trade fine Art works. So, if you are heading downtown to check out the light rail - drop on by and see us at the Fair Trade Cafe!

Aboriginal Art from Australia

We currently have three pieces of aboriginal art on display at the Fair Trade Cafe. The painting above is acrylic on canvas and is called "Women's Ceremony". The artist, Katie Kemarre, was born 1943 and is from Antarrengeny, in the Utopia Region, NE of Alice Springs. Katie is a well known artist in Australia and participated in the "Utopia - A Picture Story Exhibition", a silk batik by 88 Utopian artists, which toured internationally. She generally paints using acrylic on canvas, but also does the occasional wood carving.

She has been exhibiting since 1989, not only throughout Australia but also in the USA. Her exhibitions in the U.S include Portland Oregon (The Cove Gallery; Urban Wine Works; Mary's Woods; Portland Art Museum), Knoxville, Tennessee (Art & Soul Gallery; New City Merchants) and also the Mbantua Gallery USA Exhibition in Portland, Nashville, Knoxville, Greenwich and New York in 2004.

These are very unique and interesting paintings - every one of them has a story to tell. Come by the Fair Trade Cafe and check them out for yourself!

A Resource for Potential Fair Trade Retailers

For those looking to get into the retail market, or want to find out more information on how Fair Trade works, then you might want to consider purchasing 'The Conscious Consumer'. The Fair Trade Resource Network has just launched the 4th Edition of its best selling booklet 'Conscious Consumer: Promoting Economic Justice Through Fair Trade. The booklet is available in either hard copy or PDF formats from the FTRN website, priced at $3.95 and $2.00 respectively.

The booklet includes information on the History of Fair Trade, Benefits to Consumers, Faith-based Outreach, Why Traditional Trade is Ripe for Change, Identifying and Motivating Consumers, and much more. Well worth a look I would say - and for all you Fair Trade retailers, you can even get a discount on bulk orders. How's that for a bargain!

Progress with Limited Edition Prints

After several months of organising I finally picked up the first batch of limited edition prints yesterday. We are hoping to expand this range in the future and are currently working with three artists from Nicaragua. The first print is of a painting called "Cascada" by artist Luis Varela. His works are stunning in their colour and detail and have been exhibited as far away as Israel and Spain, as well as in the U.S. and have won numerous competitions. We shall be offering a limited edition of 500 prints, each signed and numbered by the artist, and selling unframed for $250.

Our newly designed blog will be up very soon, courtesy of Dave Kellett of Dude Blog Your Business, and we are planning to have these prints available online through the blog as well as through the Fair Trade Cafe. For those of you local to Phoenix, you can also get a 15% discount on framing through our friends at The Art of Framing, on Central and Camelback - just ask for a coupon when you purchase Karuna Village Fine Art at the Fair Trade Cafe.

Australian Aboriginal Art on Display at Exclusive Karuna Village Exhibition

Our exclusive exhibition of Karuna Village Fair Trade art and crafts has now begun at the Fair Trade Cafe and will be running through until the end of the year. We have a wide variety of high quality art and crafts from around the world, including three aboriginal paintings from Australia.

This piece is called 'Bradshaw Rock Art' by artist Ju Ju Wilson. It is 12" x 10" in size and the medium is ochre on canvas. Each of our Australian paintings are accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.

Ju Ju Wilson, whose aboriginal name is Burriwee, is a member of a well known painting family whose paintings are collected worldwide. Not only does she paint but she is also an expert on 'bush tucker' (edible wild foods), and bush medicines, is a renown didgeridoo maker and boomerang carver, is a sought after cultural advisor and has made numerous television appearances on subjects about rock art and sacred sites in Australia, about which she is an authority. And all while looking after a family of six!

Every painting, every artist has a unique story to tell, and that is what is so special about owning a piece of fair trade art. So, if you are in the area, and are looking for something unique to buy your loved one for Christmas, come on down to the Fair Trade Cafe in Downtown Phoenix and see what other stories we have for you to see!

You can see many of the pieces on display at the exhibition on our Flickr page - www.flickr.com/photos/fair_trade_art/