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/