Top craft retailers honored

Winners of the 2009 NICHE Top Retailer Awards were honored on August 2nd in a ceremony held at the Buyers Market of American Craft in Philadelphia. Sponsored by NICHE magazine, a trade publication for independent craft retailers, the annual awards program recognizes craft retailers who are committed to fair business practices and to growing and strengthening the North American craft community. The complete list of winners follows:
 
Retailer of the Year: Maddi’s Gallery, Charlotte, N.C.
 
Top Retailers (alphabetically):
Artisans Gallery, Santa Cruz, Calif.
Avalon Gallery, Delray Beach, Fla.
Circle Arts, Tobermory, Ont.
Crescent Moon at the Cotton Exchange, Wilmington, N.C.
Don Drumm Studios & Gallery, Akron, Ohio
Don Muller Gallery, Northampton, Mass.
Down Creek Gallery, Ocracoke, N.C.
The Escape Fine Crafts & Gifts, Georgetown, Texas
Fire Opal, Brookline, Mass.
From Our Hands, Des Moines, Iowa
Handworks Gallery of American Crafts, Acton, Mass.
Hillyer House, Ocean Springs, Miss.
Iris at the Basin Park, Eureka Springs, Ark.
Langman Gallery, Willow Grove, Pa.
The Laughing Dog Gallery, Vero Beach, Fla.
Luma Gallery, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Mary Lou Zeek Gallery, Salem, Ore.
Max’s, St. Louis Park, Minn.
The Muse, Frederick, Md.
Petroff Gallery, Toronto, Ont.
Pinnacle Gallery, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Sedoni Gallery, Huntington, N.Y.
Spectrum Art & Jewelry, Wilmington, N.C.
Timothy’s Gallery, Winter Park, Fla.
 
Best Advertising/Direct Mail Campaign: The Village Artisans Gallery, Boiling Springs, Pa.
 
Best Arts Nonprofit: Madison Museum of Contemporary Art Museum Store, Madison, Wis.
 
Best Customer Newsletter: Hanson Galleries, Houston, Texas
 
Best Guild Store: Allanstand Craft Shop, Asheville, N.C.
 
Best In-Store Event: Mary Lou Zeek Gallery, Salem, Ore.
 
Best Community Outreach: The Muse, Frederick, Md.
 
Best Visual Merchandising: Poppy, Columbia, Mo.
 
Best Museum Store (tie): Museum of Craft and Folk Art, San Francisco, Calif.
Alternatives Museum Shop, Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts,
Wilmington, Del.
 
Best New Store: Craftsman House Gallery, St. Petersburg, Fla.
 
Best Website: Spectrum Art & Jewelry, Wilmington, N.C.