Highlights From Visiting Shows and Shops in early August

Korths spoke recently with artisans and retailers while visiting three shows; Upstate NY Gift Expo, Verona, NY; Stone Mills, Lafargeville, NY; and the first time St. Lawrence River Rustic Show, Alexandria Bay, NY, and a few shops. Traffic was slow at the July Upstate NY Gift Expo at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino. The traffic at the February show has been good. Snowshoe Publishing, Nostalgia Impressions, and Surprenant’s Berry Farm (new website) will definitely be returning to the February Upstate NY Gift Expo, Feb. 25-27, 2007. Korths also discovered seventeen artisans with wholesale potential who will be receiving show applications to Buyer Days.
For those interested in expanding into the New England market, Sandy Gansevoort, Nostalgia Impressions, recommends two hotel trade shows; the White River Junction show, now managed by Allen Thayer, 802.259.297, and the Feb. 10-12 (dates pending) Bangor, ME, show managed by Fred and Roma Boulter of UpNorthTrading.com. Gansevoort also mentioned the Green Granite show.
Korths and Jeff Frasier wish to let potentials exhibitors know that in 2008 they will be able to, in one trip, do wholesale at Buyer Days and retail at the Adirondack Living Show. The 22nd Annual Buyer Days at the City Center in Saratoga Springs is scheduled for Wednesday, April 2 and Thursday, April 3 while The Adirondack Living Show at the Dome in Queensbury is scheduled for Friday through Sunday, April 4 to 6. Exhibitors will be able to take down Thursday, April 3 from 4 to 6 pm after Buyer Days and set up from 8 am to 12 noon on Friday, April 4 at the Dome.
For those of you who have exhibited at Forrest Manning’s hotel shows in the past, we are sad to forward the news that he recently died suddenly.
Because of the extreme heat, both Stone Mills and the St. Lawrence River Rustic shows were very slow on Friday, August 3. At Stone Mills, Marcia Waligory, www.adirondackpackbaskets.com; Karan Marie Cross, www.thewildinside.blogspot.com and Lisa Nortz, www.silverbenchjewelry.com spoke excitedly about the September opening of the new Adirondack Artisans Guild gallery in Lowville. They will be sharing a huge two story retail space with Tying it all Together Bookstore and Wayseeker Studios, charcoal and graphite, at 7617 State Street. Nortz had her August 2007 Adirondack Life feature article on display in her booth.
Tink Link, Link’s Stained Glass Creations, has been renting a kiosk in the Plattsburgh Mall for eight years for the two months before Christmas. Linda Stoddard Leonard, The Keeper’s House, is doing well selling her handmade rag baskets online.
Nancy Powell, Natural Creations by Nancy and Korths talked about the great collection of artisan work for sale at the Oneida Lake Artisans Shop/Black Brick House Cafe in Brewerton. Korths was impressed with the quality of workmanship and creativity exhibited in many of the works, the range of styles represented; eclectic, funky, contemporary and traditional and the many unknown (to her) names; watercolors by Suggere (sp?), pins by Frank DeLucia, window glass hangings by Amber Blanding, jewelry by Natural Creations by Nancy, and others.
Powell places ANCA’s Scenic Byways Arts, Crafts & Foods publications (Oneida Lake Artisans Shop is one of the participants) in a nearby doctor’s waiting room where the women are delighted to find them. Korths distributed some 500 Scenic Byways Arts, Crafts & Foods at libraries, tourism centers and other distribution points during her recent 580 mile trip from Keene to Saratoga Springs, St. Johnsville, Verona, to Alexandra Bay while visiting the three shows and shops in between. There are only about 1200 left to distribute. Contact her to restock or to submit one address where ANCA can mail them.
At the Rustic Show, Mark Sears, Creation in Woods, had many new pieces and said he is looking forward to making more furniture and accessories. His dining set chairs have shaped plank seats. Michael Kazlo Sr. combines meticulous twig and bark work with smoothly finished grain exposed surfaces to create rustic heirloom pieces. Rob and Cherie Lasher, The Final Turn Studio are known for their tiger and curly maple hand turned lamp stands. Native Woods’ live edge dresser has three dimensional curved wooden leaves as drawer pulls.
Until recently Wellesley Island, in the Thousands Islands region of the St. Lawrence River, had no tourism materials which promoted all of its attractions together. Sue Ryn-Burns and her husband, owner of Northern Paradise Gift Shop, another long time participant in Scenic Byways Arts, Crafts & Foods, took the initiative and created WellesleyIsland.net in 2006. Korths bought a Sue Ryn-Burns created lavendar scented pillow for her car seat which she is thoroughly enjoying.
In downtown Tupper Lake, the iron works by Dan King on display in the window of his future gallery at 36 Park Street are worth the stop. Dan and his wife, Jennifer, and their two teenagers are recent arrivals to the region. In Florida King worked with one of the twelve blacksmiths approved to renovate the country’s lighthouses. He had, in his first two weeks here, already been contracted to do custom work for an architect and for a private residence in Chicago!
In uptown Tupper Lake, the shop windows at Cabin Fever on Park Street were eye-catching at night from the glow of brightly colored round Japanese lanterns. Korths wishes to compliment the recently opened Brick Oven Cafe for the display of local artists on their walls (and their great sandwiches).
The Adirondack Artists Guild, Saranac Lake, had as of a few weeks ago, 24 studios from Piercefield to Wilmington signed up for their first Open Studio Tour titled Artists at Work scheduled for Sept. 28, 29, and 30.

Nadia Korths, Craft Programs Coordinator
Adirondack North Country Association | 28 St. Bernard Street | Saranac Lake NY 12983
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