Gallery Spotlight for American Craft Week: Helen Winnemore Craft
On the eve of American Craft Week, which showcases supporting small, local, and handmade craft from October 5 – 14, we decided to call up one of our special galleries, Helen Winnemore Craft, to tell their story about supporting American-made art.
Helen Winnemore is THE oldest American Craft store still open today. They have carried our line of handmade molten glass on copper Spiritiles for several years, and Sarah Harpham, who now runs the store, carries the torch for the founder, Helen Winnemore. I asked Sarah to share their story about how it all started.
Helen Winnemore came into the market entirely by accident. She came into contact with a lot of artisans and artists who would allow her to show the pieces in a spare room of her house with family and friends, and Helen kept the pieces in drawers, pulling them out to show to local women gathered in her home for afternoon tea and cookies. Helen encouraged and nurtured art in whatever form it came, and in 1938 opened a storefront showing the art she found. Customers said they missed the “drawers” from her home shows, so Helen brought the ritual back. Today, HWC still keeps items in drawers – things like jewelry – which allow customers to open and find “treasures” inside. HWC has kept the vision that art can be functional and beautiful, as well as “art-for-art’s sake.” Customers who have been coming for years say that the heart of the place is still the same, that it isn’t lofty and separate, but accessible and affordable.
I asked how HWC remained strong during the years when masses flocked to buying foreign goods. For a short time in HWC history, they amped up their holiday items and sold imported holiday ornaments. But in the store, the pieces didn’t feel right, didn’t feel authentic to HWC. So they took a deep breath and decided to risk switching to more expensive American-made holiday ornaments. Ultimately, it was a terrific move – it took a few people to catch on – but it fit with who they are.
Sarah said we are experiencing a growth in buying American-made because in the face of foreign goods, we know that American-made pieces allow us to connect with where they come from, contact the source, and stick to our guns about being different. It is a small price to pay for the quality we get. She thinks people have started thinking seriously about where they are investing their time, money, and what matters to them, and they are now more conscientious of dollar choices reflecting their values. People have started connecting the dots and recognizing that we can’t have American jobs if we don’t invest in American work.
Since Helen Winnemore has done so well with Spiritiles, I asked her if she had any suggestions for other shops and galleries who carry our line. Here’s what she said:
“The more you show the better. Honestly, when I first met Houston, he had 36 in the line, and I bought a dozen to start with. I had them scattered about at first to follow themes, but over time realized we had to carry more, give them more space and give them multiple environments – on a wall, on a shelf, grouped together in various forms like the four trees together. We have five rooms in the store, and Spiritiles are in at least three of them. So first, have a bunch, and second, show them in a variety of situations. Sometimes you have to show your customers what the pieces will look like in their home first. Just make sure the pieces are touchable!”
