Categories
- Retailer of the Year
best North American craft gallery
- Top Retailer Award
- artisan-owned gallery or open studio (artist references optional for this award)
- guild or co-op gallery
- museum store
- local or regional craft gallery
- visual display, store makeover or store design (please provide a total of 6 photos for consideration)
- charitable or philanthropic event
- in-store promotional event
- new gallery (must be older than 2 years and younger than 5 years)
- social networking and viral marketing campaign
- video, broadcast, podcast or mobile marketing
- jewelry gallery
- furniture gallery
- glass gallery
- print advertising, marketing or promotional campaign
for advocacy on behalf of Made in America or Made in Canada craft
for a cultural tourism project promoting or benefiting craft retailers and/or artisans in 2010-2011
for an individual who has made a significant contribution to the field of American craft in 2010-2011
1. Retailer of the Year
This is the industry’s highest honor for a retailer of American and Canadian craft.
2. NICHE Honors Award – for advocacy
New this year, this NICHE Honors Award will recognize advocacy on behalf of Made in America and/or Made in Canada craft retailers and artisans. The winner may be an individual, a retailer, an organization or an agency. The intent is to honor a unique effort in 2010-2011 to increase public awareness about the importance of buying American-made craft, or to improve local or national policies affecting craft retailers and artisans.
3. NICHE Honors Award – for cultural tourism
New this year, this NICHE Honors Award will recognize an individual, a retailer, an organization or an agency for a cultural tourism project that has promoted or benefited craft retailers and artisans in 2010-2011. We’re looking for a winner who has played a key role in a project or event attracting tourists to a community in a way that shines a light on great American or Canadian craft. An example might be: an individual who develops a blog promoting travel to craft galleries; a gallery that sponsors a regional tourism event; an arts council that creates and promotes a new arts walk.
4. AmericanStyle Honors Award
New this year, the AmericanStyle Honors Award will recognize an individual who has made a significant contribution to the craft industry or the broader field of craft in 2010-2011. Rather than limit eligibility to a specific type of achievement or endeavor, we are deliberately casting a wide net. We invite the whole craft community, including readers of AmericanStyle and NICHE magazines, to help us identify craft’s visionaries, unsung heroes, movers and shakers, catalysts, voices of reason and makers of opportunity.
5. Top Retailer Awards
To keep the contest contemporary and fresh, we’ve revised the Top Retailer Awards categories for 2011. The awards formerly called “special categories” have been merged with the Top Retailer Awards. Also, we have updated the awards to reflect the diverse types of stores selling craft art and the new marketing tools available to retailers.
