Part art gallery, part boutique, Artcraft Collection, opened its custom hand-painted doors at its new Reston Town Center location earlier this month.
Started on a whim in the early 1990s by Sharyn Winer. The family owned and run, Artcraft Collection, with the addition of the Reston store, now has three stores in the metropolitan area. Sharyn Winer, herself an artist, was asked to start an artist's co-op, out of an empty storefront in Savage Mill, Md. Eventually, the store evolved from its early consignment roots.
Eventually, Sharyn Winer and her husband, Jay, and their son, Adam, opened their first gallery in 1992. Eight years later, the Winer's opened a second store in Old Town Alexandria. And now, in 2003, the family-run business has expanded once again. At 5,200 square feet, their third store located at the base of the Accenture building, next door to Morton's, is the largest, yet.
"Reston Town Center is an ideal venue for our newest gallery because of this area's strong connection to the arts," Adam Winer said. "We're really excited about bringing our hand made gifts and furnishings into this vibrant market."
Conscious of the economy, Adam Winer said his family did a lot of research before deciding to go ahead with their Reston expansion. "Ultimately, because of the thriving arts community here," he said. "we knew we wanted to be part of that."
And while the economy remains sluggish, Adam Winer says his family is not worried about opening a new store during this time. "Everything here is so unique. You aren't going to find stuff like this anywhere else," he said. "I am confident that people will always have a need for a gift that is unique. Sure, people are more guarded with their dollars these days, which is exactly the reason they want something that isn't ordinary."
The store's reputation for finding new and unique artists helped convince Terrabrook and Boston Properties that Artcraft would be a welcome addition to the town center. "We have sought to get more fashion shops and home accessory stores as part of our retail strategy to diversify our use in the town center," Gary Modjeska, of Terrabrook said. "Artcraft is a unique retailer and it always enriches the environment when there are more varied shops beyond just dining. You won't find them at Montgomery Mall or Dulles Town Center, they are in Old Town Alexandria and Savage Mill and I think that says it all."
<b>SHOPPERS AT RESTON </b>Town Center's newest store will get to browse hand-crafted furnishings and one-of-a-kind accessories from more than 400 specially selected artists and craftsmen from around the country.
Twice a year, the Winer family sets out to find new hand-crafted works and previously undiscovered artists, whose work fills their three galleries.
With an eye for whimsy, Sharyn Winer is the store's primary buyer. Sharyn Winer says she knows her customers demand art and furniture that is "light years away from ordinary."
The store is an exclusive representative of the Winer's favorite furniture craftsman, David Marsh. Known for his sense of whimsy, Marsh, a Houston-based artist, puts drawings on the back of all his works and frequently inscribes messages like, "Ha!," to his cabinet and tables.
"We specialize in American crafts and home furnishings," Adam Winer said. "We just like to put a new and different spin on it."
With items ranging from $2 greeting cards to $10,000 custom built armoires, there is something for shoppers in every price range.
From a $15 hand-painted mouse pad to a $2,600 cabinet built to resemble Teddy Roosevelt, Artcraft Collection offers an eclectic arrange of items, both artistic and functional, in an array of materials from metal to wood and glass to ceramic.
And if a shoppers can't find the perfect gift, the Winers say they will be happy to work with them and their individual artist to create just the right custom item. "That's what we did with our front doors," Adam Winer said. "We sent the artists a template and they sent these beautiful pieces of art back to us."