User:ForeignArt
How It All Started
Back in October 2005 on their way to a Chicago Bears game, Kobe and his Uncle Godwin discussed the possibility of creating an online marketplace for all forms of authentic handmade art and craft that would be readily accessible to consumers. Godwin had spent years in the Art and Craft industry and through his work with craftsmen and women from all parts of the world and his relationship with Fair Trade Federation, realized the potential positive effects of such a venture. Kobe's world then revolved around the internet. As they discussed this further, Kobe sought the advice and assistance of his friend and mentor, Matt. Turns out Kobe already had an ideal domain name -- ForeignArt.com [1] which he had purchased over 2 years before that October afternoon.
Since then, ForeignArt.com [2] has been a gradual positive undertaking which continues to grow with an ever expanding inventory of authentic products daily.
About Us
We specialize in authentic handmade art and crafts from different parts of the world. Our goal is to provide you creative artistic handiworks that have cultural significance.
ForeignArt.com began online operations in October 2005 with handmade products from West Africa. Since then, we have made contact with Artisans from other parts of the Globe. Our ongoing redesign of the site is part of a growth process to accomodate products from South America and East Africa within the next few weeks.
Our Products In addition to their functional and decorative values, most of our products serve as symbolic expressions of messages and guiding principles. The "Gye Nyame" Stool, a product from Ghana, for example, represents the omnipotence of God.
As an appreciation for your continued patronage of ForeignArt.com[3], we have decided to ship any purchases free.
Product Quality and Uniqueness Unless otherwise stated in the product description, all our products are handmade to preserve their quality, authencity and cultural significance.
Hence, there may be occassional subtle variations in the design and size of some of our products.These differences only enhance the uniqueness of the individual items on the site. At ForeignArt.com[4], we can proudly say that no two pieces are exactly the same.
Free Shipping As part of our efforts to provide you with cultural diversity at an affordable cost and to create a sustainable market for our talented Artisans, we pledge to provide free shipping to every customer in every country where we have a presence. The current size of our operations enables us to ship free to USA only. As we grow, we expect to increase the number of countries where we have such offers. --ForeignArt 23:25, 7 May 2007 (PDT)