Best of Hartford Winner

Thankful for additional awards

We are honored to once again be voted Best of Hartford, our 8th time, and welcome the Best of Shoreline award to our accolades.

HARTFORD MAGAZINE’S Reader’s Poll BEST OF 2015

ARTISAN’S MARKETPLACE Best Gift Shop

Hartford Magazine wrote:

The American craft movement is alive and well in Plainville at this marketplace, where you can find wall art, garden accents, home furnishings and wearable art.

We at Artisan’s are…

Truly honored to be voted Best Gift Shop by the reader’s of Hartford Magazine for a second year and to be in the company of so many exceptional local businesses. In the fall we will celebrate 35 years as a retailer of American hand crafts. A small group of artists have been with us since the beginning and still amaze us with their innovative new designs. We continue to search for new emerging artists and stay true to our mission to bring the finest of American hand craft to Connecticut. We are grateful to be surrounded by such beauty and call it a “day of work”. We thank Hartford Magazine, their reader’s and our loyal customers for the continued support of our family-run-business. Cheers!

HARTFORD MAGAZINE’S Reader’s Poll BEST OF 2014

ARTISAN’S MARKETPLACE Best Gift Shop

Hartford Magazine wrote:

The American craft movement is alive and well in Plainville at this marketplace, where you can find wall art, garden accents, home furnishings and wearable art.

We at Artisan’s respond…

with jubilation! It is an honor to be selected the “best gift shop” by the reader’s of Hartford Magazine. We are proud to be in the company of so many wonderful businesses. To be acknowledged in a prestigious Connecticut publication is a tremendous support for a small family run business. For over 34 years our mission has been to bring the finest in American craft to our state. We continue to marvel at the abundant, incredible talent of the craftsmen and women across our country. We love that each sale supports another hard working American, their family and  their employees. Thank you to all of those who voted for us, to Hartford Magazine and their wonderful staff and to all our loyal customers. We look forward to another year doing what we love surrounded by the beauty of American craft!

CONNECTICUT MAGAZINE’S BEST OF 2013

ARTISAN’S MARKETPLACE Best Craft Gallery

Connecticut Magazine wrote:

Galleries come and go, but over the last 30-plus years none has showcased fine American crafts as exquisitely as Artisan’s. Housed in a charming Victorian designed and built by shop owner Martha Couture’s husband, Jim, the shop offers handmade creations by more than 400 artisans, including home and garden accessories both whimsical and functional (from clocks and lamps to birdhouses and blown-glass hummingbird feeders), decorative pottery that’s safe in oven and dishwasher, an ever-changing selection of jewelry and personalized gifts in all media (stone, wood, glass and ceramics). Bridal registry and special-order services are available.

We at Artisan’s are…

Truly grateful to be honored by Connecticut magazine for a sixth year. We are very proud to be in the spotlight with “Connecticut’s BEST”.  As we celebrate 34 years in business, we still love what we do. Our mission will not change, as many of our longtime craftsmen begin to retire, we continue to seek America’s finest talent who create high quality affordable works of art. We are encouraged by the new movement which strives to support small business. Many of our craft artists are one man operations or small family businesses like ours, a purchase at Artisan’s creates a ripple that supports several hard working Americans and their families. We look forward to keeping the crafts movement alive. We extend our sincere appeciation to our dedicated customers and to Connecticut Magazine for the “best of” honor. Cheers!

CONNECTICUT MAGAZINE’S BEST OF 2012

ARTISAN’S MARKETPLACE Best Craft Gallery

Connecticut Magazine wrote:

Year after year, Artisan’s proves itself to be the best place around to find high-quality American-made crafts, both decorative and functional, from jewelry and other personal accessories to items for the home and garden. It’s been a true family business for more than 30 years: Silversmith Martha Couture runs the shop with daughters Diane and Cynthia, in an elegant Victorian cottage built from the ground up by Martha’s husband Jim. More than 400 artisans are represented

We at Artisan’s are…

Honored to have been selected by Connecticut Magazine for a fifth year. We love what we do. The American Crafts Movement forges on despite our difficult economy. Our mission has not changed, we continue to support our talented and hard working crafts community. Many of our artists have been with us since the start over 30 years ago. They continue to surprise us with their innovative new designs. It is exciting to also be able to bring in the work of many emerging artists who are creating high quality hand crafts and to see the response from our customers. The same applies to our customers many of them have been with us from the start and we have daily visitors who are new to us. We are truly grateful for the continued support of our customers and for the honor from Connecticut Magazine. We are blessed to go to work and be surrounded by the beauty of American hand crafts. Cheers!

CONNECTICUT MAGAZINE’S BEST OF 2011

ARTISAN’S MARKETPLACE Best Craft Gallery

Connecticut Magazine wrote:

Family-run for more than 30 years (and built from the ground up by owner and silversmith Martha Couture’s husband, Jim), this picture-perfect Victorian shop carries dazzling wheel-thrown stoneware by Kentucky’s Blanket Creek Pottery; therapeutic brass, silver and copper jewelry by California’s Sergio Lub; fine-cast metal wind chimes and sculptures by Arizona’s Harmony Hollow Bell Works…in short, look no further for beautiful creations that are also functional, durable, high quality and, most importantly, American-made. Artisan’s offers bridal registry, special order and corporate gift services, too.

We at Artisan’s are…

Grateful for this award and we continue to work hard to bring you the finest in American hand crafts. The currrent difficult economy has not only put a strain on small business but has really challenged the American craftsmen. Our mission will not change, we will continue to support our talented and hard working crafts community with the hope that we will all survive these current difficulties. We thank Connecticut Magazine for their support and extend our sincere appreciation to all of our dedicated customers. Please share us with a friend so that we may continue on our path and we may all enjoy the success of the American crafts movement. Cheers!

CONNECTICUT MAGAZINE’S BEST OF 2010

ARTISAN’S MARKETPLACE Best Craft Gallery

Connecticut Magazine wrote:

In the 1930’s, film director Ernst Lubitsch celebrated the romance of that era’s Shop Around the Corner. We think of wee, charming Artisan’s as the contemporary Connecticut equivalent, probably because we’re sure you’ll fall in love at first sight with the fine American crafts showcased in this hand-built, family-run Plainville Victorian. Now in it’s 30th year, it’s long been the place to find premier fused glassware by Peggy Karr of New Jersey, Silver Seasons botanical jewelry (by Fairfield’s Michael Michaud) and durable, nature-inspired stoneware by Aldrich Valley Pottery in Missouri. Striking new finds include beaded, wire-worked fantasy jewelry by Starlight Glassworks of Texas and reversible tapestry jackets by Winding River Clothing of Massachusetts.

We at Artisan’s are truly honored…

To be in the company of CONNECTICUT’S BEST. We are incredibly excited to receive recognition from Connecticut Magazine for a third year. It is the frosting on the cake as we begin celebrating 30 years as a retailer of American craft. We are inspired to continue our quest to bring fine American craft to Connecticut. There is a vast amount of talent in this country, we make our selection with an eye for quality and affordability. We seek new emerging artists to keep our collection interesting for our longtime loyal customers and still support the artists who have pioneered the American crafts movement and never cease to amaze us with their latest creations. We are grateful to be able to surround ourselves with such beauty and call it a “day of work”.  We thank Connecticut Magazine and all of our customers who continue to support our family-run business as we enter our 31st year.