Check out  an article by Carolyn Bowers about Artistry! in the Wilmington Star News. Our thanks to Carolyn Bowers and the StarNews!

Artistry offers artists a new Southport venue

By Carolyn Bowers
StarNews Correspondent
Published: Friday, September 18, 2009 at 11:14 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, September 18, 2009 at 11:14 a.m

PHOTO BY KEN BLEVINS, Courtesy of StarNews

Southport | If intuition can sometimes be a better predictor of success than a formal business plan, Judy McCord and Susan McNeil hope this is one of those times. The two St. James residents recently opened Artistry, a “distinctive hand crafts and fine art” store in Olde Southport Village on Howe Street in Southport because, according to Susan, “it just feels right.” And according to the volume of traffic they have had so far, they should trust their feelings.

Artistry is a consignment shop where the owners and the artists work collaboratively to bring their customers an array of gifts from wood turning pieces to watercolor prints to jewelry. There are baskets, boxes, blankets, puppets, prints, pillows, handbags, and a whole host of original novelty items for hostess gifts. When choosing which artists to represent, the owners say they look for only two things: diversity and quality.

Local jewelry designer Nancy Clookie is delighted to have McCord and McNeil represent her line of jewelry because “they are so outgoing and enthusiastic. The two of them love art, and they understand asking the artists what they think and working with them.”

Roger Kerr, the inventor of Rock of Light candles, agrees. He says he thinks “they have done an excellent job of making the store visitor friendly.”

Artistry represents 36 artists, most of whom are from the Carolinas. Some works may be familiar to local residents, like Mary Jones’s “Design by Mimi” puppets, Dianne Masi’s pine needle coiling on gourds and Nancy Schulte’s popular watercolor prints. Others will be new, like Lee Davidson’s wood turning pieces and Sue Archambault’s decoupage boxes.

For someone facing surgery, there is Amy’s Organ Bank, a collection of comforting fleece reproductions of most of the human organs. You will find Hans and Franz the Heart, with the tag that says, “We’re here to pump you up.” And Erin and Airyana, The Lovely Lung Twins. Then there is Charles De Gall-Bladder. These are the brainchild of Amy Micallef of Peachtree City, Ga.

“In 2007 my dad went in for a simple surgery, but something went terribly wrong and he lost his colon, spleen and appendix,” Micallef says. “ I thought, ‘Well, what do you get a man who has everything except a colon, spleen and appendix?’ So I made him new ones, and it was amazing how he seemed to respond to them.” Since then requests have been pouring in for other organs. McNeil had to call Micallef recently to have her air freight some more colons up to Artistry.

Looking for a hostess gift? Gail Jensen’s Name your Dip glass sticks identify that unidentifiable dip on the buffet. Or try Marilyn Whitford’s Tea Caddy, an upscale travel case for your special tea bags.

The only thing in the store that is not on consignment are signature pillows with designs representing St. James, Oak Island and Southport. Aritstry’s owners commissioned Southport residents Jean Holden to do the embroidery and Janice Cunningham to sew the pillows, and they donate 5 percent of their sales to the Southport Woman’s Club in honor of their 100th anniversary.

McCord and McNeil’s new venture is the culmination of plans and dreams that started shortly after they met four years ago at a neighborhood “welcome tea” for newcomers. But both are quick to say they would never have guessed that those ideas would one day morph into ownership of a retail store. Especially one opened during a recession.

Soon after McCord and McNeil met, they discovered they both had creative streaks they couldn’t decide what to do with. Each had a successful career in business – McCord in marketing and McNeil in purchasing – and both had families, so there wasn’t time to pursue their artistic bent. Both fondly recall decorating their houses at holiday time and making competition-winning Halloween costumes. When they retired, they finally had the time to indulge their creative side.

After a few false starts, they settled on punch needlework because the framed finished product looks professionally done. After supplying their family and friends with their creations, they needed a larger outlet for their work. It occurred to them that other artists might need a place to sell their art, and Artistry was born.

Future plans include having artists give a demonstration of their work. The first one is scheduled for Oct. 30, when gourd and pine needle artists Dianne Masi and Dory Maier will show off their craft.