FresnoArts Organization Profile

Rustica Kollection – From the Earth to Your Hands

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 06:11:00 GMT

A new store is up and running in Downtown Fresno, and that’s Rustica Kollection. You’ll see around the shop the owners’ love for creativity and passion for everything beautiful. And what makes Rustica unique is that all the products and crafts you’ll see in the store are carefully chosen in order to keep the shop’s principles of sustainability and fair trade. Pablo Antinao, main owner of Rustica Kollection, was very kind to give us some of his valuable time and grant our request for an interview on what the shop is all about.

Please provide a brief background about yourself and how you got into the retail business?

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, Chile. I studied social work in college and while studying, also worked in high end restaurants and traveled throughout South America - both which helped spark my interest in wine, food, and culture. Upon graduating, I was working with communities as a social worker, living on a bio-dynamic farm which helped me develop a deep interest in sustainability.

In 2004 I moved to California and began to develop a deep interest in food, wine, and culture due to the tremendous diversity factor within the state. I then decided to let my interests take me to Napa Valley and Europe, where I studied wine professionally. After participating in various wine events with producers from around the world, my interest shifted towards business and the desire to create my own business. Rustica Kollection was born from the aspiration to offer something different, sustainable, and global to the Fresno community.

Could you tell our readers the story behind Rustica Kollection? The name, how it got started, and why Fresno, specifically downtown?

Rustica Kollection is a business with a message behind it. Rustica was developed to help create awareness to the community about fair-trade and sustainability practices. I had personal experiences in life that helped me reconnect with my roots and the inspiration of my son and girlfriend were key elements in creating a meaningful business.

Rustica is a business that supports the local community in Fresno, but also it helps to empower communities in other countries, due to our emphasis in fair-trade, small, and family producers. More than ninety percent of our products are handmade and one value of Rustica is quality, not quantity. The name was created based on the fact that our products are handmade, natural/organic, and produced using sustainable practices.

We decided to open in downtown Fresno because the concept of Rustica is to support communities and being Fresno residents, we want to support downtown. Another reason is because we believe in the redevelopment of downtown in order to have a strong and sustainable city.

Please tell us about your products and your focus on sustainability and fair trade.

Our products are coming locally from the U.S., (Oregon, California, Colorado, and New York) as well as internationally. We have a wide range of products from India, Kenya, South America, (Chile/Easter Island, Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina, and Peru) Europe, (Spain, France, and Denmark), and Madagascar.

We sell a variety of jewelry, clothing, hand bags, soaps, chocolates, coffee, teas, etc. All of the products that Rustica sells are made using sustainable practices; which focus on organic materials, hand-made production, and environmentally friendly/green practices.

What challenges do you anticipate with Rustica, particularly being in Fresno?

First, we anticipate a neglect of awareness from some community members about downtown, due to the neglect of downtown for so many years. Second, a lack of interest in our values/principles, business ethics, and products. However we are optimistic because of the variety of "like-minded" businesses and farmers markets that are prevalent in Fresno and very successful.

Any growth plans that you would like to share?

Current growth plans are to increase and expand inventory, offering an interesting and unique variety of products to customers that are difficult to find in Fresno.

Rustica Kollection is located at 1929 Fulton Street, Suite 101 in Downtown Fresno. You can also visit Rustica Kollection’s Facebook page for a glimpse of their shop, and what customers are saying about their products. Once you get inside, you’ll be amazed on how such beautiful things can come from the earth to your hands.

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Duncan Family Honored by Craft Industry

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 17:42:00 GMT

Craft & Hobby Association is presenting a Special Recognition award to the Duncan Family for their contributions to the craft and hobby industry, as well as for their legacy of philanthropy.

The Duncan Family is known for their continuing support for the promotion of the local art industry and has given their support to the Fresno Metropolitan Museum and the Fresno Art Museum. Aside from these agencies, the family has also given significant contributions to other non-profit organizations for the benefit of the local community.

The Duncan family owns iLoveToCreate, one of the leading arts and crafts products manufactures in California. The family will be presented with the award in the CHA 2011 Winter Conventions and Trade Show in Los Angeles on January 31, 2011. The event runs from 6:30pm-10:00om. Visit www.chashow.org. for more information as well as for ticket registration.

Source: BusinessJournal.com)

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Fresno Fire & Metal Offers Scholarship

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 05:09:00 GMT

Fresno Fire & Metal School for Industrial Arts is founded by Debra Cooper Havens. A passionate industrial artist herself, she saw the need to reach out to the community of Fresno by offering scholarships to under-privileged youths. Its mission: to allow everyone in the local community of Fresno to take a Fresno Fire & Metal class in order to experience art in a variety of ways that are diverse from the traditional setting.

Another important mission of Fresno Fire & Metal is to bring resources to those who are willing to explore and excel in the field of metal crafts, but do not have the means for training. Debra saw the need to reach out to students while she was teaching at a local high school. A contract must first be established between teacher and student, either in middle or high school level. FFM hopes to target first Remedial Reading teachers, focusing on students that who – due to some reason or another – are having difficulties in attaining their recommended reading skills. By centering on the children’s creativity, FFM will be able to promote confidence in them, thus providing an avenue for improved academic performance.

Once an agreement between teacher and student is reached, an FFM staff will then meet with the teacher in order to come up with a plan that will suit the student. Once the student is able to complete the requirements, a spot in a class is then awarded to the student. The class will either be held during the weekends, or it can be a one-night-a-week quarter class. Fresno Fire & Metal aims to target children early enough in hopes that they will be able to catch the art bug, which can encourage the children to keep on working in order to achieve the requirements of the contract, and continue on with their academics.

For more information on the scholarship and how you can help, visit: Fresno Fire and Metal

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