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Ten Thousand Villages
1054 Chapel Street, New Haven 06510 (203-776-0854, tenthousandvillages.com). Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon-Wed, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thur-Sat
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Business New Haven
12/13/1999
By: BNH
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Ten Thousand Villages is a nonprofit trading organization that provides fair income to Third World people by selling their handicrafts and telling their stories in North America. TTV works with an estimated 50,000 artisans worldwide who would otherwise be un- or underemployed. TTV stores throughout North America are typically low-overhead affairs staffed by volunteers.
But what about the merchandise? TTV sells handcrafted folk art from cultures around the world. The artists draw inspiration from the natural world around them - their religion, village life, family and the cycles of birth and death. Styles may range from realistic Kenyan wood carvings of giraffes and zebras to more abstract Haitian papier-mâché and cut-metal sculptures.
In Peru, TTV has helped to preserve culture by creating a market for weaving and ceramics dating back 2,000 years. Carvers of soapstone and shesham wood in India earn a livelihood while continuing ancient art traditions. In Cameroon, the instruments sold by TTV help keep real musicians alive.
One can appreciate the well-intended cause. But the best reason to visit TTV is for the eye-popping array of folk art not to be found under one roof elsewhere.
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