Arts of Asia

Fair Trade Crafts and Art

Arts of Asia is dedicated to promoting artisans and artists from Burma, Indonesia and Thailand through fair trade practices

Each year I travel these countries to find the items that I sell. By buying directly, I not only support the artisans and artists, but I keep my costs low so that I can pass on to you excellent quality, often one-of-a-kind, products at very reasonable prices.

Among the many products that we offer are beautiful silks, jewelry, toys and other handicrafts from Thailand; jewelry, lacquer ware, art, and woodcarvings from Burma; art, silver, and other crafts from Bali, and peasant paintings from China.

Our clients buy directly from us or at the many fundraising shows we participate in during the year around the country, but primarily in the Washington, DC area. We have also participated in exhibitions and shows in Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, Texas, Oregon, California and Tokyo.

Some of the profits of Arts of Asia have gone towards various charitable projects in Burma (aka Myanmar). In these efforts I have been generously supported by many of our customers:

• * We provided the children of 114 schools in the Shan State of Burma with pencils, erasers and sharpeners. (Children in Burma cannot attend school without a pencil.) We also repaired one schoolhouse and provided windows and window frames for another school, also in the Shan State.
• * After the 2004 Tsumani, I collected funds through the internet, went to Phuket Island and gave the equivalent of $100 in cash to several of the most severely injured in a hospital on the island. We also donated $300 to the rebuilding of a school there, and $200 to victims of the Tsunami in Aceh, Indonesia.
• * Last year, thanks to generous donations, I was able to directly distribute 1 month’s salary to over 120 families
  who lost their homes and possessions in Cyclone Nargis in Burma. We also provided funds for the rebuilding of 8 villages in the worst hit area.
• * This year we delivered several boxes of donated teaching materials to the School for the Blind in Rangoon. We are also providing them with a new Braille embosser, plus several parts to fix their old embosser along with a voltage regulator to make sure the machines run well, and enough clothing for all of the kids in the lower grades at the school.

Rich Blumm

Arts of Asia