The Last Stop Gift Shop will be showcasing seven artists from the Northwest Georgia area as a part of National American Craft Week, October 5 to October 14, 2012. The 10-day celebration is free and open to the public.

Featured in-store will be local jewelry artisan Rolene Johnson (Belle Frost Design), watercolor/pen & ink artist Judy Frasure, potter Kim Vasil (Earthworks Pottery), folk-art painter Debby Brown, jewelry and wood burner Amanda Suttles (Diamond A Rustic Creations), and photographer Ryan Smith. Kicking off the American Craft Week event will be a special meet-and-greet on Friday, October 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with gourd designer/artist Thomas Parker.

“American Craft Week is a wonderful way to show our community the wealth of talent that we have in our own backyard,” said Charlene Mathis, gift shop manager. “We are constantly blown away by the men and women in our area who are able to create such beautiful works of art.”

Now in its third year, the national event celebrates the contribution of local artists and their handmade, high-quality products to the community, and to“the fabric of our national history”. American Craft Week is a project of CRAFT: Craft Retailers & Artists for Tomorrow, and was started as a means to display, promote and sell the American craft.

Located inside the Rome - Floyd Visitor Center, the Last Stop Gift Shop specializes in locally-made and locally-produced items. The gift shop is open Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information about American Craft Week, call the Last Stop Gift Shop at 706.295.5576 or visit www.facebook.com/LastStopGiftShop.

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