Thursday, January 28, 2010

GoodWeave for a Good Cause


I am very proud of my association with RugMark/GoodWeave and have been a passionate supporter of this wonderful organization for years - all my rugs handcrafted in Nepal are GoodWeave certified.  Recently Robyn Griggs Lawrence, the Editor-in-Chief of Natural Home in an article on design trends, listed GoodWeave certified rugs among the top five interior design trends for 2010. She says: Flat, woven rugs are in. If you're in the market, make sure yours isn't made by a child - Purchase chic rugs from socially responsible companies. Look for the GoodWeave label to ensure your new rug wasn't made by children. 
To read the full piece: 2010 Predictions: Interior Design Trends




Friday, January 22, 2010

The Joan Hamburg Show

Earlier this week I was interviewed on the Joan Hamburg Show for the radio show’s Launch Pad segment. Following a very interesting chat with Chris Matthews, Joan and her "serial entrepreneur" daughter Liz talked to me about being an entrepreneur and starting my own company. I never really think of myself as an "entrepreneur" - I am just lucky enough to be able to make a living doing something I feel passionate about. But this came after years of hard work and mistakes, which Joan, Liz and I talked about a little. My advice was to focus on something that you love and be prepared to really work hard, including, like me, working two jobs for awhile (the point being that at least one of them should be giving you a regular salary while you build and invest in your dream!). And that you have to keep pushing forward – in the early days when it was really hard sometimes I just had to tell myself to keep going every day - you may not be successful if you keep going, but there is no chance at all of success if you don't. For me the other thing that I think propelled me forward was never saying no, if your instinct says you can do it, say yes and then find a way to make it happen!
To hear the interview, please go to
http://www.wor710.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=4323976

I've added a few photos here of me and my current studio, which shows the culmination of a dream that started so many years ago.



 

 

Monday, January 18, 2010

The MUM diaries



The photo above is of my mum, Gloria Finn, in Italy in the 1960s. Recently I went to see the wonderful Bauhaus exhibit at MoMA and was reminded again about the role my mother played in the art scene over the years. Looking at Anni Albers' incredible weavings at MoMA, I remembered stories of my mother working with Albers, as well as a number of other famous and influential artists.
So I decided to start a little biography of my mum on this blog, along with some photos of her. As many know, I am a second generation artist, following, in many ways, in my mother's footsteps. So I am proud to be the one who gets to tell some of her story.


Please stay tuned for more Mum entries to come!

 


MUM

   My mother arrived in Rome May 1960 having traveled from Madrid by plane.  There was no one to meet her - she had 10 lessons in Italian under her belt and a room at the famous Hotel Eden.  However, when she arrived there was no room available at the Eden. Thankfully the telephonist took pity on her and took her in for the night.
   She was in Italy thanks to a grant awarded to her by Greta Daniel, assistant to Philip Johnson.  Mum had already had a big show of her rugs at the Grace Borgenicht gallery in New York.  The grant was for “Barag” who owned Aldon rugs, and it was $2,500 to go to Italy and create twelve artist-designed rugs.
   Her hostess in Italy was Caresse Crosby (who had been married to the Bostonian heir Harry Crosby - who had committed suicide supposedly as a result of a love affair in 1929, on December 10, which just happens to be my birthday). My mother knew Caresse socially in Washington, DC. Caresse (originally Mary Jane Jacobs) had bought a castle in Rieti, Italy for $16,000. She had grand plans to start an art center. With the castle came the Papal gift of the title "Principessa," which pleased Mary Jane/Caresse immensely. She was not quite so happy when she discovered that along with her "Principessa" title, came the privilege of providing shoes for all the village inhabitants. In response, Caresse suggested she had something better to offer: an expert rug maker who, along with contemporary American and Italian artists and architects, would come and teach the local ladies the craft of rug hooking.








Sunday, January 17, 2010

Softer Than a Cloud


I started having a few baby blankets made over the years for family and friends. They were such a hit and have lasted the test of time so well, that I've decided to offer them on my website. They are incredibly soft, being handmade using the same plush alpaca (see below) boucle weave from my best-selling throws and fabric. So far no baby, including the sweet little girl in the photo, can resist the cuddly softness and light weight warmth. You can check them out and order them directly from my site at www.rosemaryhallgarten.com.



 



Monday, January 11, 2010

Airports as portals to adventure


Recently I was at JFK, picking up my mother, who was visiting from England. I love airports, especially those with the prospect of international travel. I love waiting at arrivals, seeing people come out from all different destinations: huge families from India with toppling luggage cards, couples from some warm climate arriving with tans and shorts - determined to preserve their vacations as long as possible as they drag their luggage out into the New York freeze. I want to talk to all of them about their adventures! I have promised myself that one day I will turn up at an airport, look up at the departure board (like George Clooney in "Up in the Air") and just pick a place to go.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

We Won a Davey Award!


What a way to start 2010! The Rosemary Hallgarten website was just awarded a Silver Davey Award in the retail category - from the International Academy of the Visual Arts (IAVA). The Davey Awards is an international creative award focused exclusively on recognizing creative work from the best small firms worldwide. Congrats to KG Partners, who created my site, for winning one gold and three silver awards from a selection of over 4,000 entries. For more information on the award, go to http://www.kgmoment.com/agency/news/item/KG_Partners_Honored_with_Four_Davey_Awards

Monday, January 4, 2010

Faces of Freedom Exhibit


I'm very proud to have one of my rugs featured in the Faces of Freedom exhibit curated by GoodWeave. My rug, Silhouette (left side in the image), hangs in the World Bank building in Washington, D.C. where it will be on display, along with the stunning photographs of the talented U. Roberto Romano, until January 31, 2010. Romano's heartfelt and mesmerizing photos taken during visits to India, Nepal and Pakistan reinforce my commitment to supporting RugMark/GoodWeave in this extraordinary program that rescues children from the horrors of child labor in the carpet industry and provides them with the opportunity to embark on a new life. The GoodWeave label is the best assurance that the rug you purchase is child-labor free. For more information on the exhibition, please check out:http://www.homeanddesign.com/content.asp?contentid=952