The public is getting mugged by local potters this month. It's the kind of mugging that puts valuable items in your hands and everyone walks away smiling.
The muggings happen at the Community Arts Council Gift Shoppe at Studio 2880. The boutique is loaded in arts wares of all description, from remarkable photos to stellar carvings to practical items upscaled by expert craftsmanship and creative flare.
One of the most popular items in the store is the common coffee mug, but of course when they are handmade by local artisans, they aren't common at all. Now, thanks to the CAC's own ingenuity, those mugs can lead to extra value and additional enjoyment.
According to CAC board member Marnie Hamagami, it works like this: "Buy a mug during the month of May, get an entry to win our prize pack. It is that simple. If you buy four mugs, you get four entries."
There is even a "no purchase necessary clause" that is fun for the mug owner. "If you take a photo of your self with your favourite mug, and tell us what you like to have in it, post in on our Facebook page, or tag us on your Instagram feed, you will get an entry," Hamagami said.
There is a prize package for the winner of the draw. Those who buy a mug or mugs at the Studio 2880 Gift Shoppe are in the running to receive a four-mug collection all handmade by the members of the Prince George Potters' Guild, free pottery lessons from the guild, and gift certificates totally more than $200 from supportive local businesses like Shiraz Cafe, Nancy O's, Second Cup, Ohh Chocolat and more.
The indirect prize almost all participants receive is a visit to the boutique. It is akin to a permanent, ever-changing art show, a gallery where everything is for sale and everything was made by the hands and minds of local creators. You might come for the mugs but you'll stay for the paintings and weavings and carvings and shapings that cannot be found anywhere but rare artisan hotspots.
