[Vision2020] Acceptable business

[Phil Nisbet]

Bruce

The list of local materials for the arts is a long one.  We have excellent 
sources of local marble that could be used for sculpture.  The variety of 
our wood resources is also quite large.  There are natural pigments here 
that are of interest not only to a local arts community, but to artists in 
other localities.

There is a nice movement toward natural pigments for painting that would 
allow a small industry in those materials here.  I know of an artist in 
Hawaii who has a gallery and makes his own paints from natural pigments, who 
uses some minerals shipped in small lots from here in Latah County.

It would be nice if the kids who now turn out glass bongs as the sole avenue 
for sales of their glass art had a chance to turn out high value vases and 
centerpieces instead.

There are some very fine wood fire ceramics people here, but no facilities 
for anybody to really turn out porcelains.  Its a great ceramics talent pool 
that I am sure would love it if they had better facilities and a place to 
show and to sell.

The bronze casting and other small scale metal working is also an area that 
has a lot of merit.

Then, at risk of invoking Wayne's further ire, we have a lot of gemstones 
that are unique to our area.  Jewelry design could be a nice fit within that 
catergory.  There are star garnets, sapphires, cordierites and a number of 
other high value stones that are now exported for cutting and sold 
internationally.  It would be nice if we could turn some of those into local 
art works.

Then there is of course the potential for side industry in some things like 
handcrafted furniture.  People who buy beautiful art work are also people 
who like craftsmanship, so having one gives us the opportunity to get sales 
in other high value products.

Phil

PS  Anything that I can do to assist you in helping to get things going for 
the arts I will gladly do.

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