Vote for our window!

In order to set the mood for the Decatur Beach Party on June 18, the city is sponsoring a window decorating contest with a beach theme.  So– what is the Beach Party?  Live music, dancing on the square and 60 tons of sand– sound like a good time?  You know that Decatur knows how to party!

Our entry for the Window Decorating Contest?  We have composed a global sunbather above, complete with an Indian paper mache head, thangka
hands and feet and a hand-made paper fan from Thailand.  She is sipping a strawberry drink from an antique lassi cup, enjoying some French Caribbean music and reading Flight of the Mermaid under a Mexican sun.

A number of businesses all over downtown Decatur have entered.  Come on over and take a stroll around to view the windows and vote for your favorite!  To vote for Mingei’s window, text “Dec mingei” to  80672 .  Only one vote per hour from each number!  You can vote until June 18, when it is time for the  Decatur Beach Party!

Gail Goodwin’s Mingei goodies!

You may know Gail.  She has been working with Mingei for a very long time, is a docent at the Carlos Museum, a writer,  retired teacher at Westminster, extremely active member of the Atlanta International Club– and a number of other organizations!  She also manages to travel extensively and always finds time to scour local markets for hand-made textiles.

Here are a few photos from her home and a few words about why she loves Mingei!

Tired of the Container Store look?  Tired of mall styles dictating your decor?  If you yearn to escape the commercial and reveal your true soul in your home, walk into the spirit-filled space of Mingei World Arts in Decatur.  At Mingei, you will tap into cultural creativity from ethnic groups around the globe.

An old basket sits atop a graphically striking textile.

New products emerge from recycled materials and vintage artifacts adapt to new uses.  Rare handmade objects are art for display.  What you can do with Mingei “stuff” is limited only by your imagination.

A yak butter container holds dry flowers.  A Hmong spirit lock fills a small wall space.  A chapati rolling pin or a weaving shuttle becomes a towel rod.  A dowry chest is a colorful coffee table.  A hand-worked shawl dresses a window or accents a sofa.  A framed page of Tibetan script or Miao baby head cover enriches the look of a living room.  And whether or not you use your Tjap as a stamp, it makes a unique doorstop.

Framed enbroidered baby head covers grace the wall above Gail's sofa, which holds a collection of luscious pillows. The coffeetable is draped with a woman's hand woven headcovering.

Come to Mingei to birth your creative soul and transform your home!

–Gail Goodwin

How are you using your Mingei treasures?

Gail Goodwin's house is full of textiles and other gorgeous pieces from her travels with her husband Clark, supplemented by items she has picked up at Mingei.

Calling all customers!  Every day things leave the store and go into your wonderful homes or find their way into other homes as gifts.  Sometimes you tell us about the wonderful, unique ways you are using the dewali oil lamps, old buttermilk pots or cannon balls you acquired at Mingei.  Occasionally,  you sent pictures or an invitation so we can see for ourselves the creative and functional way you are using your “artifactual”  Mingei finds!

Here’s your chance to be featured on the Mingei blog.  Please send us your photos of Mingei items in context, and write us a little about what you have done and maybe how you were inspired.  The first one will be posted directly!

Thanks in advance!

Mingei bites. Mingei flicks. Mingei reads.

There are far too many little sticky notes behind the counter, full of all of your suggestions.  Rather than keep all your ethnic eatery,  restaurant, foreign film and  book recommendations to ourselves (or worse, have them get stuck to the back of the bank statement and get lost in a manila folder forever), we decided to make a place for them on our blog.  Look to the right side under “Community”, and you’ll see the pages awaiting your contributions!