Spotlight On: G. Coles-Christensen Rug Merchants
Santa Fe, New Mexico
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Gary Coles-Christensen is an adventurer, traveling to the world’s historic weaving capitals to find the most unusual rugs for his Santa Fe showroom. Yet his vision extends far beyond providing unusual rugs to a discerning international clientele. "I like to think of our business as a way to help weavers," he says. "The GoodWeave program fits with our vision of the store giving back, promoting weaving in a healthy way."
Gary's interest in rugs goes back a long way. After college he worked in art galleries and with antique rugs, which is when he fell in love with the craft. "I would dream about rug designs at night," he says. Nowadays, he searches out unusual carpets in remote small village workshops from Iran to Romania. His primarily residential clients―including actress Cate Blanchett and composer John Williams―rely on him to uncover historic weaving treasures, such as an oversized 18th-century Ushak from Smyrna or a rare 18th-century Tabriz Zoroastrian.
Inspiration for his custom hand-knotted Tibetan pieces comes from sources as diverse as an Alexander Calder necklace, which led to the rug "Calder," and the history of trade exchanges between Rome and Venice, which inspired "Fenice." "I love the ancient traditions, things that are handmade, and I am humbled by my direct connection with the creators,” Gary says. Having a beautiful handmade rug is "a way to ground ourselves by reconnecting with the labor that has gone into that rug."
Gary's deep appreciation for the gift the weavers offer through their craft fuels his desire to help the artisans and their families. Lately, their well-being dominates his thinking even more. "In challenging economic times," he explains, "it is important to help because the weavers are so dependent on us for their livelihoods." Even though he believes that there is an increasingly socially conscious buying public, Gary laments that the weavers are not getting their due. And on the issue of child labor in the industry, something he has seen himself, he says with some emotion, "If those rugs could talk, you would run crying from the room." He is deeply proud of GoodWeave’s progress, but he knows there is still much more to do.
For more information on G. Coles-Christensen, Ltd, visit www.therugmerchants.com.
