Native Imports: Native and South American Decor for Your Home

When Jeffrey Smith and Alice Drysdale went hiking a few years ago, they started talking about creating a business that might bridge some of the challenges low-income artists in Mexico and Central America face. Just a few months ago they opened up their new store, Native Imports in the Claycomb's Plaza Mall. They specialize in hand crafted home decor and art with an emphasis on discovering brand new artists. "Many import stores have the goal of buying cheap to sell high," says Jeffrey. "We see the importance of promoting fair trade between the artists and our store. We see ourselves as a marketing and distribution tool for artists. Our goal is to continue to travel to rural villages and meet individual artists and give them the chance and materials to promote what they make," he says.

Native Imports carries three main lines of furniture including rustic pine, alder wood (which actually originates from Oregon, is shipped to Mexico and then comes back to Oregon) and reclaimed wood and recycled, hammered copper that comes from a small village in Central Mexico where natives have been coppersmiths for centuries. They also carry a line of pottery in the centuries old style of Mata Ortiz, which was an art form that was lost up until a few decades ago and has now been rekindled.